When it comes to marketing your business online, it’s important to think about what your customers are typing into the search box to find what you do. It’s important to realize that your business is the solution to someone’s problem, but what exactly do they type to find you? That’s where keyword research can move your digital front door right in front of the searching masses. But how’s all that work?

It’s not as difficult as you might imagine. Mostly, it takes a shift in thinking and the ability to think like the customers you serve. And, how can you use keywords exactly? Easy. A good keyword strategy is what all search engine optimization (SEO) is based on as well as any pay per click campaign (PPC). Also, whenever you write a blog post, the more you use keywords in what you write, the better your SEO will be.

So, what exactly IS a keyword? They’re words or phrases that describe the core of your business. Think of keywords as the way people search to find what you do. This is important because when it comes to marketing your website, Google can’t read the pretty pictures. The algorithm can only figure out what your site’s about by reading the content, and if you’re light on content, your site will leave Google scratching their head. You never want to confuse the most powerful search engine about where your website should rank. Bad juju.

There are basically two types of keywords. Short tail keywords are usually brief (as in one or two words) and are very general. If you’re a dentist, “dentist” & “dentistry” are the main short tail keywords that you have to focus your SEO on. Short tail keywords usually have high search volume and lots of competition. A long tail keyword is a longer, more specific phrase that captures what you do in more detail. If you happen to be a dentist that specializes in sleep apnea dental appliances, that’s a great phrase to focus on because, while it may not have a ton of people searching for it, those that are searching are ready to buy.

So, which types of keywords are the best to focus on? Both actually, but if you’re wondering where to spend all your energy, we’d say lean heavily toward long tail keywords. The simple fact is that long tail keywords have a couple of perks. First, they’re usually easier to rank for. Just how many people are gunning for page one for “sleep apnea dental appliances” or the “price of sleep apnea dental appliances”? We have no idea, but we can tell you that it’s a whole lot less than “Dentist”. Second, long tail keywords have a higher conversion rate which means…mo money.

Once you develop a working list of your best keywords, you want to use them in all your content marketing. This is a fancy way of saying use keywords in all the written messages you craft for your business- your social media, your content on your website, your emails, etc. Everything. Once you define the purpose of each piece of content, it’s smart to define a buyer persona. Think of an exact type of person in your target market that you can craft your message for by using keywords relevant to your business. Doing this helps you ring the right bell to help your prospects salivate over what you do.

Tools For Keyword Research

So, how do you find the right keywords for your target audience? With this, there’s more art than science, but a little science is never a bad thing. Here are some starting places:

Google Keyword Planner- when looking for the right keywords, it’s always a good idea to try to find some search traffic numbers. The more the better, but keep in mind, the higher the number, the more competition you’ll have as well (usually). With keyword research, you always have to think about the geographical region you’d like to rank for. You can use this tool to get an idea of how much people search for your stuff in your city, your county, your state or a wide combination thereof.

Google Trends- which keyword is more popular “plumber” or “plumbers”? Google trends can help you decide which one is more popular in your geographic region. It’s also fairly useful to help you come up with other ideas

Keywordtool.io- just type in a short tail keyword to get a list of long tail keyword ideas. Now, sometimes, this list will make zero sense, but there are certainly enough times it gives up some jewels to make it worth it.

These tools are enough to get a newbie started. They’ll help you figure out just what words and phrases will help convert the lookie loos on your site or blog to actual paying customers.

For more training on how to find the right keywords for your website or blog posts, contact us at 678.325.4007 and schedule a one on one consultation.