If you want to appear near the top of the Google search results or attract your ideal customer, you need to include these keywords in your website content. For this reason, they form a core part of your business SEO strategy.
By finding the right keywords and using them effectively, you can boost your online visibility and grow your business. Let’s take a closer look at how to do just that.
Gone are the days when you could generate keywords automatically by using an online tool. You’ll need to invest time and thoughts into understanding what your unique niche market is looking for and how to connect with them.
Start with the obvious. Open up a document or grab a pen and paper and make a note of the terms that you think most people will be searching for online. For example, if you sell dance shoes, your list might include:
Ladies dance shoes
Buy dance shoes uk
Ballroom dance shoes
Dance shoes near me
As you go through your brainstorming session, you might notice that there are subcategories you could add such as ‘red sequin dance shoes uk’. Add these to your list too.
Bear in mind that these most obvious keywords are often the hardest to rank for. The online market is huge and if you stick with these terms, you’ll be competing against everyone including the larger brands with their huge marketing budgets.
It’s unlikely that your customers will find you if you use these words alone. This is when longtail keywords come into play.
Long-tail keywords are those longer phrases that are related to the most obvious words but they’re more specific.
Imagine that they are tadpoles- the head is the most important part. It contains the DNA or in our case, the main keyword. The tail adds extra information and helps you stand out from the crowd. These are terms that are searched for less frequently but will help you get those niche customers you are looking for.
For example, a long-tail keyword could be ‘where to buy dance shoes in the UK’ or ‘dance shoes for Zumba UK.
Keep working through your list and see what you can come up with.
You can also use various online tools to help with your search. Type your most obvious keyword into Google and see what ideas the
autocomplete function brings up. You can also hit search and scroll down the page to find more long-tail keywords that could be useful. Write them down!
Another great trick is to look at your FAQs. These are what your customers are looking for so are likely to give excellent results. The
website Moz also has a great tool that can give you plenty of suggestions.
Once you’ve found the right keywords, it’s time to add them to your website pages, blog posts and other content.
However, avoid using old black hat SEO techniques such as keyword stuffing. Google is clever and will only consider your website low quality or spam and will penalise you accordingly. Your website won’t get the views that it deserves and you could potentially lose customers.
Instead, use these keywords to target what your customers need and add value. Search engine technology continues to advance, so you don’t even need to include the exact phrase. Feel free to use synonyms and other related phrases as you wish. You’ll get the same results.
Aim to include these keywords in the following places:
Headers and subheaders
Meta description tag
Few times in your content
Link text
Image alt and title attributes
Here at Accentuate, we can help you develop a solid SEO strategy, find the right keywords and generate the revenue you deserve. Contact us to find out more.
