Search engine optimization (SEO) is an intricate and multifaceted process. Key elements of SEO strategy include understanding how users search the web and in what context, which keywords best meet users’ search intent, and crafting content to deliver what people are searching for. Keyword research serves as the cornerstone of all this work, but many practitioners fail to appreciate its significance or make mistakes with regards to it – however you can avoid such missteps by doing seo keyword research the right way and improving content quality through this step.
Start your research off right by understanding how search engines like Google interpret different types of searches. There are four primary categories, with informational searches (top of funnel), navigational (middle of funnel), commercial (bottom of funnel), and local searches being the four key ones.
Knowledge is power when it comes to SEO; knowing your search terms, content creation strategy and keyword placement is crucial to the success of any online business. Furthermore, understanding potential conversion rates of keywords on your site helps identify those that might translate into sales or actions on it.
As you become acquainted with each keyword and how they fit into your audience’s search intentions, research can also help to reveal how difficult it will be for you to rank for it. This is important as it ensures your efforts don’t go wasteful and that users receive what they are expecting.
As keywords become more specific and niched down, competition for rankings becomes lower and easier for you to achieve. Semrush makes this easy; simply enter each keyword into Google and browse its results.
Crowdsource your own keyword research ideas by asking your target audience what they are searching online. This can be accomplished via social media platforms such as Reddit or visiting websites that have successfully targeted their audience by creating engaging content tailored specifically for them.
Keep your research current by regularly revisiting and revising it. New search terms may appear, while existing ones could fade as search trends shift. A great way to stay aware of changes is with tools such as Exploding Topics that show what terms are becoming more popular compared to others – this allows you to adjust your strategy as necessary and ensure accurate, readable, and findable copy for readers.