In the digital marketing world, one of the most critical factors for success is choosing the best keyword for your business. The best keywords attract traffic, convert that traffic to leads, and leads to sales? But how do you find it? In this blog, we will take you through the critical stages of choosing the most suitable keyword for your company, making sure they give their best outcomes.
What is a Keyword in SEO?
Keywords are words or phrases that users enter into search engines when looking for specific information, products, or services. Search engines use these keywords to understand the content of web pages and match users with relevant results. In SEO, finding the right keyword means understanding the terms your target audience is using, and optimising your content accordingly.
Example: For a social media marketing firm, keywords like “social media management,” “Facebook advertising services,” or “Instagram growth strategies” could be top contenders. But it’s important to go beyond the obvious, many factors influence which keyword will truly be the best.
A. Relevance is Key
The best keyword should always be relevant to your business and your offerings. If you’re a social media marketing firm, targeting keywords like “social media strategy” or “content marketing” is much more effective than targeting general terms like “marketing.” Relevance ensures that the visitors you attract through search are interested in what you have to offer, increasing the chances of conversions.
Example:
A social media marketing firm might focus on “Instagram marketing services” if they specialise in helping brands grow on Instagram. By targeting such specific and relevant terms, they ensure their audience finds exactly what they’re looking for.
B. Search Volume: The Balance Between Popularity and Competition
Search volume refers to the number of searches a keyword receives each month. High search volume keywords (like “social media marketing”) might seem tempting, but they also come with stiff competition. On the other hand, low search volume keywords may not drive enough traffic. Finding the sweet spot means identifying keywords that have moderate search volume with manageable competition.
Example: A social media marketing firm based in New York discovers that “New York social media marketing agency” has a decent search volume but less competition, that keyword may prove more fruitful than a generic one like “social media marketing.”
C. Long-Tail Keywords: Specificity Brings Better Conversions
Long-tail keywords are longer, more specific phrases that typically have lower search volume but higher conversion potential. While “social media marketing” is a broad keyword, a long-tail version like “affordable social media marketing services for small businesses” is more specific and likely to attract qualified leads.
Long-tail keywords allow you to capture highly targeted traffic that is more likely to convert into customers because the searchers are often closer to making a purchasing decision.
Example: A social media marketing firm targeting small business owners might choose a keyword like “social media marketing services for startups.” It’s specific, has less competition, and directly appeals to their ideal clients.
D. Search Intent: What Are Users Looking For?
Understanding search intent is vital for selecting the best keyword. Search intent refers to the purpose behind a search query. Is the user looking to buy something, find information, or just browse? There are four main types of search intent:
- Navigational: The user is looking for a specific website (e.g. Facebook login).
- Informational: The user wants to learn more about a topic (e.g.What is social media marketing?).
- Transactional: The user is ready to make a purchase (e.g.buy social media marketing services).
- Commercial Investigation: The user is researching options before buying (e.g.best social media marketing agency).
To identify the best keyword, you must match the search intent with your goals. A firm that wants to attract potential clients ready to make a purchase should prioritise transactional and commercial investigation keywords, such as “hire social media manager” or “best social media marketing firm.”
E. Competitor Analysis: Learn from the Competition
Competitor analysis is a valuable step in keyword research. Look at the keywords your competitors are ranking for, especially those with high search volume and low competition.
Example: A social media marketing firm could analyse competitors like Sprout Social or Buffer to see which keywords they’re ranking for. If Buffer is dominating the keyword “social media scheduling tool,” it may make sense to target similar but more niche keywords like “affordable social media scheduling services for small businesses.”
F. Local SEO: Targeting Location-Based Keywords
Local SEO plays a significant role for those businesses that are located in a particular region such as India and wish to target customers in that region. This is because local SEO Keywords are normally a combination of the service and the location.
Example: Digital marketing agency in Mumbai’, or ‘Catering services in Delhi’. Such kinds of keywords are very essential for the businesses as they intend to get the nearby possible clients.
G. Trends and Seasonal Keywords
It’s essential to stay updated with industry trends and seasonal changes that may affect keyword relevance. Tools like Google Trends can help you identify trending keywords related to your industry.
Example: Holiday social media campaigns” could be a great keyword for a social media marketing firm to target around the holiday season when businesses are looking for ways to boost their marketing efforts.
Real-Life Reference:
Every year, businesses adapt to new trends. For example, in 2020, the keyword “remote social media marketing” saw a spike due to the pandemic. Firms that adapted their strategies and content to include trending keywords benefited from increased traffic.
How to Use These Keywords in Your Strategy
- On-Page SEO: Use the chosen keywords in your title tags, meta descriptions, headers, and throughout your content. Ensure they fit naturally and provide value to the reader.
- Content Creation: Build blogs, case studies, and videos around these keywords. For example, a blog titled “Top Social Media Marketing Strategies for Small Businesses” would target a long-tail keyword.
- Off-Page SEO: Use your keywords in guest posts, press releases, and link-building efforts.
- Local Listings: Ensure your business is listed in local directories using location-based keywords.
Conclusion
Determining the best keyword for your business is not simply based on the word with the highest search volume. This involves clearly identifying your target market, determining search intentions, researching competitors, and striking a balance between relevance and competition. Whether you’re a bespoke SMM company or any other kind of business, thorough research on keywords, including the best business keywords for your industry, is fundamental to the long-lasting success of your website’s search engine optimization process.
