9 Simple Tips for Finding the Best SEO Keywords

Did you know that in the time it takes you to read this sentence, over 90,000 searches will have taken place on Google? If you can get but a small amount of that traffic, it can transform your business. But how do you harness that potential?

All of this comes down to keywords and locating the right ones. Read on as we tell you how to get the best SEO keywords.

1. Start With Relevant Topics

There are so many possible keywords, cutting it down to relevant ones can seem daunting. Many people prefer to work by adopting a broader strategy and narrowing the search down in stages.

Begin by brainstorming around five to ten larger topics your company works with. For example, if you are an online marketing company, you may have categories such as website design, search engine optimization, social media, and so forth.

Now you have these topics, start to write down possible keywords that may be related to the subject. They can be one word, phrases, or even questions. From here, you can check the potential reach and competition of these satellite keywords, selecting the best ones.

2. Invest in Keyword Research Tools

There are a lot of keyword research tools available on the web, both free and paid. Some will be more extensive than others with features for all your SEO needs, and others will be basic. Whichever you choose, there are a few essential factors to consider.

The first will be the keyword finder itself. Make sure it also suggests related terms and keyword variations. You will also need monthly search volumes for your area and some indicator that tells you about the level of competition. If you also run an active PPC campaign, you can use Google Ads and its powerful Keyword Planner tool to get insight into potential keywords and their stats.

3. Search for Questions

Many of the best keywords come from questions. People are looking for help and answers when they go to a search engine. If you can answer them, then you get organic traffic.

Questions and answer sites are excellent at showing what people are looking for. Find some of the queries that are being asked, then double-check their search volumes and pinpoint related keywords. Look at discussions happening on social media as well.

4. Go Local

If you are a physical business trying to attract local custom, keywords may not always work when you compete with others on the world wide web. For example, is your small grocery store really going to compete with major supermarket retailers on keywords? One way to get around this is with local SEO.

Local SEO works by using the device location of the searcher, a feature now embedded in most people’s phones. When someone types in “grocery store near me” or a keyword followed by their local area, businesses closer to them are given priority, assuming they have optimized for these search terms. To do this, make sure your location data is up to date and consistent throughout your online listings and properties, such as website, Google My Business page, social media profiles, directories, etc. Make sure you embed local SEO in your keyword research plan.

5. Check the Competition

You can spend a lot of time finding keywords, when someone may have already done it for you. For this, you will need a tool that allows you to pull domain and web page reports. All you need to do is to paste a competitor’s site into this tool of choice. This will give you all the keywords that the site is currently ranking for.

You may uncover some hidden gems. Keywords you never even thought about may appear, or you may realize you have topics your competition does not. Add any findings to your keyword list, then figure out how to make content that is better than your competitors.

6. Use Google Suggest

When you start typing into Google, suggestions will pop up to help finish your sentence. These are the terms that people are searching for, which Google thinks you may be about to ask them.

This gives you a hint into the search behavior, as seen through the eyes of the engine. If they are the terms people are looking for, then you should add them to your keyword strategy.

7. Keep Refreshing

Unfortunately, SEO is not something you can do once and then forget about. Like business, keywords are constantly adapting and evolving. Their popularity surges and wanes over time, so you need to update regularly.

Set a slot in your marketing calendar for keyword research. As well as searching for new keywords, make sure your old ones are still applicable. Update your old content, as search engines give preference to newer, more relevant content.

8. Speak to Your Customers

Very often, the best source of information is right in front of you. If your business is already running, then you must have customers that are returning. It is very likely that the questions they have are also the ones others are searching for.

Run surveys or ask for feedback. By collating the data you can see what they need to know and what help they want. Create content based around this with relevant keywords to attract them to the site.

9. Check Different Search Engines

Besides Google itself, there are other systems to check for potential keywords. These include not only stand-alone search engines like Bing and Yahoo, but large e-commerce websites like Amazon, directories, and media sharing platforms like YouTube. For example, if you have a product to sell, go to Amazon.com and search for it in generic terms. Amazon’s search engine will give you keyword suggestions just like Google does. Many e-commerce sites function in similar ways.

Conclusion

In summary, finding the right SEO keywords can make a huge difference in gaining or losing organic traffic and therefore generating new business. Keep your SEO keyword strategy fluid and check it on a consistent basis, not just as a one-off. Also, make sure you create excellent content around it. If you need help with your SEO, give us a shout!