Insights from David: Keyword Research for SEO
Keyword Research for SEO – The Fundamentals
Whilst the team here at Big Pond Digital know Search Engine Optimisation inside out, we realise that many of our followers and clients may not be as clued up as we are. So, we’ve decided to make a blog post dedicated to discussing one of the most important aspects of SEO, Keyword Research.
What is Keyword Research?
A keyword in terms of SEO is either a word or a phrase that users enter into search engines to find the results they’re looking for. Keyword research is the process of analysing search trends to find commonly used keywords, as well as understanding how frequently those keywords are being searched for. This information can then be used to optimize website content, choose appropriate ad campaigns, and increase traffic to a business’ online platforms. The process of keyword research also includes understanding the context behind a certain term, as well as how it relates to other similar keywords.
Keyword Intent
Keyword Intent refers to a user’s intent when they’re searching with a certain keyword in a search engine. For example, a user searching “purchase action movie” likely has a very different intent than a user that is searching “action movie reviews.” Whilst both users were searching for action movies their intents were different, one wanted to make a purchase whereas another was simply searching for reviews, understanding these distinctions is what can help a business get those higher ranks and beat out their competitors. Another example of how specific keyword intent can be is with simple words such as ‘quick’ or ‘fast’ being added into user’s searches. A user searching for a ‘fast dinner recipe’ but having the top results have recipes that take upwards of an hour shows a poor understanding of search intent. Whereas a result that provided a time saving tasty recipe would likely receive more clicks and therefore climb the search engine rankings. All because the content understood the keyword intent users would have when searching for it.
Predictive Search for Keyword Research
Have you ever noticed that when you begin typing a search query, a search engine will start to suggest words or phrases to conclude your search? That is predictive search in action, a digital marketing tool that allows a business to predict the behaviours and needs of their target audience to further improve their SEO strategies. Predictive Search makes use of previous data analysis and keyword research to predict what a user might be searching for and suggest related keywords/phrases to them. So, not only does this help users to more easily find what they need faster than usual, but it also helps a business to gain a better understanding of their target customers and how to improve their content and keyword targeting.
Keyword Research Tools
Finally, I’m going to be discussing one of the many tools that can be utilised to carry out keyword research easily and effectively. Keyword Tool gives users the capability to view multiple measurements of a search term such as: overall search volume, keyword trends, and the competitiveness of the keyword. Not only this, but it will also generate long-tail keywords which are longer search phrases that typically are searched for less but have a greater conversion value due to their increased specificity. It utilises Google Autocomplete to do all of this, which is a Google application that predicts users’ search queries, making it a form of the previously mentioned predictive search.
Tools for Keyword Research
To round off, here is a list of the essential keyword research tools that Big Pond Digital’s team utilise on a daily basis:
We hope these answers have helped to boost your understanding of Keyword Research and some of the core aspects of it. If you have any questions or issues, or perhaps want our help to get your business more leads, feel free to get in touch with us. In the meantime, we hope to see you again soon on our next blog post!
