Why do keywords matter and how to use them in your SEO strategy?

SEO

October 6, 2021

In a digital world where a picture can tell 1000 words and a video, even more, some might think that writing will be obsolete. If you work in the area of marketing you know that words are still heroes because you know how much words and written content matter. High-quality content used in your marketing strategy can be the rocket that takes your business to the next level. In this article, we are going to focus on a very specific aspect of that area – how to properly use keywords in your SEO strategy. 

What are keywords and how do they work? 

When you search for something in Google (or any other search engine for that matter) you put in a specific set of wording to see the results you want. For example: “Cheap hotels Chicago” or “Shoes on sale”. Based on that, the search engine algorithm tracks and puts in lists website results that rank in the best way to answer your search. 

The results are based on how the websites and the web pages you see are optimized to the specific keywords you are looking for. And for businesses and marketers, the race is to be in the top results – not just the first page but the first 3 positions. The competition is very big and positioning a brand can be quite a challenge. However, when you succeed in being among the top 3 results, you are going to reap the rewards. There is an old joke among SEO specialists: “The best place to hide a body is on the second page of Google. Nobody looks there”. 

Keywords in our SEO strategy – tips and tricks 

You are probably eager to find out how to get all the keywords and mash them all together on your website. Unfortunately, this is not how it works. Search engine optimization is an ongoing process that requires time, effort, and investment. The good news is that it pays off. A lot. By appearing in searches you will generate more traffic and leads for your website. And that means more sales. Why? Because people are looking for the things you offer. And if you want to be visible, you have to know how to do it.

The first step is researching relevant keywords. Depending on your industry there are going to be some specific phrases that will be interesting. However, thorough research is needed to see where your business and website can rank. There are specific tools that you can use. 

While you are picking keywords with high search volume, you should also look into the competition. The best thing you can do is find some phrases that have a lot of monthly searches from your target audience and that there are not that many businesses that have ranked for them. You should find a variety of keywords that are relevant to your business, product, and services. The more, the better. After you find them, let’s see how you can use them.

What are the different types of keywords and why does it matter?

Once you get into the subject, you will discover that there are differences among keywords as well. Talking about SEO there are several keyword categories to consider. Alexa.com defines them in several ways – based on their category, by how long they are, and the so-called “on-site keywords”. Let´s check each one of those three main areas. 

The category of the keywords can vary on many factors – the product or service you like to target – cashmere cardigan, cashmere cardigan from Gucci. They might be also correlated to a specific profile of the shopper – cashmere cardigan for pregnant women. The other option is to relate to a specific location – cashmere cardigan stores LA. 

When we speak about the length of the keyword, there are short, mid, and long-tail keywords. Here the main thing is how specific the search is itself: 

  1. Cashmere cardigan – that is considered short-tail keyword; 
  2. Cashmere cardigan extra soft – that is the mid-tail keyword; 
  3. Cashmere cardigan extra soft for sensitive skin – long-tail keyword. 

When we speak about on-site keywords in SEO Alexa.com outlines that there are primary and related keywords. The primary keyword is the one centered in all of your content. THE KEYWORD. In the case above that would be “cashmere cardigans”. It has to be present in any relevant pieces of content that you create for your blog and is related to the product or service. 

The related keywords are the ones that go along by the primary. They can be other common expressions for it or synonyms. In our case, these can be cashmere vests or cashmere pullovers. 

What is Rankbrain and why does context matter? How to build a semantic core for the content of your business?

RankBrain is the AI algorithm that became part of the search engine. It has one main purpose – to provide you with the best result, based on what you put in the search bar. It is important to know that RankBrain updates and changes based on the input over time. 

The introduction of RankBrain context will matter even more, as the main purpose of it will be to handle long-tail searches of users that the search engine can’t handle that well. The better explanation you provide to a specific question, the bigger chances you have to appear in the results to people that are looking for something specific. 

Blog articles – the tool any business should invest in

One of the best ways to integrate keywords into your SEO strategy is by creating a blog for your website. Blog content can be written in a way that is SEO friendly – by using specific keywords and phrases in different parts of the text, including internal links, and most of all – by actually giving added value to the readers. 

Imagine you have a company that is offering shuttle services. Choose your target audiences – people that will need a transfer to the airport, tourists going on a group trip, and other relevant ones. Then write useful blog articles about each target audience, include the relevant keywords in the text, and outline the importance of the usage of your services. And your readers will be people that are looking for them. Over time the blog can turn into a good attracting force for customers.

Where should you place keywords in your articles? What are the best practices?

When it comes to implementing keywords in articles, there are several good practices that experts use to improve SEO from bkacontent.com

  1. One of the places where there should be a keyword present is the meta description of the article; 
  2. At the beginning of the main headline (the <h1> tag) of the article is a must to have the primary keyword 
  3. It is good practice to put keywords in the first and the last paragraph of the article; 
  4. Put keywords in internal headings that you have – H2s and H3s.
  5. You can also put keywords in the image alt tags if the image itself shows the product or service. A bonus would be to rename the image with long-term keywords as well.

Remember, don’t mash a ton of keywords in the text! The upper limit is 7-8 depending on the length of the text itself.

Why should you invest in SEO? 

In your marketing strategy, there are various channels that you can use. SEO is something essential for any business that wants to achieve results. This is a long-term and ongoing investment that pays off. Let us just explore some facts: 

  • Your business will be visible among people that are looking specifically for the things you offer; 
  • The better your website is positioned to appear in various relevant searches, the more leads you are going to generate; 
  • A well-optimized blog article can deliver results years after it has been posted. 

SEO is here to stay and many businesses have already used it to increase their traffic, leads, and sales. If you want to be one of them, but you are not sure where to start, don´t hesitate to contact us. Together we can discuss your marketing needs and help you achieve your goals. 

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