KEYWORD RESEARCH & SEO
Keywords : A Beginners Guide on how to do Keyword Research for SEO
While all the social platforms keep updating how they rank our content, one thing that has stayed pretty consistent is ranking keywords. This means that for you as a small business owner, keyword research needs to be one of your main priorities before you start creating and posting content.
Keywords - what are they?
Put simply, keyword research is all about finding out what terms or words your target audience is putting into search engines like Ecosia or Google to find businesses like you – or your competitors.
By finding out what these keywords are and then using these keywords in your website content – on your different pages, from the home landing page to FAQ pages. You can make sure your website is ‘search engine optimised’ (SEO).
Keywords and SEO
SEO is a term you are going to hear thrown around a lot. It’s a term that professional marketers (like myself) are always throwing around. But what does it actually mean?
When you create content (websites or blog posts etc.) that is SEO, it basically means that you have created content that search engines will deem valuable to the audience – i.e., the person searching the terms on Google.
How to Use Keywords For Your Business
If you have an operation targeting first-time skiers in a specific resort – La Plagne, for example. You might want people to find you when they enter questions like the following into Google:
“Is La Plagne good for beginner skiers?”
So, how can you do this? The answer, Keyword research. Keyword research can prove very helpful in making sure that the content you are creating is actually of importance to your audience – your potential clients. Remember, you can create lots of content – blog posts, Instagram imagery, Facebook posts, etc. But if the messages are not on topics of interest to your audience and clients, there is no value to them strategically.
You need to get strategic. This brings me back to research.
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Keyword Research Top Tips
1 List All The Terms Of Interest Around Your Small Business.
Think of it as a funnel. First, you will come up with 5 – 10 quite generic themes, which you can then break down into more specific – and therefore more attractive to your target audience – topics. For example:
For a business targeting first-time skiers in La Plagne, you might start off with topics like:
- La Plagne
- Beginner Skiers / First-time skiers
- Non-skiing activities
- Beginner ski lessons
2 Get Specific
Now you’ve got a list of the generic terms surrounding your operation, you can begin to drop down into the funnel by researching these keywords. So take the top term of ‘La Plagne” and brainstorm some ideas around this topic. You can quickly begin to funnel down each topic to provide you with lots of search terms such as :
- Plagne Centre, Plagne 1800, Belle Plagne, Plagne Bellecôte etc
- La Plagne Centre Ski shops
- La Plagne Centre beginner ski lessons
- La Plagne Centre beginner ski instructors
- La Plagne Centre English speaking ski instructors
- La Plagne Centre English speaking beginner ski lessons
- La Plagne Centre English speaking ski instructors
- La Plagne Centre beginner ski instructors
- La Plagne Centre beginner ski lessons
- La Plagne Centre Ski shops
You can quickly see your original keywords can begin to turn into keyword PHRASES that you think are important to rank on in the SERPs (Search Engine Report Pages). And why are you doing this? Because these keyword phrases are the questions that your potential audience is likely to be typing into the Google search window.
You then need to repeat this activity for each of your broader generic topics. Very quickly, you will have a long list of topics you can begin to use to engage with your audience – and attract new clients.
3 – User Intent
What do I mean by this? Put yourself in the shoes of the person searching these terms and sense check the ideas you are coming up with. Words and phrases can have multiple or different meanings. For example: Beginner ski instructors.
Is the person searching for someone to teach a beginner to ski, OR is looking for people learning to become ski instructors? This simple example quickly shows you how important your content is around these phrases.
4 – Get Creative
You might have seen my Instagram post, which is simply “ Stop assuming you know best!” You might have a long list of beginner ski keyword search phrases, or you might not. But if you type some of them into Google, then scroll to the bottom of the results page, you’ll see some suggestions based on your original search term.
Keyword Research Tools
If you want to take your search to the next level – or perhaps are short of time – you can use some keyword research and SEO tools. These tools often have free options and then paid platforms, so they can be worth exploring as they might help you come up with ideas you would not have imagined on your own. For example, have a look at SEMrush or Ahrefs.
Jen's Top Tip
So there you go, a quick breakdown of how to do this yourself. Using keywords and phrases to build SEO content is an essential tool in your marketing toolbox. It is also something – that, while it might take up your time resources, can be done with little / no financial cost. Perfect for small businesses.
But of course, if you are looking for help, this is a service that a professional digital marketing person can provide. Working with a professional on topics like this means your resources are often used more efficiently. A digital marketing specialist will provide you with these keyword topics and phrases in a fraction of the time it might take you. Something to think about!
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