The first step to SEO is creating a keyword list using a Keyword Planner like the one available in Google Adwords, or you can use our free keyword tool to do that.
One of the most important elements of online advertising is Search Engine Optimization (SEO). While SEO may sound like a scary and intimidating concept, its premise is actually very simple. In a nutshell, search engines such as Google, Bing and Yahoo scan your website daily or even hourly for new content. They then index this new content so it can appear in search results and so digital users can access your webpages. Basically, search engine optimization is a technique that involves tailoring your content to improve your searchability and foot traffic. But first, you want to plan your keywords.
What is a Keyword?
A keyword is a word or phrase that a person types in a search engine field, so he or she can find more information about a topic.
For example, if I wanted to buy a scooter, I might go to Google and type in “scooter for sale.” Now, let’s say you want to buy a scooter in New York, you might type in “scooter in New York for sale.”
It is important for digital marketers to understand how users search for information online so they can effectively target keywords to improve their website’s visibility in search engines.
We recommend you use our keyword tool.
Why Should I Use Targeted Keywords?
Choosing the right keywords is key to online marketing success. It can help you reach the customers you want and get them to visit your website.
To get your ads or websites to appear when people search for your product or service online, the keywords should match the words or phrases that people use, or should be related to the content of the websites your customers visit, so that you can dramatically increase the chances of your product or service getting discovered by potential customers.
Statistics show that the first webpage in search engine results is clicked 70% of the time. This means your website content needs to include all the relevant keywords your target audience searches for, so you can easily get top billing. To do this, the first step is to understand how your target audience searches for your content, and then integrate this into your content strategy.
Keyword Planner Tips
Going back to our scooter example: If you choose a generic keyword like “scooter” to promote a Vespa in New York, your ad could appear to people searching for a scooter in Paris or in India. The trick is to be as concise as possible so you can reach the right customers with your ads. In this case, you could choose more relevant keywords like “Vespa scooters in New York” or “scooters for sale in New York.”
Using generic keywords makes it difficult to reach potential customers, so you will end up wasting advertising money and missing real conversion opportunities in your market.
Here are some other tips you should keep in mind when developing keywords or keyword phrases for your landing pages and ads:
Choose your keywords carefully.
Make sure to include phrases your customers would likely use to describe your products. As for our Vespa example, you can include words such as “Italian scooter, “motor scooter,” or “Piaggio.”
The goal is to make sure your keywords are directly related to the theme of your ad and the page you’re directing your customers to.
In your Keyword Planner – Group similar keywords.
Make sure to group your keywords into themes. These themes can be based on your products, services, or other categories.
If you are a car dealer, you can have a group of keywords for “SUV cars” and another group of keywords for “sedan cars.”
Pick the right number of keywords.
While it is important to be as concise as possible, in your keyword planner, you should limit the number of keywords per ad group to between 5 and 20. Having too much is no longer cost-effective and will only drain your advertising funds.
Once you have planned your keywords, you might save time by using a landing page creation tool like ClickFunnels or a content marketing tool like Solo Build It.
