Keywords are recognised as the bridge between a website and search engines. Keywords allow search engines like Google and Bing to identify what each page is about and analyse how relevant it is to the user’s search query.
A primary component of any SEO strategy is keyword research. If you can get keyword research right, you have a higher chance of attaining higher volumes of relevant traffic to your website.
When researching keywords for a website, a key point to remember is to look or keywords which have a high search volume, but have a lower competition rating. A high search volume means the keyword is being frwquently searched by users. A lower competition score means you won’t be competing with multiple large companies to get noticed in the search results. A useful way to research keywords is Google’s keyword planner tool which comes bundled with Google Adwords.
Keyword Optimisation 101
Ten years ago the method was to stuff copious amounts of keywords into a page and it would be found in Google. These days… not so much. Google’s become smart!
In fact, keyword optimisation has come along way, especially in the last three years. When adding your keywords into a page, it needs to be as natural as possible and reads well, because Google not only analyses your keyword page score, but readability too. If you pages don’t read well, your page ranking will suffer.
When adding keywords into a page, there are three important areas to focus on:
- In your title tag – at the start is preferred
- In your page meta description;
- In the first 150 words of your content.
While the three points above are key areas of focus, we also recommend the following areas as well:
- Your image alt tags (preferably the first image on the page);
- In the page’s URL / permalink / page slug;
- In at least one of your subheadings;
- Throughout the content (generally 2-4 times – this will vary depending on content length)
When incorporating keywords with your website, there are five keyword types to focus on, these include:
Generic Keywords
These keywords will help isolate a topic For example: “Kettles,” “Monitors,” or “Car.”
Brand Keywords
These keywords relate to the brand of the product for example: “Nike shoes,” “Apple Computer,” “Windows Software.”
Broad Keywords
These keywords provide good levels of traffic and have much less competition. For example: “Running shoes,” “Mens Shirts,” “Women’s Sunglasses.”
Exact Keywords
These keywords show that the searcher knows exactly what they are trying to find. Exact keywords generally have higher search volumes and convert well. For example: “Best hiking shoes,” “Car wash reviews,” “Recommended recipe books.”
Long-Tail Keywords
These keywords are the best type of keyword to focus on. Generally with a lower search volume, they can often have a higher conversion level. For example: “Which hiking shoes are the best for climbing mountains,” “car wash with wax pack,” “best children’s learning tv series”.
If you need help with optimising keywords for you website and Search Engine Optimisation; please don’t hesitate to contact Springfield Digital.
