3 Essential Keyword Research Tips

Keyword research is arguably the most vital portion of an SEO campaign. Regardless of how many links you’re building, the size of your website, or the nature of your business, if you base your campaign around weak or irrelevant keywords, you’re likely to not maximize your success.

The reasoning behind why keywords are so important is simple. SEO campaigns are targeted towards exact key phrases people search in Google. For example, if you have a law firm based out of Dallas, Texas specializing in personal injury, then you would optimize your website and link building strategy with an EXACT key phrase such as “Dallas Personal Injury Lawyer”. The search volume and competition for that particular EXACT keyword may be different than “Personal Injury Lawyer in Dallas Texas”. If you choose a keyword with less traffic and more competition, then the success and cost of your SEO campaign may vary drastically.

In help improve your keyword research, here are some good tips to keep in mind:

• There are three types of keywords used in search engines. These are broad, phrase, and exact match types. Broad match types are keywords that will appear in ANY search results that include the keyword anywhere in the query. For example, if you search for ‘best personal injury lawyer’, and your keyword is ‘best lawyer’, this would be considered a search for that keyword. A phrase match keyword includes any search query that includes the keyword in its entirety, but can include any other term. So, for example, the keyword ‘best lawyer’ would be included in a search query like ‘best lawyer in Houston’. An exact match keyword only includes search queries that include the EXACT keyword you’re researching. The only search results figures you would get are those that involve ‘best lawyer’, with nothing in front, after, or in between. It’s usually recommended to ‘exact’ match when doing SEO-related keyword research, in order to get the most accurate representation of probably traffic. However, it may be OK to use ‘phrase’ match sometimes, in order to account for any extra traffic you may get in the case that you rank for keywords similar to ones you build for.
• Consider keywords that will bring you the most TARGETED traffic, rather than the most traffic. It may be tempting to go after a keyword such as “personal injury” because it has 10x more traffic than more narrow keywords. However, consider how many people searching for that term are looking for a lawyer, let alone one in the Dallas, Texas area. Words that use local and industry terms may bring in less traffic, but bring you the right kind of traffic. In addition, more narrow terms are usually less competitive and therefore easier to dominate in the search engines.
• Use a keyword analysis tool to get a better understanding of keyword search volume and competition. There are great tools available to users, such as the official Google Keyword Tool, or third party applications like Market Samurai. While some third party tools are not free, they offer a great visual represetation of a lot of data that helps you make informed decisions about keyword research. The more efficient your research is, the more likely you’ll choose better keywords.

While these tips only provide a small insight into the complex world of keyword research, they are essential in making sure you do things correctly. In the end, keyword research is something that improves with time. However, if you’re just getting started, it’s important to be patient and take your time. Make sure all the data you need is in front of you, and choose wisely.