what Are Keywords
Keywords (also known as "SEO keywords," "keywords," or "search queries") are words and phrases that users type into a search engine to find information on a particular topic. are
In the world of search engine optimization (SEO), keywords are used in web page content as a way to rank higher in Google results for the same keyword.
Of course, no one outside the SEO industry tends to use this term.
In this guide, you will learn:
- Why are keywords important?
- How to show up in Google for keywords.
- How to find keywords
- How to choose keywords
- How to optimize keywords
- What are long tail keywords?
Why Are Keywords Important
In many ways, keywords are the foundation of both SEO and Pay Per Click (PPC) marketing campaigns.
When it comes to SEO, ranking at the top of Google for your target keyword can bring a flood of quality, targeted traffic.
And if you have an advertising budget, you can use PPC to rank your site above the organic results.
This is how Google Ads works — advertisers bid to appear at the top of search results for specific keywords.
In general, keywords that indicate someone is ready to buy can be good choices for a paid search campaign.
For example, let's say you're marketing for a car dealership.
In this case, the keyword "Toyota for sale in San Jose" is a term that someone close to buying will search for.
Sure, there are plenty of ads for that keywords
On the other hand, a search query like "best midsize sedans" is for someone a little earlier in the buying cycle. So a “SEO keyword” might be better to optimize your blog post.
Keywords are the foundation of your website in many ways.
For example, take a look at Home Depot's website. When we look at all the keywords they rank for, you can quickly see what their website is about and the specific products they sell.
The question is: How do you find the right keywords for your business? This process is known as keyword research. And we'll cover that later.
How to Find Keywords For SEO
The keywords you choose can make or break your SEO efforts.
If you choose keywords that are highly competitive, you will have a hard time ranking in Google. And if you optimize your site around keywords that your customers don't actually search for, you can get a lot of traffic that doesn't convert.
This is why, if your site is relatively new, you may want to focus your SEO efforts on long-tail keywords.
Long tail keywords convert at a higher rate than high search volume terms.
Why?. Which means they're likely further along in their buyer's journey and more likely to convert.
According to Seamarsh, this term gets 320 searches per month (which is not a lot compared to the more common keywords in this industry).
Also note how specific the keyword is (they're not just looking for "Honda dealerships", but specifically "Honda dealerships in Chicago".)
This is the type of long-tail keyword that is perfect for a new website.
And being a more general term, "Honda dealership" likely won't convert with the more specific "Honda dealership in Chicago" long-tail keyword.
So when doing keyword research (and especially when deciding which keywords to use), what characteristics should one look for?
Qualities of a Keyword
Key features of keywords include:
- Search volume
- Competition
- Cost (cost per click)
- Word count
Search Volume
Search volume is the number of searches for a keyword in Google per month .Semrush measures this metric in average monthly searches by location.This metric is important because it helps you estimate how much potential traffic you can get by ranking for that keyword in Google.
For example, the keyword "what plants grow in the desert" had 210 monthly searches in the United States.
The monthly search volume for the keyword "debt" is 246.0k in the United States and 850.8k worldwide.
In March 2022, we updated our search volume algorithm to be more accurate.
Investing in keywords with a lot of search volume has the potential to attract more visitors to your website. However, keywords with lots of searches are also more competitive for rankings.
This is why new sites should try to optimize for relatively low-volume long-tail keywords whenever possible.
Competition
No matter how many searches a keyword gets, it's important to pay attention to the competition for that keyword. The more a keyword is searched for, the more likely it is that there will already be many websites vying for the top spot (both in organic and paid results).
Most keyword tools have a way to measure keyword competition. At Searush, there are two metrics you can use to size up the competition on the first page of Google:
- Keyword Difficulty: This metric tells you the level of effort it takes to rank in Google's top 10 organic results for a keyword. It is based on the authority of sites currently ranking on the first page of Google (as measured by backlinks).
- Competitive Density : This metric tells you how competitive (ie expensive) it is to rank an ad at the top of search results.
In general, keyword difficulty helps you organize your SEO campaign, and competitive density helps you prioritize your advertising campaign.
Price Cost-Per-Click
When it comes to advertising, each keyword has a cost—a "cost-per-click" (CPC) that tells you how much the advertiser pays each time a searcher clicks on your ad after searching for the keyword. How much does it cost?
For example, take the keyword “debt”. The CPC for this keyword is listed at $6.43.
This means that every time someone in the US searches for "debt" on Google and clicks on an ad, the average price an advertiser pays for a website visitor is $6.43.
When you are planning an advertising campaign, it is important to evaluate the CPCs of your target keywords to estimate the cost of the campaign.
CPC also plays a role when it comes to SEO keyword selection. Even though SEO traffic is “free,” certain keywords are more valuable for ranking than others.
On the other hand, “divorce attorney” is a related keyword that costs a lot more: $10.05.
Which means that a visitor who comes from Google after searching for that term is much more likely to become a customer (in fact, this is why advertisers are tripping over themselves to bid on this keyword. are!).
This does not mean that you should choose a keyword based on CPC only. But it is an important factor when it comes to choosing keywords in both SEO and PPC campaigns.
Word Count
Word count refers to the number of words that make up a keyword. For example, the term "debt" has one word count, while "what plants grow in the desert" has six.
When searching for keywords in a keyword research tool, search volume and query competition are often more important than the number of words that make up the keyword.
However, word counts are still a helpful way to limit your research.
Why? It's simple: the higher the number of words, the more specific the search query.
When the search query is long, the competition is usually relatively low. And the searcher is usually close to making a purchase decision.
For example, in a keyword research tool like the Keyword Magic Tool, you can filter the list of keywords by word count. For example, you can only look at keywords that have at least five or more words.
Why would you want to do that?
Well, you can search for more specific queries (and long-tail keywords). For example, look for keywords related to "debt" that contain five or more words.
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