Let’s get right to it— Keyword research is an integral practice in Search Engine Optimization (SEO), and one of the many things you need to know about SEO.
What Is Keyword Research?
To simply understand how keyword research helps in SEO, think of keyword research as a treasure hunt.
But instead of looking for pots of gold, you hunt for the right words or phrases to use in your online content—a lesson I’m learning and re-learning every day on one particular side project: free drumline beats.
These keywords are commonly searched by users when they enter a search query on search engines like Google and Bing.
Why should you care to know the right words or phrases that these people use?
Because digital marketing is a competitive arena, and businesses strive to compete to get the top spot on search results pages.
Businesses search for the right keywords for a variety of marketing purposes.
Regardless of the purpose, business success is the ultimate goal when doing keyword research.
Simply put, if you know which keywords users typically search on Google or any search engine, you can devise a sound strategy to market your product or service.
How Does Keyword Research Help With SEO?
Good SEO defines online business success.
It is a long-term game, and keyword research is just one element of SEO.
The goal of keyword research is to get a pulse on what people are looking for every time they are online.
Most times, keyword research gives you information about a certain product, service, or location.
The more people who search for a specific keyword, the more you want your content to have these keywords.
The objective of keyword research in SEO boils down to three things:
- To improve ranking on search engines
- To optimize content
- To enhance the user experience
In this post, I’ll discuss each of these elements to better understand how researching keywords helps with SEO.
1. Keyword research improves ranking in search engines
These days, the people’s go-to place when they need answers is not the person next to them, but the search engines, like Google and Bing.
According to search statistics, Google processes over 3.5 billion searches per day.
That’s almost half of the world’s population.
How does this number relate to keyword research and your business?
Through keyword research, you get an idea of what people are usually asking search engines to do for them.
By using a keyword research tool, you get an insight into how many times a particular keyword is entered on a search query.
You also get to know where these queries are coming from, user demographics, and other essential data.
This is vital for your business because you can use the data to leverage your marketing.
How Keyword Research Can Improve Your Ranking
For example, you can find out what keywords are highly searched in a particular location.
You can target consumers in this location by crafting content that has these keywords.
Doing this gets you more clicks.
If you exploit keywords wisely, you can improve your ranking on search engines.
Using keywords to provide value to people is the basic foundation of online marketing.
If search engine algorithms recognize that your website gets many clicks and people find it valuable, the platform will reward you with good ranking.
Good ranking means your business gets prioritized and recognized as reliable by search engines.
Whenever search engines return any query related to your keywords, your website gets to be in a perfect spot, which is in front of the searchers.
Therefore, keyword research is essential.
With the right keywords, you can provide accurate information people are asking search engines for.
If you give people the information they need, it merits you a higher website ranking.
2. KW research helps optimize your content
Even as a beginner, it’s not difficult to learn keyword research.
After finding out what the keywords are, you can create content that entices people to click and learn more about your — something like this post.
If your materials are well-optimized—meaning the content of your articles and website pages mention particular keywords—people can easily find you.
With this, you can reach a wider audience and increase your customers.
How KW research helps optimize content
Keyword research gives focus and direction to your content.
For instance, you run a website about making money by writing.
Your blog should be keyword-focused around the different ways to make money online by writing, and not anything else.
This is how you properly optimize your content.
Keyword research serves as a compass as you optimize your content.
The practice ensures you don’t get off tangent with topics to post on your website.
Other benefits of well-optimized content using keyword research are:
- You grow your audience.
- With relevant and focused content, people will view you as an expert in the field, thus building your credibility.
- You become the first resource for your target audience, hence increasing organic traffic.
- You get more conversions.
- You boost brand awareness.
Focusing on your researched keywords will make the content of your website relevant.
What’s more, your articles will continue to help you in your marketing efforts long after you’ve posted the material, as long as you optimized it.
In short, keyword research allows you to match what people need in terms of information.
3. KW research improves User Experience
Time is an important asset for every online user.
Not many people have the time to research thoroughly.
Thus, people want to find what they look for on the first few clicks.
With keyword research, you get insights into people’s needs, and you can use this information to give a better user experience for every user.
Easy navigation on your page will benefit you if you provide the best web experience for your visitors while they are on your page.
How KW research improves User Experience
For example, you run a solo travel website.
If a person enters a query about “solo traveling” and finds your website giving the exact information this user is looking for—like tips for traveling solo, or how to travel to Asia solo—there is a high possibility they’d stick around and read more of your blog.
This should be one of your marketing goals.
SEO has significantly evolved over the years.
It’s not all about ranking on search engines anymore.
It’s about providing experience.
As a business, you can only offer a great user experience by adding value to your content with relevant keywords that will get your readers to stay on your website and read your other content.
The longer people stay on your website, the better it will be for them and for you.
When a user stays on your website for an extended time, it means they find value in your content.
This gives the best user experience because you’ve helped your readers save time on hopping from one website to another, looking for answers.
This will make your website their primary page for similar information whenever they go online.
Final Thoughts on Keyword Research
Keyword research is a powerful tool for any business owner, digital marketer, or SEO expert.
The skill of finding the right keywords can become your weapon in the competitive online world, increasing your chances of success.
Keyword research was and will continue to be the cornerstone of marketing and building a successful brand.