Choose the right keywords and search engines may deliver lots of qualified visitors to your site. Users trust search engines, and their proprietary ranking algorithms, to sort matches for them and produce the most relevant set of search results.
In practice, search engines usually do present the right pages to searchers, who, in turn, click on the right pages from what they see. So, if you want to choose the right keywords, you should think about how to influence search engines and users.
How are you ranking now? Are you keyword planning?
If you want to improve your organic search rankings, consider creating and adapting content with important ranking factors in mind. Will your pages match the search query when relevance ranking is performed? From a user perspective, will your pages match their intent as they scan and examine the search results? Your content should be relevant if you want the best results.
Also, consider the number of searches and the number of webpages containing the keywords you are targeting. Are you chasing after a broad query that doesn’t match the local content in your site? If so, you may need to expand your site or pinpoint better (longer?) keywords.
Luckily, long keyword phrases are being used by searchers who want more accurate search results. That means content providers can comfortably target less competitive queries that involve more words.
5 Steps to Choose the Right Keywords:
- Develop a long list of keyword candidates. Consider keyword variations and set aside time to brainstorm.
- Use the free Google AdWords Keyword Tool, and other tools, to research your potential target keywords.
- Prioritize based on usage and relevance of keywords to your business.
- Study your competition. What keywords are they targeting?
- Work within your budget. Make sure projected benefits are realistic and justify the costs.
Don’t chase after the wrong keywords. Instead, follow the steps above and track the relationship between delivering relevant content and obtaining financial results.
Please provide any thoughts or ideas in the comments section below. If you liked this post, please subscribe to our weekly e-mail newsletter!
QMC7XNQCJZMC
About David Chevalier
David Chevalier is a founder of SalesBlend. He helps small businesses grow with creative marketing strategies and consistent execution. You can follow David on Twitter @davidchev or on Google+.