One of the most important aspects of SEO is keyword research. Keyword research is the process of identifying the words and phrases that people use to search for information on the internet. It is the foundation of SEO and it is crucial to have a thorough understanding of the keywords that are relevant to your business and target audience. It also allows you to prioritize the keywords you want to rank for and make informed decisions about the content you create.

Without proper keyword research, it is difficult to optimize your website for search engines and attract the right audience. Keyword research helps you identify the language your target audience uses to search for information and helps you tailor your website’s content to meet their needs.

Effective keyword research involves identifying the search terms and phrases that are relevant to your business, and then assessing their search volume, competition, and relevance to your target audience. By using the right tools and techniques, you can develop a comprehensive list of keywords and prioritize them based on their importance.

Ultimately, keyword research is about understanding your audience and their needs, and using this information to create content that is relevant and valuable. By doing so, you can improve your website’s visibility in search engines and attract the right traffic to your site.

Do a quick Google Search on “Keyword Research” and you’ll be inundated  with options. There are many options available to help your evaluation process, but here’s the tools we used with the most success:

1. Google Keyword Planner: This is a free tool offered by Google that allows users to see the search volume and competition level of keywords.
2. Ahrefs: A paid tool that offers detailed data on keyword search volume, competition level, and related keywords.
3. SEMrush: A paid tool that provides information on keyword search volume, competition level, and related keywords, as well as data on competitors’ websites.
4. Moz Keyword Explorer: A paid tool that provides keyword search volume and difficulty level, as well as suggestions for related keywords.
5. Ubersuggest: A free tool that offers keyword ideas, search volume, and competition level.

These tools can provide valuable insights into which keywords are most important to target and which keywords are most likely to drive traffic to a website. However, it’s important to remember that keyword research is not an exact science, and it’s important to test and iterate on your approach over time. Additionally, it’s important to consider the intent behind the keywords, as well as the relevance of the keywords to your specific audience and industry.

This is how we systematically tackle the task of finding the right keywords for any website:

1. Brainstorm keywords: Start by brainstorming a list of potential keywords that are relevant to your business. Think about the products or services you offer, your industry, your target audience, and your location.  Get crazy with it… use your page as a wheel chair and not just crutch. Get it all down on paper and go back later to find the gems.
2. Analyze your competition: Look at the keywords your competitors are using and try to identify any gaps in their keyword strategy that you can fill.  Any of the aforementioned research tools can help you in this process.
3. Focus on long-tail keywords: At the beginning, you’ll have better luck with longer word strings. Long-tail keywords are longer and more specific keyword phrases that are less competitive than shorter, broader keywords. For example, instead of targeting the broad keyword “shoes,” you could target the long-tail keyword “running shoes for women.”
4. Consider user intent: When selecting keywords, it’s important to consider the user’s intent. Are they searching for information or are they looking to make a purchase? Understanding the user’s intent can help you select the most effective keywords.
5. Use location-based keywords: If you have a local business, be sure to include location-based keywords in your keyword strategy. For example, instead of targeting the broad keyword “coffee shop,” you could target the location-based keyword “coffee shop in downtown Seattle.”
6. Then… Use your keyword research tools: Use keyword research tools to find out which keywords are being searched for the most and which ones are the easiest to rank for.

Once you have identified your target keywords, be sure to incorporate them into your website’s content, including your titles, meta descriptions, headers, and body text (more on this later). Remember to use your keywords naturally and avoid “keyword stuffing,” which can hurt your search rankings. By incorporating the right keywords into your website, you can improve your search rankings and drive more targeted traffic to your site.