If you run or are a part of a small or medium-sized company or business, you might be looking into different ways to market yourself. One of those ways is through SEO or Search Engine Optimization. This makes use of keywords to attract and connect users and consumers with you and the products or services you provide. If you are new to search engine optimization and the concept of keywords, there are some things you need to know in regards to the basics. Such as how they help, and how to do the proper keyword research to correctly implement them into your business.
Keywords are the terms that users and consumers put into search engines like google, bing, or yahoo. Companies and businesses use keywords to reach out to the consumers. On the other end of the spectrum, consumers search keywords to find the products and services they need or want. Proper keyword research is just one part of search engine optimization. These terms are integral to the system designed to connect users. But because many companies and businesses are aware of the importance of keywords, this is a factor that is taken advantage of. This forces search engines to adapt and change to continue to provide users the best experience.
Different search engines will have different algorithms to rank and order websites and landing pages. Some websites can rank higher on one search engine, but lower on another if the criteria are not met. However, most search engines share common requirements for websites to rank high using keywords. These requirements rely on the frequency of the appearance of keywords on the web pages and websites as a whole.
The terms that you search for will not be limited to general and broad words. Unless the product or service you provide is available worldwide. Keywords you will be looking to use for your business will have specifics for them. These specifics include things like location, price, quality. So examples of these keywords would be “New York Pizza”, “cheap dentist”, “best barber”, etc.
Knowing where to begin can be a little tricky. Luckily enough, there are plenty of online resources that are used to help with your proper keyword research. These include websites and extensions that you can find more information here. Some of the resources will provide additional information like related keywords and useful data and statistics regarding user searches. While many tools are free, there are paid resources that provide more in-depth analysis and continued service. It is up to you to do your homework and identify your needs.
The reason companies research keywords are because they are providing a service or product directly related to the keyword. They will then use these keywords and common search terms to include in their websites or marketing campaigns to rank higher on search engines. An example would be if you are a company that is selling shoes, you will want to rank high for keywords like “best sneakers downtown”. You will want to identify your target market in relation to your product.
The keywords you will eventually choose as a business will depend on the type of product or service you sell. If you believe your product to be of higher quality, or something rare, you will only need to attract those that seek that very specific item. Something like “vegan artisan hand soap” would fall under a more niche category. Your traffic may not generate the same amount of general products, but your target market will be open to spending a premium because of the niche category. You do not always need to rank highest for every keyword, or rank for the most common keyword, only the ones that you are targeting.
A good starting point for any small to medium business that is looking into keywords as a strategy for marketing is to look at your industry and competitors around you. Many resources allow you to search for keywords that other websites and webpages are ranking for. This will help you with a starting point of where to begin, especially if you know who your direct competitors are.
Once you are equipped with all the proper keyword research knowledge and information, you will be able to market yourself and your company in ways that will reach people that you normally wouldn't be able to. The use of keywords allows those that are searching specifically for your types of products or services to see that you are at the top of that list of providers.
