Keywords are the words and combinations of words used by Internet surfers when searching for information on any particular subject. They can also be used to provide an overall indication of what an article or document discusses. Keyword optimization is the practice of chosing the words you want to be found for and using them in the proper fashion on your website.
Search engines have become a popular first stop for most business purchasers interested in buying a product or service and looking for more information. Because this medium is such a popular tool for businesses, it is important that your business not only be found in these searches but be ranked highly in the search results. The better your ranking is the more likely it will be that you receive traffic from those who are looking for what you have to offer. Choosing proper keywords for your site may be the most important SEO work you can do and is essential to all SEO efforts.The more search terms and frequency of terms, the better. The right keywords will ensure that your business ranks high in the results for the most common terms that people search for.
Things to Remember:
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You have to get on the first or second page of search results.
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Shorter search phrases are searched for more often.
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It is usually more difficult to get ranked on the first or second page for popular searches.
1. Create a Keyword List
First, brainstorm 3-5 words that could be potential search phrases that consumers might use to find your business or a similar business. Being equipped with numerous phrases allows you the ability to compare them to each other in order to discover the most effective.
Next, use a keyword tool to gauge how effective your phrase is in relation to your business. It is important to discover related search terms as well as how frequently they’re searched for. One like Google’s Keyword Tool will help you generate keyword ideas or filter keyword categories.
2. Combine and Analyze Your Results
Keep track of the keyword tool results that you find in a spreadsheet. After you search 2-3 of your key phrases you should have enough results to analyze and put to use. In order to find ideal keywords to apply to your business you need to figure out which ones are most effective.
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Score each term on relevance to your business: A scale of 1 to 5 can be very effective
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Score the terms by the number of searches
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Find the best search keywords: Look for frequency and relevance
3. Pick Your Keywords and Use Them On Your Website
At the end of your analysis you should have 3-5 individual keywords as well as phrases that will be effective when used on your business’ website. You can use these keywords on your web site's page titles, URLS, meta data, and text on the pages themselves.
In Summary
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Your business should strive to rank highly in search results and be found frequently
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The shorter the keyword phrase, the better
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Brainstorm a list of related keywords
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Test those keywords with a keyword tool
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Analyze results by finding the most effective and relevant
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Choose keywords wisely
Rick Kranz is a Video Marketing and Inbound Marketing Strategist. He is the President of OverGo Studio, a NY based firm specializing in Online Video Marketing and Inbound Marketing Techniques.
