Keywords are a quick way for people to find you. They help your product or service show up in searches.
If talks of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and keywords make your head spin, you’re not alone. Many business owners prefer to leave this in the hands of experts. However, it’s always helpful to have a general idea of what keywords are and how they can help your business.
Here are 6 tips for demystifying keywords – what they are and why they’re important.
What is a keyword?
Let’s start with the basics. Put simply, a keyword is a word or term that people use when searching for something online. For example, maybe someone is interested in buying a jacket. They might type “mens leather jacket” into the Google search bar and poof, Google spits out its best estimated results on what you’re looking for.
Now you know what a keyword is. Feel free to bring it up at a fancy dinner party. People love those kind of factoids when they’re eating a steak.
Why are keywords important?
Keywords are important because they instantly provide a connection between what a customer is searching for, and your product or service. Think of the keyword as bridging the gap between your product and the person who wants it. They help search engines to know what your content is all about and help to connect that content with your intended audience.
Bob want. Bob search. Bob find. Bob happy.
How do I know which keywords to use?
Put yourself in your potential customer’s shoes. What would they type into Google when looking for a product or service you offer? Think about the words or phrases they would use when searching for something that solves their problem. Or use your own search experiences. Think back to the last thing you searched for on Amazon or Google. What words did you use?
Hopefully you searched for Banana Slicer Reviews because that would provide you with hours of entertaining results.
How many keywords do you need?
This can vary based on what you’re providing to your customers. For example, are you selling a product or service that can be summed up in one word or short phrase? On your homepage there should be three to four keywords minimum referencing those. This can be broken down into one main keyword and a handful of related keywords.
How many keywords per page?
Each page of your website should use three to five keywords but make them specific to that page so each webpage can be individually optimized. To find the right sub-keywords for your page, think about what you offer to your audience and what you want to focus on.
For example, at Uribe Creative we’re focused on helping businesses with branding and digital marketing. So you better believe we’re using those keywords intentionally.
How do I track keywords / rankings?
There are many different software systems to help you track your keywords. You can use SEMrush, Ahrefs, Moz, or Serpfox. Tracking keywords is important because it allows you to see which keywords aren’t doing well and which ones are bringing in the most potential customers. Identifying the best phrases based on tracking research will help you develop a solid SEO strategy, especially if you’re activating Pay-Per-Click (PPC) ads.
A few well placed keywords in your website could make all the difference for your business. Take some time to develop them for your website.
Need some help?
If the idea of keywords and SEO still makes you want to head for the hills, it may be time to activate some SEO support. Schedule a strategy call to see if we’re a good fit to help you reach your website and business objectives.
