What Exactly Are Keywords, Anyway?
Whenever I write blogs, articles, or website content for clients, I provide the opportunity for them to request a few keywords that they’d like me to include in their copy. Now, some businesses have a super-dialled-in SEO strategy and keyword game plan already in place. Others, however, aren’t exactly sure what keywords are, let alone how to begin using them!
Of course, this is hardly surprising — if you’re not intrigued by techy things or experienced in web design then these are terms that you probably haven’t stumbled across. With that in mind, this article aims to welcome the previously unversed into the wonderful world of keywords. So, let’s get started with the basics so that you can make the most of this truly nifty resource.
What Are Keywords and Why Do They Matter?
Keywords, also sometimes called focus words, are like little clues that we scatter strategically throughout our online written content, to help search engines understand what each page is all about. For search engines like Google, whenever someone types a term into their search bar, presenting the most valuable and relevant results to that searcher is its absolute goal. In order to achieve this, search engines sleuth out a lot of data on each web page, including a pretty complex analysis of the writing held within it.
Google will look for words or phrases that occur frequently throughout a page’s content in order to deduce the topic at hand. It will examine not only words throughout the text, but will also pay particular attention to words within the page’s title, subheadings, meta description, and page URL.
By being aware of this, we can intentionally include keywords at just the right frequency to help Google identify your webpage as fantastic and useful. As with so many things, there is a sweet spot to be achieved – rather like Goldilocks, we want those magical phrases to appear not too much, not too little, but just the right amount!
Matching the Search Terms That Your Target Audience Uses
You might have spotted that I said words or phrases. That’s because when we use the term “keyword” or “focus word”, we could be talking about a string of words just as easily as a single one. The phrase “What Are Keywords” in the title of this article is a great example of a long-tail keyword — because that is certainly a question that someone might ask their go-to search engine!
Ideally, keywords should be as close as possible to the search terms that someone might type into Google, or at the very least closely related to them.
For example, if you run a website that sells jewellery and you want to capitalise on the recent trend for layering necklaces with an enticing listicle blog, a great keyword might be “how to layer necklaces”. This distinctive phrase will tell Google that your blog holds the perfect answer for its keenly accessorizing users!
By using keywords in this way, you are actively utilising a vital strategy for enhancing SEO – or search engine optimisation – which means building your website with search engines in mind.
SEO can be hugely valuable because it allows you to use your content to create organic website traffic. New visitors to your web pages can evolve into a growing customer base, without the need to pay for targeted advertising. What’s more, great content can become an asset that keeps bringing in new site visitors, long after it was initially created!
Considering the Function of Your Keywords
It makes sense that the keywords chosen for your brand’s homepage will be specific to your product or service. Similarly, product pages should feature keywords that will help those on the hunt for what you sell to easily find it.
However, when it comes to blogs and articles on your site, our use of keywords becomes a little more nuanced. It makes less sense to target the exact same keywords in your new blog as you did on your homepage — because you don’t want that blog page to become your homepage’s competition!
Instead, you should consider the types of people who might be prospective customers and what they might find valuable. For example, if your company sells beautiful bespoke beds, then a blog about how to get a great night’s sleep is certainly in the right area. Your keywords should convey what the article is about, so “sleep hygiene tips” or “how to sleep better” might be strong options to encourage those clicks. Once visitors have arrived on your website, you will then be able to use calls to action and product links to gently lead them towards conversion!
A Side Note: What About Keywords and PPC?
There is another context in which you might hear the term “keywords”, and that is when boosting your webpage in a search engine’s results by paying for the privilege. This type of advertising is called PPC – or pay-per-click – because you pay Google (or another facilitator) each time someone clicks on your advert.
In this avenue of digital marketing, you can pay to ensure that your webpage is displayed higher in search results whenever your chosen keywords are used as search terms. Although, do be aware that you will still be competing with anyone else using PPC for the same keywords too!
So, which is better? For many businesses, a combination of PPC advertising and SEO strategy is harnessed to yield maximum results. Both can be immensely useful, and both can provide a return on investment when well applied. Perhaps the one difference to keep in mind is that when you stop paying for PPC marketing, the associated traffic to your site stops too. With SEO, every successful effort will mean a lasting stream of traffic, lasting months or even years after your initial investment was made.
Keyword Research and Using Keyword Tools
To a certain extent, selecting keywords is a pretty logical undertaking. However, predicting the exact behaviour of internet users is often more challenging than we imagine! Consulting with an SEO expert in order to sculpt a keyword strategy for your website can be a rewarding endeavour. Alternatively, you can explore the many keyword research tools that can be found online to illuminate choices that you might not have thought of.
The most wonderful keywords are ones that people search for quite a lot, but also those that don’t have a great deal of competition — because they are likely to place you higher in search engine results. It’s also handy to consider that Google is unlikely to present someone with a link to a conversational blog if they deduce that the searcher is seeking a product, and vice versa.
I am always happy to suggest keywords to go with my blogs and articles, although I don’t offer an extensive SEO keyword research service. If in doubt, do ask — I will do my best to point you towards what you need to continue building your brand!