You’ve got a product or service to sell. You’ve got a website. You’re ready to serve hundreds of customers. But where are they, and why is no one visiting your website? Out of many possible reasons, your Keyword research (or lack thereof) could be to blame.

Keyword research involves analysing the search terms that people are entering into search engines so that you can provide a solution to a problem.

In basic terms, you have to find out what people want and then deliver it with strategic use of words. Sounds simple, right? It can be, but only if you know what you’re trying to achieve.

Read on to learn the importance of keyword research and how you can incorporate it into your business.  

Have a Targeting Strategy

Without having a strategy regarding keyword research, you’re flying blind. Think about the people you are trying to attract and what you are trying to sell them. Who are they? What do they want? What are they searching for online? By knowing who your target audience is, you can establish a set of Keywords that you can naturally incorporate into your website.

When you work with a search engine optimisation company, you can design a persona to help define your targeting strategy. A persona is a fictional character, but one that’s based on your ideal customer.

This persona incorporates who that person is, what their goals are, and what their barriers are. Once you know who you are trying to attract, you can begin to understand the kinds of words and phrases your site needs to have to draw them in for a closer look.

Without this vital step, you and your chosen SEO company can waste a significant amount of time and effort optimising your site for keywords that are irrelevant to your website and offerings.

Keyword Research for Content Creation

As you now know, carrying out keyword analysis can show you what people are searching for. That’s helpful, but then you need to make sure you’re giving them the things they are searching for.

For example, if someone is looking for a Digital Marketing company in Auckland, then produce content on your site that addresses that search. You can achieve this through site content and blog posts featuring information on you as a digital marketing company in Auckland, the services you offer, and who you can help.

Now, when people search for a digital marketing company in Auckland, you’ve got a solution ready and waiting for your target market to discover.

Get into the Nitty-Gritty of Keyword Research

Simply having a single word that people might search for isn’t enough to impact the click-through rate or Return on Investment (ROI) of your organic search strategy. Let’s say you sell shoes, along with hundreds of other businesses and companies in New Zealand.  

For example, if you are a specialist shoe etailer, then creating content with generic “shoes” as your primary keyword may not help you achieve the results you desire. Instead, it’s worth talking to your local SEO expert about long-tail keywords.

Long-tail keywords are more specific key phrases or keywords that can often receive less traffic but have a higher conversion rate. Someone looking for shoes may only be browsing, but someone looking for “women’s brown leather cowboy boots” has something very particular in mind.

With fewer businesses competing for that keyword, you may find yourself front and centre, ready to handle inquiries for that kind of footwear and generating a lot of sales.

And What About Location?

Alongside descriptive keywords, you can also focus on location-based keywords. These are words and phrases that help you to rank for a specific town, city, region, or country.

For example, a shoe retailer may like to research the popularity of “shoe shops in Ponsonby, Auckland,” as opposed to “shoe shops” on its own. The more detailed you can be naturally, the better your chances of appealing to your target market.

Choosing the Best SEO Provider

Believe it or not, your success with online sales can come down to who you choose to help with your digital marketing strategy and SEO. In this situation, the adage of if it seems too good to be true, then it probably is, comes into play.

Cheap SEO providers may rush the keywords research process, or even outsource it to contractors who don’t know your area or even your country. Rushing this crucial process can undermine the results you are seeking, and can even have a detrimental impact on your search engine ranking.

When you’re looking for an SEO company to help with keyword research, then find one that offers the full package. A marketing agency that puts time and effort into developing a persona can have a surprising effect on your online presence.