It’s true that trying to stand out online isn’t just about keywords. Nowadays, a business’s digital marketing strategy can focus exclusively on social media, email marketing, paid ads, or a combination of all these and more. However, online visibility still largely starts with search engines, which is why SEO keywords are so important. Any time someone has a question or problem, keywords are there to help guide them to the answer.
In this blog, we’ll discuss how effective keyword use can strengthen your content strategy through SEO.
What are SEO keywords?
Keywords are the terms or phrases internet users submit to search engines when they have a query. This can be anything, depending on what content the user thinks will be relevant to their issue. The search engine then generates content to meet the needs of the searcher, which will typically contain repetitions and variations of the keyword. The two types of keywords are:
- Short keywords – search queries consisting of one or two words.
- Long-tail keywords – queries containing three or more words.
As the length of the keyword grows, so too does its specificity. For instance, you could search for ‘SEO agency’ or ‘SEO marketing agency Wirral’ (yes that was also a way to get a keyword into this piece). While the short keywords are likely to be included in search queries more often, they are likely to relate to very broad topics.
Keywords and search intent
All keywords are driven by the intent of the user behind the search. This gives insight into the reason behind the search query, which businesses can then use to provide a better experience. Search intent can be broadly broken into three categories: informational, navigational, and commercial.
4 reasons keyword research is important for SEO
The inclusion of SEO keywords in website content helps improve the ranking of a brand in search engine results pages (SERPs). This is vital in helping brands stand out and be visible online.
Inform strategy
Data on search terms is often a better indication of consumer preferences than the results of a survey or social media poll. This is because in the latter, the individual is aware that their answers are being analysed. As such, their responses can be influenced by external factors. Whereas the keywords they’re searching for are chosen purely in consideration of finding solutions to their issues.
There are many keyword research tools available to businesses today. These reveal how many users are searching for a keyword over the certain period, along with the keyword difficulty. This relates to the size and prominence of the other businesses currently appearing in SERPs for that keyword.
Taking this data into account, SEO keywords allow marketers to employ more focused digital marketing strategies. As a data driven agency, all content we create at Deliver is informed by regular SEO keyword research. If you get a free website audit from us, there will be a section dedicated to a SEO keyword ranking report.
Help search engines understand your website
Search engines generate results from an index of web pages. If your site has multiple pages that feature a certain keyword in a relevant context, it means you’re more likely to feature for searches containing that word/phrase. It also shows that your content is focused on a particular topic and so is more likely to be helpful to users making related searches.
Create buyer personas
As we’ve mentioned, keywords can reveal who is actively looking for your products and services. This might not be who you envisioned and may change depending on trends. As a result, keyword research is necessary to ensure businesses are generating strong leads. These are typically people who have discovered your website organically, through searching target keywords. They’re therefore more likely to be converted to loyal paying customers once they are on your site.
Local digital marketing
For local businesses, it can seem tricky to narrow their appeal to a specific geographical location. This problem can be solved with SEO keywords that target local searches. Using these terms gives more information to search engines, while also increasing visibility among local users. Using local SEO keywords has long term benefits too, as it allows the business to create a community of local customers.
SEO marketing agency UK
Deliver Media is a Merseyside digital marketing agency providing keyword services for SEO Wirral and beyond. We can provide insight into what your target audience is searching for online specifically in relation to your brand. Once your SEO strategy has been established, our expert content creation team will arm you with content that’s relevant to consumer search queries. Contact us today.