Using SEO Keywords to Increase Traffic to Your Website

No matter what kind of business you have or how long you’ve been in business, it is most likely you’ve heard that you must optimize your website with keywords for a strong  SEO strategy.  But what exactly does all that mean and how does it relate to business?  More importantly, how does it relate to your business? We will help break down the ins and outs of keywords and the benefit they have for growing your business. 

What Exactly Are Keywords

Keywords are just that – “key words”. Okay, we know that is only semi-helpful, but let’s expand on that a little.   Keywords are the words you will add to the text in your website that will match up to the same words someone types into the search bar on the internet.  They are the words that help search engines know what a specific page is all about.  Keywords should lead people to your website, which in turn can lead to increased sales or requests for more information. If your website is about dogs, then your keywords should be dog and dogs.  Simple enough, right? However, there’s a little more to the keyword equation.   

Keyword Research Invites People to Your Webpage

Keyword research is the process of finding and analyzing the search terms (the topics) that people type into the search bar. They’re obviously searching for something specific.  That means your keywords need to match up to their specific searches.  Spending time researching what your audience is searching for will help pull your page up higher in the rankings.  In other words, those keywords will help users find your page.  

Here’s an example:

If your website is about electronic dog collars but you only mention dog collars (not electronic), then you’re going to miss out on potential buyers searching for “electronic dog collars”.  Another way to look at it is when you invite a friend to lunch, but you never tell your friend where to meet you.  Guess what – they’re not going to find you.  The same is true with keywords if they’re not used properly, or perhaps not at all. Keywords are the invitation you send out to millions of internet users through your written content.

Are Keywords just putting Keywords in your content?

The simple answer is yes, although we now need to talk about content.  About 10 years ago, website managers were stuffing keywords everywhere in their content.  Makes sense, right? The problem, though, is that keywords were scattered into poorly written content.  When users found these pages they not only discovered web pages were poorly written, often the content wasn’t even relative to their search query.  

To account for that lack of quality content, search engines (think Google) became more advanced using their search algorithms to focus more on a contextual-based approach to web content.  That simply means quality content should match the searches by your targeted audience.   The power of keywords isn’t just on the word, but it’s in the context in which it is being presented. 

What about long-tail keywords?

This is where the keyword context plays an important role. Singular keywords are definitely a great start for optimization, but there is definitely power in phrases, aka long-tail keywords, that really pinpoint more targeted audiences.  Someone that types in “dog” or” dogs” for example would get results on tons of different niches or categories for dogs.  Being more specific, though, long-tail keywords really generate more interest such as, “best place to buy a dog costume”, or “best electronic dog collars”. The intent with long-tail keywords is more clearly defined, matches what your audience is looking for, and helps your site to rank higher in the SERP (search engine results page)

Overall, keywords are as much about your audience as they are about your content because you might describe what you offer in a slightly different way than what is being searched.  Creating keyword-rich content that ranks well organically should drive visitors to your website.  And when you stay on top of your keyword research, your website can have a high volume of search results each month.  You will discover the topics people care about, and assuming you use the right SEO tools or marketing agency, how popular those topics actually are among your audience. Plus having quality content gives site visitors a reason to return to your website often.  

To discover what influences your audiences or to learn how to incorporate a strong keyword strategy into your business, the Cazarin Interactive Marketing team can help you get started.  Reach out to chat with one of our team members, today!