What Is Keyword Research?

What is keyword research and why is it important?

There are 1.6 billion websites online (and counting). That’s how many sites search engines like Google must crawl every time someone enters a keyword in the search field.

The search engine scans millions of websites in seconds and compiles a list of sites that are relevant for the person to consider. This shortlist is known as the SERP (Search Engine Result Page). If you don’t make it to the top, you are out of the game.

But how do search engines decide which sites to display?

Search engines are designed to deliver the best results to users. With so many websites online, it is important that they have a well-organised filing system.

Search engines send clever little bots out to crawl a website or page when it is published online. They are looking for keywords or search terms in the content so that they can file the page under that term.

The search engine then consults its index to display a list of relevant sites when someone searches for the phrase. This is known as your website’s ‘ranking’.

What is a keyword?

A keyword is a combination of words that people use to search engines for information, e.g. “Adidas running shoes” or “Web Design Alfreton“.

These phrases form the basis for all organic traffic (unpaid) via search engines. Google alone processes over 40,000 queries per second so it is crucial that you are on the right list for the correct keyword.

Keyword research is a crucial part of any SEO strategy. It involves identifying the keywords you want to rank for.

What is keyword research?

Keyword research can be extremely valuable and yield significant returns if done properly. This is more than just guessing what your target customer might be searching for.

Keyword research is the process of carefully selecting and analysing the best phrases for your website to rank well and appear in front of relevant people.

Choosing the right keywords

A holistic approach is required to create the keyword list you want to rank for.

First, understand your current position. How do these terms rank? These are the most relevant keywords? It is important to determine if you need to increase your rank or modify the keyword focus for your content.

You must get to know your target consumer and anticipate their needs.

People will search for different things at each stage of the buying process. These keywords can be used to increase traffic to your website by putting yourself in the shoes of potential buyers and anticipating their needs.