Keyword research is a vital component of an effective SEO strategy and content marketing plan. Identifying and targeting relevant keywords allows you to optimize website content for search engines and connect with audiences actively looking for your offerings. This comprehensive guide outlines the key steps for researching target keywords and optimizing website content for improved findability and rankings.
Define your Goals and KPIs
Before starting keyword research, define your SEO and content marketing goals and key performance indicators (KPIs). What do you want to ultimately achieve? Common goals are:
- Increase organic website traffic
- Attract visitors from target regions/countries
- Generate more leads and revenue
- Rank for keywords in top 3-5 organic positions
- Build domain authority and brand visibility
Goals and KPIs give you something to benchmark results against when researching keywords and creating content.
Identify Seed Keywords
Seed keywords are the initial terms you’ll use to begin your research. Sources include:
- Branded and product keywords - Target your brand names, products, and internal terminology.
- Existing content and metadata - Find phrases to expand on from top pages.
- Related searches and autocomplete suggestions - Use Google suggestions for ideas.
- Industry terminology - Incorporate popular industry terms your audience uses.
- Competitor analysis - Review competitors’ keywords for inspiration.
- Keyword research tools - Leverage tools like Google Keyword Planner for early ideas.
Spend time compiling a thorough initial list from these sources. Cast a wide net at this stage before refining.
Perform In-Depth Keyword Research
With a sizeable list of seed keywords, feed them into research tools to find additional keyword variations and suggestions. Use tools like:
- Google Keyword Planner – for search volume data
- SEMrush – for keyword difficulty scores and search trends
- Ahrefs – for keyword difficulty metrics and search trends
- Moz Keyword Explorer – for search volume and related keywords
Analyze the data to identify low competition long tail keywords with decent search volume - these represent optimization opportunities. Export all keyword suggestions out of tools into spreadsheets or other software.
Categorize Keywords into Groups
Organize keywords into categories aligned to your website structure and content strategy. Ways to categorize include:
- By product/service line
- For local SEO keywords
- By type of customer persona
- By content pillar or category
- By buyer’s journey stages
This allows you to map keywords to relevant pages during optimization.
Analyze the Competitive Landscape
Evaluating the competitive landscape for your keywords is key. Assess the top 10 rankings and analyze:
- Types of content that perform best
- Whether local pack rankings appear
- Which sites rank highest
Ideally determine:
- The ranking pages and domains
- Quality backlinks driving rankings
- On-page optimization tactics used
- Metrics like domain authority and social engagement
SEO tools provide data on competitors’ optimization strategies. Identify strengths to emulate and gaps to fill.
Prioritize Target Keywords
With organized keywords, prioritize ones to focus on first based on:
- Search volume – higher volume keywords first
- Keyword difficulty – pursue keywords you can realistically rank for
- Conversion potential – align to products/services
- Optimization opportunities – build content for less competitive long tails
- Expected traffic value – target keywords that drive conversions
Have a manageable priority list so you can properly optimize for each term.
Conduct On-Page Optimization
Take prioritized keywords and optimize existing or new pages. On-page elements include:
Title Tags
Page title tags should:
- Be under 70 characters with spaces
- Incorporate your keyword phrase near the beginning
- Use compelling wording to attract clicks
Meta Descriptions
Meta descriptions entice searchers to click your result. Best practices:
- Naturally include keywords
- Use approximately 155 characters with spaces
- Add call-to-actions to improve click-through rate
Content
When adding or updating content, optimize for target keywords by:
- Including keywords in the first 100 words naturally
- Using keywords in H2 and H3 subheadings
- Adding long tail variations and synonyms throughout
- Maintaining a 1-3% keyword density
- Using scannable formatting like bullet points
Images
Optimize images by including target keywords in file names and alt text. Use descriptive names like “keyword-example-image.jpg”.
Internal Linking
Link relevant pages using anchor text with your keywords to reinforce relevancy.
Promote Your Content
Leverage social media, email, PPC and other channels to amplify new optimized content. This drives direct traffic.
Track Performance
Use keyword rank tracking and Google Analytics to monitor:
- Keyword positions over time
- Search traffic and conversions from rankings
- Top performing keywords driving results
Refine efforts based on highest performing keywords. SEO and content improvement is an iterative process.
A structured keyword research and optimization process takes time, but significantly increases organic traffic, leads, and conversions. By understanding user intent through keywords, you can create aligned, high-quality content. This alignment earns search engine trust over time, boosting domain authority and visibility. Dedicate resources to continuously improve your approach to keyword research and on-page optimization.