If you’re here to find the exact words or phrases needed to increase your SEO score, you’re not going to find them. Deciding what keywords to use for SEO is as individual as the site you’re trying to optimize.
What Are Keywords
Keywords are words or phrases that describe what the content on your site is all about. There are generally two types of keywords (there are more keyword types, but that’s a different blog for a different day): primary and secondary. You should only have one primary keyword, and it should be specific to your brand or company. You could have several secondary keywords, but they must relate to your site in some way.
Why Are Keywords Important
Keywords are an integral part to SEO (search engine optimization). Search engines use that information to decide if content is relevant for any given search. Knowing what keywords to use is key to forming a content strategy.
How Do You Find Out What Keywords To Use?
The simple answer to what keywords to use is “research.” No, I don’t mean research should be your one and only keyword. I mean you need to do your research in order to determine which keyword is best.
The easiest way to determine the keywords that apply to you is to brainstorm. Think about what terms your potential customers would use when searching for the goods or services you provide. But be specific! For example, if you search “car” you’ll get a million results. Searching for “red car” could narrow it down, but searching for “red Honda car” would yield much more specific results.
There are services out there that can help determine the keywords that would work best for you. This includes Google’s Keyword Planner, which can give you search volume and traffic estimates for keywords you may be considering.
Mind the Competition
It might sound underhanded, but a good way to determine the keywords you should use is by looking at the keywords your competition is using. However, this does not mean you should use those same terms! But understanding what keywords they’re trying to rank with is a good way to give you perspective on your own keyword list.
Furthermore, if your competition is ranking for certain keywords, it would make sense that you focus on improving your own ranking for those terms. But don’t ignore the keywords your competition has chosen to forego, they could be your key to success.
There Is No Best Keyword For SEO
Remember, there is no ideal keyword out there. The keywords you should use are the ones that are right for your content and visitors. Using the wrong keywords can actually hurt your business! Always keep in mind your level of competition and your own ability to produce relevant content containing those keywords.
Keywords Should be Ever-Evolving
Now that you’ve got your keywords in mind, remember to revisit them every so often. Be sure to re-evaluate your chosen keywords every few months to ensure you’re ranking as high as you can.
Oh, and make sure they have an awesome Launch website to live on!