You have dedicated a lot of time to creating your site. It is therefore inconceivable that it is not findable online. Fortunately, by applying good practices, it is entirely possible to reach the first page of Google results. And it all starts with effective keyword research.
Unless you are an SEO expert, the notion of a keyword may seem fuzzy (even scary). These are the term(s) that people will type into Google to find a business like yours. You must put your finger on these “magic formulas” in order to be present where your customers are looking for you. This process is called keyword research.
How exactly is it done and why is it so important for your business? We answer all these questions in this article. Here's everything you need to know about keyword research.
What is Keyword Research
Keyword research is the act of identifying the terms that people will type in to find a business like yours on search engines. By targeting these words, you can move up Google's rankings and be more easily found online.
Effective keyword research includes analyzing search volumes, intent, and competition, but we'll get to that a bit later.
Why is it important to do keyword research?
By knowing the precise terms searched by your potential customers, you can put in place an SEO strategy to position yourself in the first place of these requests. Ranking well for relevant words allows you to bring quality traffic to your site and therefore convert more. Simply put, it comes down to determining the right question in order to provide the right answer.
How to do keyword research?
01. Make a list
The first step is the easiest. It consists of making a list of relevant keywords for your business. Add general terms and more specific ones. Everything that Internet users are likely to type in the search bar must be taken into account: whether it is information about your industry, your competitors or your offer. This way, you can target them at any point in the buying journey.
In addition to this large panel, think about long-tail keywords. These are more descriptive terms. For example, instead of having “car rental”, you will use “Electric car rental in Paris”. By giving details, you reduce competition and refine your target.
The more complete your list, the more likely you are to find THE rare pearl that will make you stand out on Google.
02. Know what Google thinks
Rather than working on Google, work WITH Google. Here are some techniques for using the search engine in your quest for keywords.
Suggestions: when you type something in the search bar, Google tries to anticipate your desires. It will therefore offer you several suites on which you are likely to click. Writing the words related to your business and seeing the suggestions is a great exercise. This gives a good overview of the searches carried out by Internet users.
Other questions asked: Google also provides a list of questions asked by Internet users related to your request. This is useful for understanding what types of questions people researching your company or industry have.
Related searches: At the end of the results page are searches related to yours. This can give you an idea of how to rephrase your sentence or the vocabulary associated with your keywords.
03. Scan social networks
Want to take the temperature on what is being said about your business? Take a look at social networks. Type your name on Facebook or Twitter to find out what topics are being discussed around your box.
You can even take it a step further and head over to Quora. This question and answer site brings together an impressive number of topics. Write a word related to your company or your industry to know the concerns of Internet users.
04. Think local
If you are based in a particular region, consider adding it to your keywords. You will reduce the competition and you will stand out more easily on Google.
Take the example of Tom, a florist in Lyon. If he chooses “Florist” as the main keyword, he will be in competition with all the florists in the French-speaking world. Whereas if he opts for “Vieux-Lyon Florist”, not only will he have a better chance of reaching the front page, but also of bringing customers to the door of his premises.
05. Use online resources
As we explained in the previous paragraphs, you can carry out your research by surveying the different platforms of the Web.
Nevertheless, be aware that there are many very powerful tools online to help you. Some are chargeable, some are not. It all depends on what you want to use it for.
If you need further analysis, we recommend putting your hand in your pocket. Ahref is software that has proven itself, it is used by many professionals in the field. Do you want more? Check out our article on the best SEO tools of 2020.
Keyword Research Tool - Ahref
06. Analyze each keyword according to several criteria
Once you have a comprehensive list of keywords for your business, it's time to take a deeper look at the potential of each. For this, you will need online SEO software. If most of them are intuitive to use, there are still concepts to know to find your way around.
Search volume: this is the number of queries made for a certain keyword over a defined period, usually per month. For example, if the search volume for “Fleuriste Lyon” is 1600, this means that this keyword is typed approximately 1600 times in the search bar. A high number means that Internet users have a lot of interest in this topic. So that's a term you want to target.
Competitiveness: a keyword is competitive when it is targeted by a large number of companies. Generally, the higher the search volume, the more competitiveness there is. Indeed, if a word generates a lot of traffic, many companies will want to position themselves on it. This will not make your task easier... You must therefore find the right balance between these two criteria. To stand out, it is better to choose a less competitive term with a decent search volume. This is often where long-tail keywords come into play.
The intention: we wonder here what Internet users want to know when they type a keyword in the search bar. If someone writes “Flowers” on Google, do they want to know the definition of a flower, the different types of flowers, or find a flower shop in their neighborhood? To position yourself well on search engines, you must best stick to these intentions. So try each of your words to find out what type of result is associated.
The competition: many tools will allow you to know what are the keywords on which the competition is ranked. You can decide to follow them, or on the contrary to move away from them. In any case, it will help you optimize your SEO strategy.
CPC potential: just like competitiveness, this figure estimates the potential success of a Google campaign for a certain keyword. CPC (cost per click) is the amount you pay each time someone clicks on an ad using a specific keyword. The higher the competition, the higher the price.
07. Choose the best keywords
Now that you have analyzed these criteria for each keyword, you will be able to refine your list. You want keywords with a high search volume, too competitive, with a low CPC cost if possible, and an intent that matches the type of your site (store, blog, etc.).
To do this, opt for a mix between general terms and other more specific ones. To continue with our example, you don't want to leave out “Florist” but pair it with “Vieux-Lyon flower shop” to attract relevant traffic.
08. Implement them in your content
Well done! Your search is over. At this point, you should have a list of keywords that will rank you high in search engines. But good terms are not enough. You still need to know how to use them. So that's the end of our lesson: where to effectively place your keywords?
The content: elementary my dear Watson! The most important place is obviously your content. Add your keywords in your paragraphs and texts. Be sure to do this naturally so that the playback is smooth. You are writing for humans, after all, robots come after.
The page title and description: each of your pages has a title and a description. Google uses this information to find out what they are talking about. That's why you need to add your keywords to it. If you want to learn more, we have an entire article dedicated to SEO titles.
The domain name: adding your keyword to your domain name is a very good practice to help you gain a few places in the rankings. Only, if you opt for this option, you must be sure of your choice. Indeed, you will not be able to modify your domain name as you change your content. Also, choose a word that explains your business. Coming back to our flower business, “tom-fleuriste.com” is an excellent example.
Alt-text: if Google robots can read text, they are not as good at images. That's what Alt Texts are for. These are descriptions that explain your vision in a few words. If Google understands what it is, it will be able to rank it in its results pages; hence the interest of adding some keywords.