What Is Keyword Research?

When learning about search engine optimization (SEO) and digital marketing, there is no doubt that professionals in the field always use the term keyword research. Keyword research is a process explained by actioning research and popular search terms that any specific audience or individual looking to find content would type into Google, Yahoo, Amazon, or Youtube search engines. This research may be translated into strategically planned content so that a particular web page has the capacity to appear higher on a search engine results page (SERP), which may improve the overall ranking of the website as a whole. 

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Understanding why Keyword Research is Important

Since the early 2000s, SEOs have practiced keyword research for various digital and online algorithms; however, as the term “keyword research” and the industry evolved, search engines tend to prioritize well-written content aligned with search intent when it comes to ranking web pages. Since then, research tactics have had to adapt and overcome the ever-changing search engine algorithms in order for content to reach a refined audience. This particular practice has the capacity to help marketing professionals and content creators initiate strategy when developing product features, publishing written content, or optimizing any particular webpage to its maximum capacity. 

 

Keyword research may be described as a core task in SEO that involves professionals and individuals working in the field to identify prevalent words, phrases, hashtags, and product searches that are relevant to any particular business or industry. This practice may increase organic traffic to any specific web page or piece of content in the larger digital environment by performing better in SERPs. 

SEO Keyword Research

If keywords are what readers are searching for, then relevant research needs to be done by professionals to ensure their content meets an accurate audience. However, readers are not the only part searching for keywords; Google, amongst several other leading search engines, utilizes the practice of keyword research in order to clearly establish what keywords are used if they’re relevant and how they would be ranked in the larger internet environment. This practice could potentially be where the fundamental practices of SEO start.  

 

Understanding industry keywords may aid business owners and content creators’ to profile either a brand or a company. This allows for the structure of a precise description of the product or service while creating an obvious route to follow through to strategy development. This research can tell professionals important information, such as which keywords are ranked and which keywords competitors are ranking for. The findings from the research could be manipulated and translated into identifying which words, phrases, and hashtags could be used to drive organic traffic onto any particular website.

 

Although this practice should be an ongoing process, it is often the starting point for any digital marketing campaign since it allows for increased web page traffic online and is used to reach a direct audience. Proper keyword research could provide professionals with ideas for a variety of ways individuals may be using language to find information or data in the SERP. While beneficial for competitor analysis, this practice could often help discover trending content ideas, learn more about their searching audience, and keep up to date on relevant industry jargon and terminology, including language and phrases.

How to Carry Out Successful Keyword Research

Learning to prioritize keywords is not likely the final step in terms of keyword research. Individuals, business owners, and primary content creators looking to maximize online traffic through SEO strategy should analyze their metrics and ask themselves the following essential questions in order to optimize their content. 

What could be the traffic potential of this keyword? 

Does this specific website or platform already have content surrounding this topic?

Could the web page be ranked higher for this particular keyword?

Will organic traffic increase through the means of this keyword? 

Could the organic traffic convert into sales of the product or service, or will it only allow for brand awareness? 

After taking into consideration the above questions, industry leaders and workers in the SEO and marketing fields should not understand the importance and essence of a strong keyword within a piece of content. This could likely aid the planning of content strategy as well as gain a deeper comprehension of metric tools and how to use them to the advantage of a brand or business. 

 

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Adriaan Brits

Adriaan Brits is the CEO of Sitetrail.com. He works with clients around the world on digital marketing strategy and PR. When it comes to scaling a business, he is one of the top 10 consultants with the biggest media list globally.

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