Understanding the Role of Keywords in SEO Fundamentals

First of all, let’s put it out there. “If Google can’t find your business, so will your prospects.” So you know the importance being found on Google, but 45% of small businesses aren’t sure what Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) means, according to Small Business Trends.

For beginners, starting on SEO may be daunting, which requires time to take effect. Keyword selection is fundamental along with other SEO basics such as internal linking. For a start, come up with a list of 10-15 keywords that your prospects might be searching for. What’s more, you don’t have to work alone. Make use of tools like Google Ads keyword planner or even Moz’s Keyword Explorer to find the most popular keywords. In the B2B field, especially in a niche industry such as manufacturing, most businesses consistently publish blogs and articles, which helps with SEO. You may find out more in this post.

In this post, I will be sharing some SEO fundamentals about keywords which beginners and even experts should not ignore.
So let’s begin.

WHY?

As mentioned earlier, keyword selection is the most important as it helps to drive high-value prospects to your site by identifying the optimal keywords. When publishing content such as a blog post or even a white-paper, you should consider the keywords for which you want to rank. Your SEO efforts also constitute a great user experience for your web visitors. This means that your visitors will be shown exactly what they are searching for. In simple words, you are the answer to their question. 

So what affects your search ranking?

1. Competitiveness of the keyword
2. On-Page optimisation
3. Off-Page factors indicating authority

WHAT?

You should always use the language your customers use when describing a problem which you solve. Review the search volume for the right keywords that receive a reasonably high number of monthly searches. Make use of your existing website traffic to learn what keywords your visitors are using to find your best content. Also, use high intent keywords which will bring the right prospects to your website.

WHEN?

When selecting keywords, group them into topics.

1. Find keywords associated with your topic that co-exist on your top-ranking pages
2. Organise these keywords into high-level topics surrounding the services your company offers
3. Map these keywords to answer the buyer’s questions

Ranking for broad keywords may not be the best idea. So you should target long-tail phrases which have less competition to accelerate lead generation. 
Some quick tips

1. Punctuation doesn’t matter (email vs e-mail)
2. Stop words don’t matter (and, to, the)
3. Don’t use marketing jargon

WHICH?

As shared earlier in the post, there are many tools out there to help you with selecting the right keywords.
However, here is a list of free keyword tools you may use.

1. Google Ads Keyword Planner
2. Google Search Console
3. Google Trends
4. Google Autocomplete

WHERE?

So where should you use your keywords on your website? One word: EVERYWHERE! 
You should optimise all your web pages, microsites, and blog content or articles with relevant keywords. Ensure to use the keywords on your profile for all your social channels as well.

HOW?

The goal is to improve the level of engagement and interest in web pages to reduce bounce rates. 
Here is some bite-site information for you to takeaway.

1. Ensure each page focuses on the keywords related to your topic
2. Emphasise your headings in the 1st paragraph, at the beginning of a sentence, in bold and bulleted lists.
3. Include keywords in <H1> Heading and <H2> Subheadings
4. Ensure that your title tags include keywords
5. Create internal links using keywords
6. Use keywords in your meta descriptions
7. Use “alt text” field to tag images with keywords

Now, let me bring you back to the point mentioned at the start of the post. “If search engines can’t find your content, people won’t be able to either.” When it comes to SEO, you want to be clear about what your business and content is about. Ranking for highly relevant keywords means you are focusing on a more targeted audience. They are more likely to stick around and convert into a lead, which is critical for many businesses today. 

Here are some SEO related posts which may also interest you.
1. Understanding How Social Media Impacts SEO
2. Is A Good Meta Description Important For Your SEO?
3. The Best Hacks for Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
4. The 6 Best Tips to Generate Leads using SEO

Also, do watch our webinar about the future of content strategy through SEO here: