SEO keywords and phrases

SEO keywords, also called SEO keywords, are the words or phrases that people put into search engines when they search for something and generate results, such as "how to tie my shoelaces". Using keywords and phrases in your website's web content can help improve content relevancy, search rankings and the organic traffic you're aiming for.

Today's consumers rely on the Internet to find the products and services they need. That means if you want them to become your customers, your company's website needs to appear in search results for the words and phrases they're looking for.

This does not happen by chance. It is the result of a process called search engine optimization, or SEO. If you're new to SEO and want to use it to attract new customers, you've probably come across the term "keyword research" in a lot of your research.

But what are SEO keywords and phrases and why are they so important for SEO?

On this page we will explain what keywords are in SEO, how to choose keywords and phrases for your website and for your SEO strategy and how to use SEO keywords on your website. You can also contact us online or call 02 850 5364 today to speak directly to one of our experts!

What are keywords?

The main goal of SEO is to rank well in search engine results for the words and phrases your potential customers are searching for. These words and phrases are keywords.

Why are keywords important?

There are many factors that affect your site's ability to rank well in search results, but keywords also help search engines understand what each page on your site is about.

Keywords help search engines display relevant pages for certain searches and make sure they give users the information they want to find.

This means that one of the main goals of search engine optimization (SEO) is to identify the keywords your potential customers are using when they search for your products or services, then create content that matches the search intent behind those keywords, and use those keywords in the right pages on your website.

What are SEO keywords?

SEO keywords are words or phrases used in your web content that help people find your website through search engines like Google. Optimizing your website with SEO keywords (and in line with SEO best practices) can help you attract more users and traffic to your site.

What are the types of SEO keywords?

When it comes to SEO keywords, there are two types you should know: short and long.

 

1. Short keywords and phrases

Short keywords are keywords that consist of only one or two words.

For example, "dog" is a key word with a short tail.

These keywords usually have an extremely high search volume, which means many people search for them every month. If you are trying to choose keywords for your site, this may sound like a good thing. After all, you want your business to reach as many people as possible, right?

Unfortunately, keywords that are made up of one -two words have very high competition, which means it will be difficult to rank well for them. This is especially true if you are just starting a website that competes with companies that have been optimizing their sites for years.

This is why short keywords are not preferred for SEO, at least for companies that are now starting to optimize their websites. In comparison, a company that has been using SEO for years can target short keywords without hesitation.

2. Keywords and phrases with long tails

Long keywords, on the other hand, can range from three to 10 individual words, and sometimes more. In the same example, "best guard dog breed for families with children" is a long tail keyword.

These keywords typically have lower search volume, but also much less competition. This means that even though fewer people are searching for them each month, you have a much better chance of reaching those people.

Additionally, long keywords usually have a much clearer intent than short keywords.

For example, if you were trying to rank for the term "dog," it would be nearly impossible to know what your visitors are searching for and provide that information. But if you wanted to attract visitors who were searching for "best guard dog breed for families with kids," you'd know exactly what to cover on this page.

How to choose keywords that increase traffic

Now that you know what keywords are, you're probably wondering how to choose keywords. Fortunately, there are many tools to help you find the best keywords, as well as reliable approaches you can use for keyword marketing.

1. Use keyword research tools

Choosing keywords should never involve guesswork, and there are various online tools you can use to research the best possible options for your business.

If you're running pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns with Google Ads, Google's Keyword Planner is one of the best options as it pulls data directly from Google Ads. It provides accurate information about the search volume and competition level of each keyword.

It also suggests keywords based on the content already on your site, which is a useful starting point for keyword research.

Google keyword planner - used to plan keywords. It is part of the Google Ads platform and serves for keyword research.

Shows how many people/month search for a phrase;

Shows what the competition levels are for Ads campaigns

Shows how much the ad costs per click for a given phrase;

Used for new keyword ideas.

If you don't have any active Google Ads campaigns - or if you just want to look at something other than Google - you can choose from several other keyword research tools. While some of these are paid, there are also free options you can use. A few examples of some free tools include:

1. Google Autocomplete - Google Autocomplete
2. Google Related Searches - Google Find Related Searches
3. Wikipedia
4. Competitors' websites

It is best to use a combination of these tools to find the best keywords for your website.

2. Focus on long tail keywords

While you may choose some shorter keywords (especially branded keywords such as your company name) for your homepage and other company-specific pages, identifying long-tail keywords should be your primary goal.

Using the same example from above, entering "dog" and "best guard dog breed" into Keyword Planner shows that even though "dog" is searched over 1.2 million times a month, it would be difficult to rank for that keyword.

On the other hand, "best guard dog breed" is only searched 40 times a month, but competition for that keyword is low. This means that if your business is a pet store, animal shelter, or sells pet care products, targeting this keyword would be a good choice.

