How to do keyword research for SEO?

Search engine optimization is a complicated process which includes a lot of techniques and strategies such as content generation, link building, metadata improvement, website design optimization, interlinking and so on. However, the core optimization strategy is a keyword research. Each aspect of SEO relates back to keywords. To find a web source, average users insert a certain query in Google search box. The primary task of webmasters and SEO experts is to make your site most relevant to user’s query. They can do it by improving your website's online presence and conducting a quality SEO keyword research. This short guide will help you to carry out a professional SEO keyword research to rank high for thousands of targeted search terms and improve your brand awareness.

SEO keyword research definition

Keyword research is a process of selecting the most relevant to your industry search terms that your potential customers may enter into search engines. The knowledge about these related and high-volume search terms can help to inform content strategy or making a strategy overall.

Keywords should serve as the key phrases in your web content that make it possible for both web crawlers and average users to find your web source on the web. In other words, your website should speak the same words as your potential customers. By selecting the wrong keywords set, you may lose an opportunity to generate more new leads and boost your online business revenue. Your potential client will just land on one of your competitor's web page on Google SERP.

How to conduct a quality keywords research for my SEO strategy?

First of all, make a list of the most relevant topics based on what you know about your market niche and industry. Think over some generic keywords buckets to find what you need. Finally, you will come up with about seven to ten buckets the most relevant to your business. These general keyword buckets will help you to come up with more accurate search terms you may use to rank for.

The great technique to conduct a quality keyword research is to put yourself in a place of your potential customers and think about how they can ask Google about products or services related to your niche.

If you already have found relevant topic buckets you want to rank for, it is time to identify specific key phrases that fall into these brackets. To complete this task, you need to brainstorm keywords related to this topic which your potential customers may type in a search box. To simplify this task, you can use some automated keyword research tools such as Google Keyword Planner.

On this stage of keyword research, you need to come up with the final list of key phrases that you will later include in your content.

One more stage of SEO keyword research which can help you to find the most relevant and less competitive key phrases is a keyword check. You need to determine which of the selected to your website keywords are already getting found for. You can check keyword relevance and originality through Google Analytics or Semalt Auto SEO. With the help of these tools, you can look through your traffic sources and identify the keywords your website visitors are using to arrive at your web pages.