How to Research Keyword Research for SEO
Verfasst: Dienstag 29. Oktober 2024, 10:43
In this comprehensive guide, we'll walk through the complete step-by-step process of SEO keyword research, as shared by Nathan Gotch, founder of Gotch SEO. With years of experience managing successful SEO campaigns and coaching over 1,000 SEO professionals, Nathan offers valuable insights into finding the perfect keywords for your campaign.
Understanding the Different Types of Keyword
Before you dive into Keyword Research In this process, it's important to understand the three main types of keywords you'll encounter:
1. Heading keywords
Headline keywords are single words website development service or abbreviations, such as “cars.” These are typically the least desirable keywords to target for several reasons:
Unclear intentions
Low quality traffic and poor conversion
Extremely high competition
High SERP volatility
2. Body keywords
Primary keywords are typically 2-3 words long, such as “used cars.” While they offer a more specific target than primary keywords, they are often highly competitive and can require significant resources to rank.
3. Long-tail keywords
Long-tail keywords are phrases of 4 or more words, such as “used cars Douglas Georgia.” These keywords are generally the best option for most websites because they offer:
The search goal is clearer
Low competition
Higher conversion rates
More profitable ranking opportunities
Three Effective Methods for Finding Keyword Opportunities
1. Analyze your existing keyword profile
Start by researching the keywords your site already ranks for. Use SEMrush to categorize your existing keywords into three buckets:
Low Hanging Fruit: Keyword Rankings from Positions 2 to 15
Existing: Keyword Rankings from Positions 16 to 50
Clustering capabilities: Keyword ranking from positions 51 to 100
Prioritize the simplest solutions, then move on to existing keywords, and finally explore clustering opportunities to capture more organic search traffic and create topical relevance.
2. Use SEMrush's Keyword Magic tool
To find keyword opportunities using SEMrush's Keyword Magic Tool, follow these steps:
Enter keyword seed
Use filters to narrow down results (e.g. keyword difficulty, language)
Exclude irrelevant keywords
Add relevant keywords to your list
Repeat the process with other seed keywords.
To expand your keyword ideas, use Wikipedia to find relevant subtopics in your niche and use them as seed phrases in SEMrush.
3. Use AlsoAsked.com
AlsoAsked.com is a powerful tool that will help you find long-tail keywords from Google's "People Also Ask" section. These phrases are valuable for creating topical relevance and targeting keywords that your competitors may have overlooked.
Qualification and selection of keywords
Once you have a database of keyword opportunities, it is critical to qualify and select the best keywords to target. Consider the following factors:
Current position
Minimum search volume (usually 100 searches per month)
Keyword Difficulty
Transactional intent
Alignment with your core offerings
Keyword Trend
CTR Potential
Be sure to choose one primary keyword per page and create separate pages for keywords with different objectives.
Prioritizing Keywords
Once you have selected a pool of 50-100 keywords, prioritize them based on the resources required for content creation and link building . Use SEMrush to collect data on:
Target word count for each keyword
Average number of referring domains for top ranking pages
Estimate the cost of ranking for each keyword based on the length of the content and the backlinks required. Prioritize keywords that offer the highest potential return on investment.
Conclusion
By following this comprehensive keyword research process, you will be able to identify and prioritize the most valuable keywords for your SEO campaign. Remember to focus on long-tail keywords with clear intent, low competition, and higher conversion potential. Continuously analyze your existing keyword profile and use tools like SEMrush and AlsoAsked.com to uncover new opportunities.
Understanding the Different Types of Keyword
Before you dive into Keyword Research In this process, it's important to understand the three main types of keywords you'll encounter:
1. Heading keywords
Headline keywords are single words website development service or abbreviations, such as “cars.” These are typically the least desirable keywords to target for several reasons:
Unclear intentions
Low quality traffic and poor conversion
Extremely high competition
High SERP volatility
2. Body keywords
Primary keywords are typically 2-3 words long, such as “used cars.” While they offer a more specific target than primary keywords, they are often highly competitive and can require significant resources to rank.
3. Long-tail keywords
Long-tail keywords are phrases of 4 or more words, such as “used cars Douglas Georgia.” These keywords are generally the best option for most websites because they offer:
The search goal is clearer
Low competition
Higher conversion rates
More profitable ranking opportunities
Three Effective Methods for Finding Keyword Opportunities
1. Analyze your existing keyword profile
Start by researching the keywords your site already ranks for. Use SEMrush to categorize your existing keywords into three buckets:
Low Hanging Fruit: Keyword Rankings from Positions 2 to 15
Existing: Keyword Rankings from Positions 16 to 50
Clustering capabilities: Keyword ranking from positions 51 to 100
Prioritize the simplest solutions, then move on to existing keywords, and finally explore clustering opportunities to capture more organic search traffic and create topical relevance.
2. Use SEMrush's Keyword Magic tool
To find keyword opportunities using SEMrush's Keyword Magic Tool, follow these steps:
Enter keyword seed
Use filters to narrow down results (e.g. keyword difficulty, language)
Exclude irrelevant keywords
Add relevant keywords to your list
Repeat the process with other seed keywords.
To expand your keyword ideas, use Wikipedia to find relevant subtopics in your niche and use them as seed phrases in SEMrush.
3. Use AlsoAsked.com
AlsoAsked.com is a powerful tool that will help you find long-tail keywords from Google's "People Also Ask" section. These phrases are valuable for creating topical relevance and targeting keywords that your competitors may have overlooked.
Qualification and selection of keywords
Once you have a database of keyword opportunities, it is critical to qualify and select the best keywords to target. Consider the following factors:
Current position
Minimum search volume (usually 100 searches per month)
Keyword Difficulty
Transactional intent
Alignment with your core offerings
Keyword Trend
CTR Potential
Be sure to choose one primary keyword per page and create separate pages for keywords with different objectives.
Prioritizing Keywords
Once you have selected a pool of 50-100 keywords, prioritize them based on the resources required for content creation and link building . Use SEMrush to collect data on:
Target word count for each keyword
Average number of referring domains for top ranking pages
Estimate the cost of ranking for each keyword based on the length of the content and the backlinks required. Prioritize keywords that offer the highest potential return on investment.
Conclusion
By following this comprehensive keyword research process, you will be able to identify and prioritize the most valuable keywords for your SEO campaign. Remember to focus on long-tail keywords with clear intent, low competition, and higher conversion potential. Continuously analyze your existing keyword profile and use tools like SEMrush and AlsoAsked.com to uncover new opportunities.