Keywords. You might not be quite sure what they are, but you’ve undoubtedly heard of them. Sometimes, they’re the bane of a digital marketer’s existence—but other times, they’re a business’ greatest ally in getting in front of the right consumers and answering their queries.
Whether you love or hate keyword research, finding and making the most of the right keywords is vital to the success of any brand’s SEO strategy. With countless other companies and agencies vying for the same consumers and targeting the same keywords, how can your brand utilize keywords to set itself apart from the competition? If your current keyword strategy isn’t giving you the results you want, and you’re out of ideas regarding ways to find new and improved keywords, this post is for you.
What Are SEO Keywords?
SEO keywords range from a single word to highly targeted longtail phrases. Writing SEO-friendly content involves strategically placing these keywords within your website, whether within landing pages, services pages, or blogs. Written out the way they would be causally spoken or typed into a search bar, keywords capitalize on calculated consumer intent and help search engines identify the most relevant content.
Why Keywords Are Still Important in 2019—and Beyond
Some marketers think keywords are quickly becoming obsolete due to Google’s efforts to remove keyword data from available analytics. Other factors contributing to this idea are new and evolving algorithms, like Rankbrain, and the continued rise of voice search. However, the theorized “death” of keywords only takes into account the adverse effects of advancements. In fact, adapting to these changes in digital marketing offers even more opportunities for keywords, particularly when it comes to evergreen content.
Evergreen Content
Optimized content that remains “fresh” long after its initial publication, evergreen content continues to attract search traffic and get clicks over time. Content like how-to guides, reviews, tips, and FAQs can quickly become evergreen content by providing lasting value to your niche consumer base. Adding keywords to your evergreen content increases its lifespan, continually steering traffic to your website.
The Struggle of Determining Unique Keywords
Many search marketers and SEO strategists make the same mistakes when it comes to their strategy for identifying keywords. If your brand hasn’t updated or expanded your list of SEO keywords in some time, is targeting popular keywords that every other agency is also using, or at worst, has only ever performed one round of keyword research, there’s a better way.
By making SEO keyword research an ongoing and regular part of your SEO strategy, you guarantee that your keywords will stay relevant and competitive. With so many agencies targeting the same consumer base—and using similar keywords as a result—standing out from the competition is essential to success. Thankfully, keyword search tools can help you identify which keywords are most useful, which are too difficult to even attempt ranking for, and even what terms could yield a high ROI if added to your existing strategy.
Our 4 Favorite Keyword Tools
Google Trends
Google Trends offers data analysis and invaluable insights about seasonal, location-specific, and search-related trends. When a term is plugged into the search bar, results show interest in the given word over time, and by geographical sub-location. This tool also shows related topics and similar search queries. This information can help you identify popular terms that are missing from your keyword strategy or words that are being overused. No matter the type of data you choose to collect, we’re sure you’ll find this tool useful.
Google Keyword Planner
Another free tool provided by Google, called Keyword Planner, helps brands place their ads in front of their ideal audience using the most reliable keywords. Once you login using your Google Ads account, this tool assists in finding new keywords. When you input your existing keywords or landing page URL, suggested and related keywords will be shown as results. These options can identify new or potential keywords to add to your arsenal, making this a particularly useful tool for PPC and SEO strategies.
SEMrush
Your new best friend when it comes to competitive SEO research, SEMrush produces the 5-10 specific keywords that your competitors are using. This tool doesn’t suggest which keywords would be useful to incorporate into your strategy, but you can use it to identify competitive keywords that you should just avoid.
KWfinder
Designed independently from Google, Mangool’s KWfinder is the only tool on our list that requires a small fee ($80 annually) to gain access. With many useful features like detailed keyword statistics, SERP overviews, and refined keyword suggestions, KWfinder’s many search categories and accurate results are more than worth the cost.
Own Your SEO With Snap
While our SEO tips and favorite keyword tools will go a long way in helping your brand build a reliable list of strong keywords, partnering with experienced SEO specialists guarantees an increase in the visibility of your site and the value of its content. At Snap, we understand that SEO strategy is far from a one-size-fits-all solution, and we’re eager to work with you to build a keyword strategy unique to your brand. Contact us to learn more about what we can bring to your marketing strategy.