How To ACTUALLY Do Keyword Research For SEO In Your Business Blog Posts
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You know the value that blogs bring to your business. You’ve got the idea. You know the value you’re providing. You know that your next blog post is EXACTLY what SO many people need to read.
You press publish and wait for Google to bring in all those readers, but six months pass and still, nothing.
Where are my readers?
In many cases there’s absolutely nothing wrong with the content of the piece. Most, lack of traffic can be blamed on one of two things:
You’re writing about a topic noone cares about.
You’ve not taken the proper steps of search engine optimisation (SEO).
The good news is that we can take steps to improve both of these things in one easy move: keywords.
Keywords are…well…key.
Before you put pen to paper (or finger to keyboard), you need to know what you’re writing about.
In order to make sure the topic is something that people are actually searching for, we use keyword research. You can use tools like Ubersuggest, Semrush and Moz to find keywords that people are searching for.
You can then sprinkle this keyword a few times throughout your blog post or webpage (including in headers, meta descriptions and alt text, and even in the file names for your images).
Remember, however, to write first and foremost for a human reader. Don’t try and shoehorn it in if it doesn’t fit, and don’t be afraid to include slight variations.
Yeah but…what am I actually doing?
So let’s get to it.
When I was a teacher I would hate sitting in CPD sessions only to be smothered in wishy-washy sentiments that I couldn’t actually apply.
And so I bring you 5 ACTIONABLE tips on how to do keyword research for SEO.
5 ACTIONABLE tips on how to do keyword research for SEO
A Keyword is NOT a Word
In most cases, opting for a string of words is preferable to a single word.
For example, “best destinations for snorkelling” is going to be a better keyword than simply “snorkelling”.
Why? Two reasons.
Firstly, you’ll have lower competition on these keywords. So many articles will be eligible to rank for “snorkelling” that you simply won’t get seen.
Secondly, it attracts the right kind of audience for your article.
For example, someone who searches for “snorkelling”, might be looking for snorkelling tips or equipment. Your article won’t deliver that and they’ll click away. Meanwhile, those who are specifically looking for destinations might never find you.
Keep Your Goal In Mind
Before you start your search, get the goal of the post clear in your mind. What is your blog post aiming to achieve?
This could be…
To reach new clients
To demonstrate expertise or thought leadership
To make money through affiliate marketing
To work as part of a sales funnel
To sell a product or service
…or a myriad of other things!
Aim to have one single goal for each post, then consider your ideal reader. What would they be searching for to get to you?
Look For Low Competition
When you search for your keyword, you’ll notice that it comes with a range of different numbers attached.
Unfortunately, every keyword research tool seems like have a different way of conveying this, but you want to look for its difficulty. Specifically, SEO difficulty (could be SD).
A low number indicates low competition. For most small businesses, these are the keywords you are most likely to be able to rank highly with.
Don’t Be Led By Low Search Volume
You’ll also notice that most tools indicate the search volume to you- that is to say, how many people are searching for this term.
It might be tempting to go for the highest volume, thinking this will get you the most clicks.
At this point we need to refer back to that goal we set earlier.
If our goal is to get loads of traffic to that post (perhaps you are running ads and get revenue from that, or perhaps you have an affiliate link that will have mass appeal), then go for those high volume keywords.
However, if your goal is to make a sale, or find your very niche ideal client, search volume is irrelevant.
It’s better for you to find one PERFECT person searching for your keyword than it is to find hundreds that will immediately be on their way.
Have You Considered Location?
A great way to niche-down your keywords to target a specific customer, is to include a location in your keyword.
For example, a plumber working in Manchester, UK doesn’t need someone from Sydney, Australia on his website as they are unlikely to become a client.
They might choose keywords like “plumber in Manchester” in order to best reach their client.
Keyword Research Not Your Thing?
It might be tedious and tempting to skip, but keyword research for SEO is a vital part of your process if you are using blogging as a strategy to reach new clients through search.
So if it’s not your thing, why not outsource it?
I offer a low-cost option to get that keyword research done for you- I’ll provide you with 8 keywords ready to go, with a thought out goal and strategy behind each suggestion.
Head over to my small packages page to find out more.
