Keyword research is crucial to search engine optimization (SEO) and content marketing. It refers to identifying and analyzing the specific words and phrases (keywords) people use when conducting online searches to find information, products, or services related to a particular topic or industry. How to conduct keyword research using online tools?
Keyword research aims to understand what terms and phrases your target audience uses to search for relevant content. By doing so, you can optimize your website’s content to align with those keywords, improve your website’s visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs), and attract more organic traffic.
How to conduct keyword research using online tools
Google Keyword Planner:
This free Google Ad tool lets you discover keyword ideas, search volume data, and competition levels. You can sign up for a Google Ads account and access the Keyword Planner tool from there.
SEMrush:
SEMrush is a popular keyword research tool that offers a range of features for SEO and PPC campaigns. It provides keyword suggestions, search volume data, keyword difficulty, and competition analysis. SEMrush offers a free trial but has paid plans for more advanced features.
Ubersuggest:
Ubersuggest is a free keyword research tool that provides keyword ideas, search volume data, and keyword difficulty. It also offers domain analysis, backlink data, and competitor analysis to help you identify opportunities.
KeywordTool.io:
This tool provides keyword suggestions from Google, YouTube, Bing, and other search engines. It offers search volume estimates and allows you to generate long-tail keyword ideas. KeywordTool.io has both free and paid versions.
Google Trends:
Google Trends allows you to explore trending topics and see the popularity of specific keywords over time. It can help you identify seasonal trends and compare the search volume of different keywords.
When conducting keyword research, consider the search volume (the number of searches for a specific keyword), keyword relevance to your content, and the level of competition. Aim for keywords with a good search volume and lower competition to increase your chances of ranking well in search results.
Remember, keyword research is an iterative process, and it’s important to analyze the data, test different keywords, and monitor the performance of your content to make informed decisions.
The process of keyword research typically involves the following steps:
- Brainstorming: List relevant topics and terms related to your business, products, or services.
- Keyword Tools: Utilize various keyword research tools to expand your initial list and discover additional keywords. Some popular keyword research tools include Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, Ahrefs, Moz Keyword Explorer, and Ubersuggest.
- Search Volume and Competition: Analyze each keyword’s search volume and competition level. High search volume keywords indicate popular search terms, but they may also face stiff competition. Lower competition keywords might be easier to rank for but could have lower search volumes.
- Relevance: Assess the relevance of each keyword to your business and content. Target keywords that closely match the intent of your target audience.
- Long-tail Keywords: Consider using long-tail keywords – longer and more specific keyword phrases that generally have lower search volume but can attract highly targeted traffic and often have less competition.
- Intent: Understand the search intent behind keywords. Keywords can have informational, navigational, or transactional intent, so tailoring your content to match the searcher’s intent is crucial.
- Competitor Analysis: Look at the keywords your competitors are targeting. This can provide valuable insights into your strategy’s potential keyword opportunities and gaps.
- Final Selection: After analyzing and prioritizing the keywords, select the most relevant and achievable ones for your content and SEO strategy.
Once you have a well-researched list of target keywords, incorporate them strategically into your website’s content, meta tags, titles, headings, and other on-page elements. Regularly monitor and update your keyword strategy to adapt to search trends and user behaviour changes. Effective keyword research can significantly improve your website’s search engine rankings, visibility, and overall success.
