An essential component of successful Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and digital marketing is keywords. These are the words and phrases that potential customers use when searching for products, services, or information related to your business.
When used effectively, keywords help bring traffic to your website, improve search engine rankings, and increase website visitors.
In this blog post, we will learn about:
- What is a keyword
- What keyword research means
- Types of keywords
- How to conduct keyword research
- Free and paid tools for keyword research and which is better.
Additionally, I’ll share some tips to help you find the best keywords so that you can become an expert in keyword research. Let’s get started.
What is a Keyword?
Definition of a keyword: A keyword is a word or phrase that people use to search for something on a search engine.
We know that people use search engines to find content relevant to their queries. In the language of SEO or digital marketing, those words people use to search are called keywords.
Keywords are used to describe the main topic or theme of an article. When it comes to driving traffic to a website and optimizing for search engines, using the keywords that people search for is essential. This helps us understand what people want to know online.
What is Keyword Research?
Keyword research is the process of discovering the words and phrases people use to search for information online. It involves identifying which keywords are most relevant to a business’s products or services.
Though keyword research may seem easy, it can be quite complex. Conducting keyword research and selecting the right keywords is the key to getting traffic from search engines. Several factors need to be considered while doing this. Let’s dive into those.
To conduct keyword research and select the right ones, we need to understand the following:
- What are relevant keywords, and how do we find them?
- How do we determine the search volume of keywords?
- How to assess the competition for a keyword?
- Additionally, we need to know which type of keywords to select based on our goals (blog, product, or service sales).
In this article, I’ve explained these aspects step by step in the “How to conduct keyword research” section.
Types of Keywords
Knowing the types of keywords and how to use them is crucial for gaining website traffic and achieving better search engine rankings.
I will now explain the different types of keywords that can be used to increase website visitors. I’ll also explain how each type works and when it should be used.
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Short-Tail Keywords
Short-tail keywords are the most common types of keywords, usually consisting of one to three words. Ranking for short-tail keywords is the most difficult because they are broad and highly competitive. However, since they are widely used, it is essential to target some short-tail keywords. But it is better to combine short-tail keywords with more specific long-tail keywords to target the right audience.Example: “SEO” or “Search Engine.”
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Long-Tail Keywords
Long-tail keywords are phrases consisting of three or more words. They are much more specific than short-tail keywords, meaning you can often understand the searcher’s intent just by looking at the keyword.Long-tail keywords are more likely to generate leads or sales because users are searching for something specific. These keywords are also less competitive, so ranking for them is easier. Although the search volume for long-tail keywords is lower, they can still bring targeted traffic.
Example: “How search engines work” or “Best mobile phone under 10,000.”
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Local Keywords
Local keywords are used to target customers in a specific geographic area. These keywords often include the name of a city, country, or region.Local keywords help you reach people in your local area. They are more specific and meaningful than generic keywords.
Example: “Best hotel in Dhaka” or “Tourist attractions in Khulna.”
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Branded Keywords
Branded keywords are words or phrases associated with your brand that help customers find your business. These can be as simple as your company’s name or specific products or services you offer.Examples include your company name, product names, and your company’s tagline. You should include branded keywords in your website content, social media posts, and other marketing materials to help potential customers find your business easily. Additionally, optimizing for these keywords can help you rank higher in search engine results, increasing your visibility.
Example: My brand name is “LutforPro,” and “SEO services by LutforPro” is a branded keyword.
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Negative Keywords
Negative keywords are used in search engine marketing campaigns to ensure that ads are not shown for irrelevant queries.These keywords are used to filter out unwanted impressions and clicks that are not related to the product or service being advertised. For example, an advertiser specializing in men’s clothing might want to add “women” as a negative keyword so that their ads are not shown when someone searches for “women’s clothing.” Negative keywords help reduce costs and improve ROI (Return on Investment) by filtering out unwanted clicks.
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Related Keywords
Related keywords are words or phrases that are closely associated with the primary keywords you are targeting. They can be related by meaning, such as synonyms, or by context, such as related topics.For example, if you’re targeting the keyword “weight loss,” related keywords could include “diet,” “nutrition,” or “exercise.” Including related keywords in your content can help increase your visibility in search engine results.
Step-by-Step Guide on How to Conduct Keyword Research
Keyword research is an essential part of any successful SEO strategy. With the right keywords, you can improve your search engine visibility and attract more organic traffic to your website. However, knowing which keywords to use and how to find the best ones can be tricky.
Step 1: Understand Your Target Audience
One of the most important steps in keyword research is understanding your target audience. Who are your potential customers, what do they want to buy, and what problems are they trying to solve?
This will help you determine which keywords are most suitable for your business. When making a list of potential keywords, consider your target audience’s age, gender, and interests.
You should also research the language your target audience uses and the terms they search for. By researching your target audience and their preferences, you will be able to create a list of relevant keywords.
Step 2: Identify the Right Keywords
The second step in keyword research is identifying the right keywords. It is important to find the most relevant keywords for your business and target market.
You can use various tools like Google AdWords to identify the most popular words related to your niche.
You can also follow your competitors to find out which keywords they are using by using tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush.
Once you have identified the right keywords, you can use them on your website, blog posts, and other content to improve online visibility and drive traffic to your website.
Step 3: Assess Search Volume
Once you have a list of potential keywords, the next step is to assess the search volume or the number of times people search for each keyword per month.
Search volume is important because it helps you determine whether people are actually searching for that keyword.
To assess search volume, you can install the Keyword Surfer or WhatsMySERP extension on your Chrome browser or use a keyword research tool.
These tools will help you estimate how many people search for the keyword each month.
Step 4: Analyze Keyword Difficulty
After completing your keyword research, you need to analyze the competition for each keyword. In this step, you need to consider the difficulty level of ranking for a keyword. This is called Keyword Competition Analysis.
To succeed quickly in SEO, you need to find low-competition keywords.
To do this, install the MozBar extension on your Chrome browser. Whenever you search on Google, MozBar will display information on the SERPs.
Next, check the domain authority of the ranking sites and calculate their average. If it is below 30, then it is a relatively low-difficulty keyword. Look at the referring domains or the number of backlinks each site has. A page with more “votes” (backlinks) tends to rank higher. This will give you an idea of how many backlinks you need to build to rank.
It is important to keep an eye on what your competitors are doing so you can stay ahead.
Best Keyword Research Tools
The right keyword research tools can help you identify the best keywords. From free tools like Keyword Surfer to paid tools like Ahrefs and SEMrush, here are some popular tools:
- Keyword Surfer Google Extension – Free
- WhatsMySERP Google Extension – Free
- Ahrefs Keyword Explorer – Paid
- SEMrush Keyword Magic Tool – Paid
- Ubersuggest Keyword Tool – Free & Paid
- KeywordTool.io – Free & Paid
- Keywords Everywhere – Paid
- SECockpit – Free & Paid
- Google Search Console – Free
- Google Keyword Planner – Free
Using Paid Keyword Research Tools
Once you have identified topics related to your niche, the next step is to find relevant keywords. To do this, you need to use research tools.
These tools allow you to find the most popular and relevant keywords. Additionally, they provide related keywords and long-tail keywords.
By using keyword research tools, you can understand the search landscape and discover which pages your competitors are ranking for on Google and receiving traffic from.
Understanding the Purpose of Keyword Search
Understanding why people search for a specific word and how to use it effectively is the key to success in SEO.
Keywords are the user’s search queries—they use them to find solutions to their needs or problems. Therefore, you need to write content that matches the search queries.