Keyword Research For Beginners - [Simplified]

SEO Keyword Research Guide:

Are keywords important for SEO? Yes, they are highly important. This is where keyword research comes in, and it is a term that many entrepreneurs, online marketers, content creators, and SEO experts keep using now and then.

But what is keyword research actually and how does it affect your website’s ranking in search engines like Google?

Let's get in.

What is Keyword Research?:

Keyword research is the process of identifying and analyzing search terms that people enter into search engines, used to optimize content for search engine visibility and target relevant audiences.

Keywords can be anything from product names to blog topics or even services you offer. The more relevant keywords you include on your site, the more likely your site will rank in Google and other search engine results pages (SERPS).

If you’re new to the world of SEO and don’t know where to start, this comprehensive guide will provide you with keyword research tips, strategies, and actionable advice for best practices in keyword research.

To give you more information, let's go deeper.

Do you know? - “Keywords are the foundation of SEO. But today, rather than scanning for just a keyword, Google takes a high-level look at your website to get an overall sense of its tone, scope, and relevancy” – HubSpot

How to Research Keywords for SEO?:

Keyword research is the first step of SEO. When you do keyword research, you are looking for words or phrases that people might be searching for when they visit search engines like Google.

The goal of keyword research is to create a list of potential keywords that you could include on your website or in the content to rank higher in SERPs.

The process of keyword research involves brainstorming possible keywords and phrases before deciding which ones to use. You should always start with broad terms before narrowing down your list to specific terms.

“Keyword research is the starting point of all organic marketing projects. It unveils how, why, and when your target audiences search for (and discover) businesses like yours, and what their needs are” – Wix SEO Hub

Keyword Research in SEO Performance:

Keyword research plays a crucial role in SEO by:

1. Identifying Target Audience: It helps understand what potential customers are searching for, allowing businesses to tailor their content to meet user needs.

2. Content Optimization: By knowing relevant search terms, content can be optimized to include relevant keywords, improving visibility in search results.

3. Competitive Analysis: It reveals what keywords competitors are ranking for, helping businesses identify gaps and opportunities in their SEO strategy.

4. Search Intent Understanding: Keyword research helps determine user intent (informational, navigational, commercial, or transactional), allowing for better content alignment.

5. Long-Tail Keyword Opportunities: It uncovers specific, less competitive long-tail keywords that can drive targeted traffic.

6. Content Strategy Development: Insights from keyword research guide content creation, ensuring it addresses topics users are interested in.

7. Improving Click-Through Rates (CTRs): By aligning content with search queries, businesses can improve their CTRs from search engine results pages.

8. Local SEO Optimization: For businesses targeting local markets, keyword research helps identify location-specific terms to improve local search visibility.

9. Voice Search Optimization: As voice search grows, keyword research helps identify natural language phrases users might speak rather than type. Today, AI search engines like ChatGPT have made this very easy.

10. Measuring SEO Success: By tracking keyword rankings over time, businesses can gauge the effectiveness of their SEO efforts and make data-driven decisions.

So, keyword research is fundamental to SEO success, providing the insights needed to create relevant, optimized content that meets user needs and improves search engine rankings.

There are many different ways to conduct keyword research, such as using SEO tools and platforms like Google Keyword Planner, Google Trends, Answer The Public, Also Asked, Quora, Reddit, ChatGPT, Exploding Topics, and many others.

Paid tools, such as Ahrefs, MoZ, and SEMrush, are generally recommended by experts if you're serious about SEO due to their multiple features and advantages. Remember, they are also generally expensive.

[If interested, access these Best YouTube Channels for Learning SEO]

You can also consider using Keyword Tool Pro and QuestionDB tools to get some traction for your website and content in search engines if you have a new website or are a newbie.

Long tail keywords have a higher possibility of ranking in searches because there is little competition for them even though there is less search traffic for such phrases.

However, due to the highly targeted nature of the traffic, conversion rates are greater.

Illustration of various forms of keywords:

As you can see from the image below, search volume decreases as the number of words in the keywords or search phrases increases.

• 'tomato plant' is a short tail keyword. Here, the ranking chances are tougher.

• 'when to plant tomatoes' and 'tomato plants for sale' are mid-tail keywords.

• 'why are tomato plants turning yellow' is a long-tail keyword. Here, the ranking chances are easier.

Best Practices For Optimizing Your Site’s SEO:

One way to do this is by using keywords strategically throughout your content.

Where to Place SEO Keywords?:

You don’t want to use the same keyword twice on a page, but you should include a balance of keywords, including secondary keywords in a paragraph, article, or website page, based on context, needs, and user intent.

Another best practice for SEO is to have a text-based file with your keyword phrases in order from most important to least important.

This will allow you to put these keywords in their proper places without needing to keep track of them all in your head while writing content.

Remember - “As Google increasingly prioritizes intent over keywords, SEO strategies must evolve accordingly” – Search Engine Land

SEO Keyword Metrics:

Image Source - Ross Simmonds Newsletter

Keep in mind that not every tactic will work for everyone, and sometimes you may need to experiment through trial and error to find what works best for you. If interested, access these Best Search Engine Optimization [SEO] Tools.

“In the AI Age of search, merely matching your keyword to a search query is no longer enough. Google is now able to understand your site and the content of your pages in deeper ways that allow it to do much more sophisticated matching or content to a user’s intent, search journey, and more” – seoClarity

To find the right keyword, it’s important to ask yourself a few questions. For example, what are the words people use to search for your product or service? What do you want your website to be known for?

You should also consider what keywords will be relevant in the future. You don’t want to invest a lot of time and money into using a keyword that won’t be popular in a year or two.

When you first start with SEO, it might seem like an overwhelming task to find the perfect keywords. But as you keep practicing and refining your research skills, finding those perfect keywords will become second nature.

Keyword Intent Mapping:

Remember, generally paid SEO tools will make the process easier by helping you with the potential keywords that you can use on your website or content that builds significance to ranking.

Additionally, factors such as website speed, navigation, backlinks, and internal linking also play a crucial role in boosting your website’s performance in search engine results pages (SERPs).

“If SEO is a game, winning in SEO now requires adjusting based on the flow (intent) of the game instead of counting cards (keywords)” -  Growth Memo Newsletter

Here's related information that you may find helpful – Can Keywords be Two Words?

How to Use Keywords?:

Enhance Your Website's Search Performance:

Distribute your post content across all of your online platforms, including social media networks, while also adopting repurposing strategies to boost your content visibility, reach, attention, and engagement.

Gauge niche trends, conversations, and topics to strengthen your keyword research.

Regularly monitoring on-page SEO, technical SEO, and off-page SEO, at least monthly, helps you identify issues and improvements needed to keep your website competitive.

“Having the keywords in your landing pages can help you gain up to 40% or more conversions from the same traffic you get from your ads” – Search Engine Journal

Here's related information that you may find helpful – Should Keywords be Capitalized?

Remember, consistent practice and staying updated with trends will help you refine your keyword research skills over time, setting a strong foundation for your digital marketing success.

Image Source - Bloggers Survey 2024 by Orbit Media Studios

In conclusion, keyword research is a fundamental skill for beginners in SEO and content marketing.

By mastering this process, you'll be able to uncover valuable insights about your target audience, optimize your content effectively, and improve your website's visibility in search results.

Here's related information that you may also find helpful – Search Engine Marketing Statistics

P.S: Ready to [unlock the power of digital marketing] and drive [your] business forward? – Access my forum today

P.S.S: Please don’t forget to forward this blog post to your network so they can get the best tips, practices, strategies, education, resources, and tools to help their businesses grow [sharing is caring].