One of the most important ways to bring visitors to your website is to create a smart keyword strategy. It’s the first step to optimizing website content for SEO (Search Engine Optimization). A strategy should be pinned down well before any content is written.
Why Is This Important?
A good strategy capitalizes on the search terms people already use to find information related to your content. Pick the wrong keywords to optimize, and you’ll attract the wrong crowd. Your key audience will never find you.
Part of a winning keyword strategy is determining what your target group is looking for. Figure out what search terms people are already using to find the product, service, or topic you’re writing about. Feel free to use a different key search phrase for each page of your site. This way you’ll target different subgroups within your intended audience.
Create a Winning Strategy
Come up with a list of keywords that match your mission. Write down what potential customers need and how this ties into what your business offers. The right keywords are found where the customers’ needs and your company’s mission intersect.
Google Adwords Keyword Planner is still a great resource for finding new keywords and phrases. Make a list and narrow it down for relevance. Whittle the list further to terms that best match the audience’s intent. Working with a list between 5 and 10 key topics helps to focus your content to relevant topics, while still offering a wider variety of information to share with your customers.
Use Variations & Long-Tails
Once you’ve found several winning search terms, try out variations. Which variation of a phrase would a potential customer search for? The more specific you can get, the better, which brings us to long-tails. These are keyword phrases that are longer and more detailed. Instead of using a broad term like “housing,” flesh it out further. Optimize content for “housing market in Seattle,” or “expected trends in housing,” for example.
With a strong keyword strategy in place, you’ll have a blueprint that guides you when it’s time to write content. Optimizing for search terms your audience is actually using will help you create content that potential customers find useful. Specific, relevant phrases work well to attract the right visitors.