{"id":4636,"date":"2017-01-16T13:36:57","date_gmt":"2017-01-16T19:36:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.webii.net\/blog\/?p=4636"},"modified":"2022-02-22T14:24:32","modified_gmt":"2022-02-22T20:24:32","slug":"how-to-do-keyword-research","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.webii.net\/blog\/how-to-do-keyword-research\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Do Keyword Research"},"content":{"rendered":"

Keywords, the search terms that people enter when looking for something on the Internet, have served as the backbone of search engine optimization since the beginning of SEO history<\/a>. What constitutes acceptable keywords (and the acceptable use of keywords), however, has changed over time. In the beginning, single words and short phrases were considered useful keywords. And, stuffing text with as many of these keywords as possible was considered a smart way to convince Google to list a website prominently in the search results.\u00a0However, over time, Google\u2019s search engine optimization algorithms have become more sophisticated. They can now analyze the usefulness and relevance of a text, and penalize sites that overuse keywords in a ploy to get visitors to check out irrelevant or poorly written content. In addition, the types of keywords that are preferred have changed. Today, longer search terms, as well as search terms that are conversational, are more effective tools in a search engine optimization campaign. Plus, with the advancement of Google\u2019s algorithms, the strict use of certain keywords is becoming less important than writing quality content that uses similar words and phrases (known as semantic keywords) to describe what the content is about.\u00a0In light of these changes, conducting and implementing keyword research requires an understanding of the SEO field and of the latest trends in keyword usage. No longer can a company choose a few short phrases and plug them into their content. Instead, companies must look more deeply into which keywords will be most effective for their business. The following is a look at the steps you should take to conduct successful keyword research and set yourself up for a profitable search engine optimization campaign.<\/p>\n

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Create a list of topics and goals for your business.<\/h2>\n

Many of the processes you use to develop and maintain an effective web design<\/a> and marketing campaign involves knowing your business and the goals you have for it. The same goes for keyword research. There are an almost infinite number of keywords you can use on your website. The key to narrowing that number down to those keywords that will be of most value to you is to first create a list of 5-10 topics and goals that relate to your business. For example, say you run a jewelry store in San Diego, CA, that specializes in conflict-free and synthetic diamonds. Your list of topics might include \u201csynthetic diamonds,\u201d \u201cconflict-free diamonds,\u201d \u201cdiamond manufacturing,\u201d \u201cSan Diego jewelry stores,\u201d and so forth. These topics relate to the space your business occupies in the industry and, therefore, will help you stick to keywords that are relevant to your particular business. If you are having difficulty pinpointing relevant topics, think through the subjects you discuss on your website, and on your blog in particular. If you are doing your web design correctly, that material will reflect the subjects that are most important to your business. In addition, consult with your sales team regarding the subjects that they discuss most frequently with prospective customers. Perhaps there is a question that customers ask frequently or a concern that leads many of your customers to choose your products over your competitors. All of this information can guide you toward the topics that are most relevant (and fruitful) for your company. You also need to decide what you want to achieve with your search engine optimization campaign in general and with your keyword usage in particular. For example, do you want to increase sales? Or do you simply want to raise awareness of your brand? Most businesses will want both of these things. Achieving them, however, might mean using different sets of keywords for each goal. For example, if you want to increase sales, you might want to utilize money phrases such as \u201cwhere to buy conflict-free jewelry.\u201d If you want to raise brand awareness, you might want to utilize other keywords, such as \u201cconflict-free diamonds in San Diego.\u201d If you want to achieve both of these goals, you might need to include both kinds of keywords in your search engine optimization campaign, so being clear with yourself and the SEO experts helping you is important so you can build a keyword list that will drive the results you want.<\/p>\n

Create a list of keywords under each topic.<\/h2>\n

Once you have clarified your topics and goals, the next step in your keyword research process is to brainstorm a list of possible search terms that relate to each of these topics. Your goals will help guide what kinds of keywords you use, while your topics will guide the subject matter of the keywords you select.\u00a0For example, if you are building a list of keywords for your San Diego jewelry store, you might create the following list of search terms under the topic \u201cconflict-free diamonds.\u201d<\/p>\n