Which Keywords are Best to Target in SEO? - [Ultimate Guide]

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Which Keywords are Best to Target in SEO?:

When it comes to SEO, one of the most important factors to consider is keyword targeting. After all, the keywords you choose will determine what kind of traffic you receive, and how much of it.

But with so many different keywords out there, how do you know which ones are the best to target? Well, the truth is that there is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question.

The best keywords to target will depend on a variety of factors, including your industry niche, your competition, and your goals.

However, there are four general guidelines [most recommended] you can follow to help you choose the right keywords for your business.

Do you know? - “By grouping related keywords, you can create content that covers a broader spectrum of topics and aligns with different user intents, to drive more organic traffic and improve your site authority” – SEOTesting

Best Keywords to Target in SEO:

1. Keywords relevant to Business:

It's important to target keywords that are relevant to your business. This may seem obvious, but it's worth mentioning.

For example, if you run an electrical services company, you'll want to target keywords like "electrical services", "emergency electrical works", "electricians near me" and alike.

These are the types of keywords that potential customers will be using to find businesses like yours.

Of course, keyword research SEO tools can help you find the precise search phrases or queries that users or your potential customers or clients are using, and you should use them to your advantage to make things work.

Remember - "Effective topic and keyword research improves traffic quality, increases conversion rates and MQLs and nurtures leads through the sales funnel” – Search Engine Land

2. Keywords with High Search Volume:

It's important to target keywords that have high search volume. This means that lots of people are searching for these keywords on a regular basis.

You can use tools like Google Keyword Planner, Semrush, Long Tail Pro, or Ahrefs to find out how many people are searching for particular keywords each month. Your next steps are guided by this data.

Generally speaking, the higher the search volume, the more potential traffic you can receive.

3. Keywords with Low Competition:

It's important to target keywords that have low competition. This means that not many other websites are targeting these keywords. A keyword difficulty [KD] score can help you with this.

If you can find keywords that have high search volume but low competition, you'll have a better chance of ranking well for them. You can refer to the thumb rule shared in the subsequent sections.

4. Start with Long Tail Keywords:

It's important to start with targeting long-tail keywords [keyword phrases or search phrases with generally five words or more] to gain some traction for your website and its content in the eyes of search engines.

As the name says, these are longer but have more keyword phrases that people use when they're looking for something very specific.

For example, instead of targeting "electrical services," you might target "nearby electrical services in [your city or area]" or “best affordable electrical services in [your city or area]” and alike.

Long-tail keywords are often easier to rank for because they're more specific and less competitive. The conversion rates are also high.

Are you aware? - “A person searching with a long-tail keyword that then lands on your website converts at a rate more than 2.5x higher than visitors who searched on head terms” – Conductor

However, be careful not to target keywords at random or those that aren't typically used or searched by your potential customers or clients because that isn't how it works.

Tools for keyword research are therefore essential for conducting thorough studies and taking onward action accordingly.

As a thumb rule to start with, choose keywords with a Keyword Difficulty [KD] score of less than 15 and at least 40 search volume [monthly].

Play around with these in the first one to two years of your business to assist search engines like Google recognize your website and providing you with some initial results.

"Based on my experience with keyword research for my blog, I can say that the aforementioned strategy has been successful for me. Also, keep experimenting"

Keyword Research Checklist:

You can use this keyword research checklist to find the best keywords to target in SEO:

Image Content Source - Semrush

If you find the above to be extremely challenging, you can at least use the tools Long Tail Pro or Keyword Tool Pro to start the game off right.

As the months go by, start looking through your Google Search Console [GSC] and Google Analytics [GA] accounts to check the keywords that are already appearing or ranking in search results for your website.

Keywords in AI Overviews:

You can also watch for other website performance indicators so that you may generate content and incorporate keywords into it or in the existing website to strengthen your ranking efforts.

By the way, GSC and GA are free SEO tools provided by Google, and it is highly advised that your website link to them in order to view overall performance and make modifications or improvements.

Create a Google Business Profile if your business has a physical location so that search engines can direct local or nearby traffic your way.

You can receive more free traffic and leads for your business by having more five-star reviews [naturally published by customers]. With more good ratings, the results are better.

“Google Business Profile is a free tool that influences how your business appears on Google Search, Google Maps, and Google Shopping” – Semrush

That being said, SEO isn't a "quick fix" for ranking; it's an ongoing process that requires constant effort and monitoring. Keep an eye on the evolution of keyword trends, especially with AI Overviews influence and voice search.

Although SEO results take time to materialize, they offer lifetime benefits [especially free from advertising costs!]

Pro-Tip: When it comes to search engine rankings, nothing surpasses the importance of unique and high-quality content on a website or blog.

Search engines prioritize this aspect above all else in their algorithms. Pay attention to this as well.

Booster Tip:

“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

In conclusion, by targeting relevant, high-volume, low-competition, and long-tail keywords [those best keywords to target in SEO for your business], you can increase your chances of ranking well in search engines and driving more traffic to your website.

Here's related information that you may also find helpful – Should Category Pages be Indexed?

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].