After all, 40 searches per month may seem small - but that's a possible 480 searches per year from people who could eventually become your customers.

3. Look for keywords with high volume and low competition

Although long-tail keywords usually have low competition, it's still a good idea to check the volume and competition of each when you do your research.

Some industries are more competitive than others, and even long-tail keywords can be challenging to rank for. These are companies in the legal, insurance, pharmaceutical or online education industries.

Regardless of your industry, however, it's important to keep track of how difficult it will be to rank for a keyword. If you have no chance of ranking for a particular phrase, optimizing a page for it would mean wasting your time.

Instead, focus your research on keywords that you have a chance of ranking for and attracting traffic to your site. If you're new to keyword research, this post on choosing quality keywords is a good starting point.

6 tools that make it easy to find SEO keywords

When it comes to choosing keywords for SEO, the following keyword tools make your life extremely easy:

1. https://keywordtool.io/- Keyword Tool
2. AnswerThePublic- Audience Response
3. WordStream Keyword Research Tool
4. Ahrefs
5. SEMrush
6. Moz Keyword Explorer

Experiment with these different tools to see which one provides your team with the best experience. In most cases, you'll probably use more than one. For example, you might use Answer the Public to research topics and content, followed by Ahrefs to research or narrow your keyword list.

How to use SEO keywords on your website

Once you've chosen your keywords, you'll need to use them throughout your site. As a general rule, it's best to focus on one keyword per page. This allows search engines to easily identify the main focus or topic of each page and provide it as a result for relevant searches.

Start using SEO keywords on your website by using them in the following places:

Your URLs

First, you need to make sure that all your URLs are SEO-friendly. If they are not, rework your URL structure, add relevant keywords in the new URLs. If you redesign the URL structure, be sure to 301 redirect the old URLs.

Your meta tags

Then include keywords in your meta tags, such as title tags.

Each title tag should be exactly what it sounds like.

Title tags are subheadings on the page that separate different sections or ideas. They not only tell search engines what your page is about, but also make it easier for visitors to get to the information they want.

Your content

From here on, read each page and make sure the target keyword is used several times in a natural way - the keyword here is natural. If you add your keyword in places that are irrelevant or don't make sense, it's considered keyword spam.

Keyword overcrowding goes against all the basic search engine guidelines and results in a penalty that prevents your site from showing up in search engine results. Additionally, keyword-overloaded pages often make no sense and provide no value to visitors.

Instead, use the keyword on each page only where it makes sense - and if it doesn't make sense anywhere, then it's not the right keyword for that page. For best results, try to use your SEO keyword in the first paragraph.

Your images

Although search engines can't "see" your images, they can "read" them.

That's why it's recommended to optimize your images for your SEO keyword. You can add your keyword to your image file name as well as to the alt text. If you add your keyword to the alt text, make sure it is natural and makes sense.

For reference, your alt text should literally describe your image.

For example, a picture of a puppy in a pool might get alt text like "puppy in pool". If you put your keyword in the alt text just like that, it can hurt your SEO efforts, which means lower rankings, less traffic, and fewer sales from site visitors.

How to use SEO keywords for content marketing

As you research keywords related to your industry, products, and services, you'll come across many that indicate certain topics your target audience wants to learn more about, but aren't covered on your existing website pages.

These keywords are extremely valuable to your content marketing strategy. If you're not familiar with content marketing, it involves creating and publishing original blog posts, article pages, infographics, videos, and other content that informs or entertains your potential customers.

It is often considered as a separate strategy from SEO when you use the keywords you find while doing research for them. In order to control your choice of topics, you need to make sure you are creating content that your potential customers actually want.

You can then optimize your content and be able to rank for the keywords you use.

This strategy is especially valuable for long-tail keywords. After all, if someone searches for a specific phrase, they probably know exactly what information they're looking for. And if you want to keep them on your site, you need to give them that information.

When you create original content that answers your potential customers' questions or solves a specific problem, you drive traffic to your site and build brand recognition among those visitors. As long as the content you provide is truly useful, their first impression of your company will be great.

Even if these visitors aren't ready to make a purchase or contact you the first time they interact with your site, they will remember your brand, which means the content you create can have a direct impact on your sales and revenue.

Need help with SEO keywords?

At NIT Ltd we have experience in creating successful SEO strategies for our clients. Researching and selecting appropriate SEO keywords for each is an essential part of the process.

When you partner with us, we'll get to know your business and industry inside and out and do all the in-depth research that's necessary to understand what your potential customers want. Our expert team will optimize your site for the best possible keywords and create original content to move your strategy forward.

Contact us today to speak with a strategist and learn more about how we can help your business use SEO to drive more traffic and gain more customers!

Contact us on: +359 2 850 53 64