The art of selecting appropriate keywords is one of the most important processes in the world of SEO.
While Google is constantly trying to crack down on black hat SEO practices that incoherently stuff keywords into websites, keyword-focused strategies are still relevant and should still be considered. You can’t jam random keywords into your content to try and improve your rank—but that was never a good strategy to begin with.
Instead, you want to pick out around a dozen strong keywords and develop content that naturally incorporates those words and phrases. Write clear, informative content that’s valuable to your audience, and include keywords only when they are relevant to your articles.
To find the best keywords for your SEO strategy, be sure to consider these qualities:
1. Competition ranking. The competition ranking is a measure of how many other businesses are currently trying to rank for a given keyword. You want this number to be low, so you have an easier time getting ranked.
2. Search volume. Search volume measures the average number of people who search for a given keyword on a regular basis. The higher this number is, the greater traffic you’ll see from ranking for a given keyword.
3. Sensibility. With Google cracking down on low quality content, find keywords that are practical to include in well written articles. Avoid nonsensical or incoherent phrases that would be awkward to work in.
4. Specificity. Broad keywords, like “marketing” and narrow keywords like “small marketing firms doing SEO in Cleveland Ohio” both have advantages and disadvantages. You want to include a variety of keywords range from very specific and very general.
For best results, experiment with many different kinds of keywords. Include some with a high search volume and high competition and some with a low search volume and low competition. That way, you’ll diversify your strategy with short-term and long-term picks, and set yourself up for a high quality, consistently performing campaign.
Quez Media Marketing is an expert in search engine optimization. For a free review of your current strategy and recommendations for new keywords, don’t hesitate to contact us!
