Keyword Research Tips That Will Take Your SEO to the Next Level
✨Key Points
Businesses are going digital fast, with 71% of small businesses using websites and SEO to drive traffic and sales.
Keyword research removes guesswork by showing exactly what your audience is searching for online.
Using the right keywords helps you attract the right visitors and improve visibility, traffic, and conversions.
Technology has shifted the way businesses run their operations.
Things have changed even in the entertainment space with the emergence of online blackjack sites and gaming platforms.
More businesses are relying on automation to increase operational efficiency.
Companies have also changed their marketing strategies and gone digital.
About 71% of small businesses have websites. They are using SEO to increase their visibility on search engines to drive traffic and increase sales.
Keyword research in SEO is critical as it will give you insights into the phrases your audience will use to find you.
In addition, keyword research will eliminate the need to make assumptions about the words used by visitors online.
Here are some keyword research tips that will take your content game to the next level.
Understand Your Audience (Before You Touch Keywords)
Before you even start picking keywords, you need to be clear on who you’re trying to reach, because that’s what actually makes SEO work today.
Most people skip this and jump into tools, and that’s why they end up with traffic that doesn’t convert. Right now, over 70% of searches are very specific, meaning people already know what they’re looking for—they just want the right answer.
So instead of thinking in broad terms, think about real people and real situations:
Who is coming to your site?
What are they struggling with right now?
What would they type into Google when they’re stuck?
Spend some time looking at how people actually talk about these problems on Reddit, LinkedIn, or Google’s “People also ask.”
You’ll start to notice patterns in the exact words they use—that’s what your content should be built around.
It also helps to break your audience into smaller groups:
Beginners vs experienced users;
Local customers vs national audience;
People researching vs people ready to buy.
For example, someone in Seattle might search “why my website isn’t converting Seattle” instead of something broad like “website help.”
Once you understand this level of detail, keyword research becomes much easier, and your content starts attracting people who actually need what you offer, not just random visitors, and that’s where landing page optimisation really starts to pay off.
Keyword Research Tips: Look at Your Competition
Competitor keyword analytics work the same way general competitor analytics do.
It can help you increase the competitiveness of your website, enhance your rank, and drive more traffic to your website.
How Do You Go About It?
The first question you should ask yourself is who your competitors are.
Then you can analyze the keywords they are using.
In the process, you will have insights into the keywords they are ranking for.
With such information, you can decide to use variations of the keywords for your content.
You will also get insights into the keywords you should be targeting.
This will be informed by the keyword gaps existing with your competitors.
This way, you will identify keywords only your pages will rank for.
Competitor keyword analysis will also help you identify ways you can enhance your content marketing strategy.
While not everything may be working well for your competitor, it is an excellent opportunity to improve your keyword game.
You will identify gaps that you can use to your advantage and have the opportunity to redesign your keyword strategy.
In the process, you will get ideas for supporting your PPC strategy through keywords.
Pages are ranking for long-tail keywords, and, through competitor analysis, you can identify long tail and secondary keywords opportunities.
The good thing is this strategy does not have to be complicated as there are tons of competitor keyword research tools in the market for you to use.
Leverage Trending Topics
Trending topics are a perfect opportunity for your keyword research.
Trending topics are an ideal way to find keywords your audience will be interested in.
First, identify trending topics in your industry.
There is a need to narrow down if your efforts are to pay off.
A broad strategy will not generate the results you are looking for: driving qualified traffic to your website.
This will allow you to get into the head of your audience and know what they are thinking.
You can then transform the trending topics into keyword research.
The topics should inform on the phrases that are likely to generate interest in your content and ads.
Sometimes you don’t have to be overly creative to come up with new keywords.
Breaking news and trending topics can give valuable insights into what you need to include in your content.
Leverage Google Suggest
Google Suggest may be an ideal place to generate keywords or even build long-tail keywords.
This is because Google Suggest will attempt to auto-complete phrases that you enter in the search field.
In addition, the suggestions that will pop up will inform you of the terms other visitors are using.
These are insights into the commonly used keywords in search engines.
Not only will you see the keywords you can use, but it will also allow you to come up with long tail and secondary keywords.
Use Common Customer Questions
Another great source of winning keywords is your customers’ questions.
The questions customers ask are the exact phrases they will use when searching online.
The best keyword strategy is creating keywords that revolve around your customers’ queries.
It is a brilliant way to bring them to you.
First, analyze the most frequently asked questions then you will get tips on the keywords you should be using.
The best people to support this in your team is the sales department or teams that interact directly with your customers.
You also have the option of asking your customers the questions they hand when looking for the products or services you offer directly.
Another way is doing customer surveys or interviews.
With these insights, you will generate keywords that are most relevant to your business.
If you like a more general approach, you can also check “People ask” on Google.
This way, you can see questions customers are asking businesses like yours.
Keyword Research Tips: Take Away
A great content strategy starts with the proper keyword usage.
This can only be achieved through keyword research.
An intentional and focused approach is recommended to generate keywords that will be meaningful to your audience.
Keyword research strategies like competitor analysis, common customer questions, and using trending topics can help you get keywords you can rank for.
