It all starts with a search on search engines like Google. Customers and clients will type in a ‘search term or phrase’ related to the products or service they are looking for, and the search engine will display the search results, ranked in order of popularity and relevance. Now, here’s the challenge for many business owners and companies who want get a share of the market. Since results are in the form of lists, some products or services may be listed first, on the second or third pages, and some may be included in the last few pages. If you fail to target or anticipate the terms or keywords that are being searched by target customers online, then it will be difficult to connect to customers and boost sales. This is where keyword research comes in handy. The right set of keywords can make or break a marketing campaign, so it’s important for a business owner to focus on keyword research and incorporate these in the marketing and optimization.
Why talking to a client makes sense in keyword research
The main objective behind keyword research to is to explore and find the alternative search terms that potential clients may use on the search engine when looking for a certain product, or a similar item. For example, a company that manufacturers ‘watches for men’ may inquire into related terms associated with the product, like ‘casual men watches’, ‘luxury watches’ and ‘hand watches for men’. In SEO for B2B companies, these are the short tail and long tail keywords. Short tail keywords are made up of 1-2 words (example: watches), often general known for high competition. The long-tail keywords on the other hand feature 3 to 5 words (example: men’s silver luxury watches), but more targeted.
The identification and use of related keywords can help individuals and business owners get better rankings in Google and other search engines. And the best way to do this is to talk directly to the client who understands the business and knows what customers want. Instead of researching for long hours, get insights from the clients on how they think and what they expect from the market. The intent is to predict what customers are looking for, and your clients certainly know it.
Use the right tools of the trade to improve keyword research
Keyword research need not be boring and labor-intensive. To ensure that this marketing campaign works for you, then you need to pay attention to certain rules and the right tools of the trade.
One, you should know in what key words and terms your business currently ranks in. There are free tools online that can allow you to check how you are faring for a specific keyword set against the competition. For example you can use Google AdWords: Keyword Planner and AdWords & SEO Keyword Permutation Generator. Two, know your competition. You should know the keywords that they are using. This can be done by checking the website’s source code. If you are using Chrome, simply press ‘CTRL + U’ to have a look at the keywords used by the competition. And three, always think like your target customer. If you are the customer, what words will you use and search on Google?
Keyword research can be labor-intensive and requires to think like a customer. But when done correctly, it can be a major factor in the success of your SEO campaign.
