Learning how to do keyword research and analysis is an important skill to learn if you want to rank your website higher in the search results.
You want to rank as much content as possible with natural search terms if you want to be successful with your website. Trying to rank for short keywords can be extremely difficult. For example, ranking at the top of the search engines for the word “golf” is going to be very competitive and probably not going to happen without years of effort.
However, another strategy is to use what are called “long-tail” phrases. So instead of trying to rank for the search term “golf”, you may try a strategy to rank for a lot of long-tail phrases like “best golf clubs for beginners to intermediate” Using these long-tail phrases is one of the best ways to help build your search engine rankings. It was first written about in 2004 by Chris Anderson and his article “The Long Tail” is still available on Wired.com
How Do You Get Started With This?
Start by making a list of keywords related to your business. Plug each of those keywords into a search engine to see what kinds of results come back. If you scroll to the bottom of the search results, you’ll see a list of related search terms that people are looking for. Use these ideas to continue to brainstorm on possible ideas for your content.
Another way is to use a keyword research tool to help give you some ideas. There are a number of great discovery tools available online. One of the most unique keyword discovery tools I’ve found is on AnswerThePublic.com. By inputting a keyword or two, it will give you back detailed data on what people are searching for. Consequently, seeing the kinds of questions people are asking will help you to focus on a topic and provide meaningful advice.
They’ve put together a great 20-minute video that walks you through how to use it. Some of this tutorial covers the pro version but if you’re just starting out and looking for a couple of ideas, this tool can help you with that.
Answer The Public has also created a great infographic that you can use as a cheat sheet going forward. It can give you quick reminders on how to interpret different parts of the search wheel. Download the “AnswerThePublic How-To Guide“.
Need help with this? We can review your website content to help improve search engine rankings. Schedule a discovery call to learn more.