Understanding Keyword Research

When it comes to SEO, web page ranking is everything. But unfortunately, web pages can't rank themselves. There are many components that go behind the ranking of a web page like on-page search engine optimization and domain authority. One of the biggest factors to consider is keyword research. Defined, it is essentially the research of finding single words and phrases that are known as SEO keywords.

Keywords can be anything that revolves around a central topic. For example, if you are writing a blog post about how to play the piano, you would use keywords such as "Piano" or "Easy chords to learn." Understanding which keywords to use is the first step you should take in creating any form of content. This is where research comes in. Here are some of the best practices to use when conducting keyword research.

How It’s Done

In order to conduct successful keyword research, you must understand what your users and audience want and need. You must know who your customers are and what their focus is. To start, you can create specific questions centered around your main topic based on what you want your searches to be. For example, if your main topic is about how to make a steak, you would ask questions such as "Who is searching about steak?" or "How are people searching about steak?" This gives you a better idea of how your users take in information or how they find it.

Next, you want to make a list of relevant topics regarding your central subject. Still using steaks as an example, relevant topics could include grilling, types of meat, and even temperatures. By coming up with a group of topics, you get a better understanding of how information is found online for specific subjects. Following this, look up research-related search queries. These are done by going onto any search engines such as Google or Bing and looking up related search terms centered around your central subject.

Once you've made a list of relevant topics and you've researched related search queries, you will want to explore your competitor's keyword research. This gives you a better understanding not only of your competitor but of how keyword research changes from topic to topic. Researching the keywords that are used by your competitors will help you stay one step ahead of all your competitors.

Types Of Keywords

Not all keywords are created equal. There are three specific types of keywords that you should focus on when creating your search list:

• Short-tail keywords. Also known as head or generic keywords, there are relatively short terms (usually one or two words) that are very broad. Usually, these have a high volume of search traffic, making them very competitive to rank for.
• Medium-tail keywords. These keywords are slightly longer compared to short-tail terms, usually 3-4 words. While they are more specific, they also have more search volume than long-tail terms.
• Long-tail keywords. These consist of 4 or more words and are very targeted to a specific target or audience. They have the lowest amount of search traffic, but there is also less competition and higher conversion rates.

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