Keywords: Key Factor of SEO

Basically we will first understand some concepts.

What is a “search query”

A “search query” or “search term” is a word or a phrase that users type into search engines to find relevant information they are looking out for.

What is a “keyword”

SEO keywords are the keywords / phrases on your website that makes it possible for your website to be visible to users on search engines.

How “Keyword Research” can get you at the top notch

Keyword Research is basically finding out the words / phrases users are looking for when they are in search of specific products / services which is related to your business.

For example: If you are an owner of a fast food restaurant, you need to find out what people might be looking for in and around your area – this will help you optimize your content to better match their requirements – sounds difficult? – it isn’t so.

Keyword Research is a key factor when considering it for your website’s SEO. SEO is an ongoing process so the work is never completed; you need to keep making changes to be ahead of the competition.

Key Points to consider:

1. Understand how search engines work

2. Keep your website updated and monitor whether these changes are really working out

3. Know what your competitors’ are doing.

4. Be in touch with your customers – your customers’ feedback is important and can help you understand whether your website needs improvements / changes.

Choosing your Keywords:

So what to consider when choosing keywords that will meet your SEO goals and ultimately benefit your business.

An example to better understand on how your keyword choice impacts your SEO activity:

Suppose you are a vendor of fresh fruit jam, If someone is looking out for jam, what would they search for? Either it could be Jam / Fresh fruit Jam / Mix Fruit Jam etc.

So, if you are selling different types of jams, you should be aware of what terms people are using while they search. It is an ideal way to match your website content with what users are looking out for. If you do not do this, there's a disconnect of what you're are  offering and what people are searching.

Three things to consider:

1. Frequency: Number of times a keyword is searched for. This means the keyword that is most searched should to be used frequently within your website content.

2. Competition: It is a process of checking (evaluating) the level of difficulty in ranking for a specific keyword. While researching the keywords, it is important to check the competition for the keyword as this helps in analyzing which keyword is highly competitive and which are of low search volume. So, if yours is a new site then the keywords which are relevant to your business but have a low search volume can get you at the top in search engines.

3. Relevance: The keywords you plan to use should be related to your business. So, if you choose the keyword raspberries when you only sell strawberries then the chances of the customer leaving your website is high as the information he is getting is irrelevant to what he is actually looking out for.

There are different keyword research tools available which can make your task easier.  One of the best tools is: Google Keyword Planner wherein you punch in your website URL & the nature of your business, and the tool brings up the list of different keywords with the Competition & Average Monthly Searches info.

An important tip:

Your website content should be aligned with the users’ search requirements. Repeating keywords unnecessarily is a STRICT NO NO as this is known as Keyword Stuffing and this might impact your ranking on search engines.