The term SEO is commonly used in the modern business world, but its meaning may be unclear.
SEO, short for Search Engine Optimization, assists you in determining the keywords and phrases that your intended audience is using when searching on Google, ensuring that your business is discoverable to them during their search.
Put simply, SEO is a method that assists in improving the visibility of your website or blog on Google’s search outcomes. This is achieved by selecting appropriate words known as “keywords” and selecting relevant topics to discuss.
Why is SEO so important?
It assists in determining how you can ensure your desired audience finds you in search results, ideally ranking at the top.
However, this is not the sole purpose. An SEO assessment also aids in identifying the search queries and topics of interest for your target audience. Utilizing this knowledge, you can develop more focused content that enhances audience engagement and subsequently boosts brand visibility.
When your website shows up on a page beyond the first one or lacks persuasive language in the description to encourage viewers to click, it is unlikely that potential clients will notice you. This is where SEO becomes important.
How to start your SEO analysis by choosing the right topics?
To start your research, the first step is to select a wide range of subjects relevant to your field. It is recommended to select from 5 to 10 topics for analysis.
By selecting topic categories, you can evaluate the search volume for them to determine how often people searched for them in the previous month. This information is vital as it indicates the relevance of the topic. A high number of search queries means that the theme is currently popular in the market.
If you want to know how often people search for your chosen topics, there are many tools available for this purpose. For example, the Keyword Ranking Checker Tool is a great tool to get the job done efficiently.
How to choose the right keywords?
Now that you’ve identified specific areas of interest, it’s important to include relevant keywords. Keywords are phrases and words that users enter into search engines when searching for information. Whenever you perform a search using a specific phrase or word, it is classified as a keyword. The difference between keywords and topics is that keywords are the actual phrases or words that people use when searching for content related to a chosen topic.
To begin this section of the analysis, it is recommended that you include relevant phrases related to the selected topics that you consider relevant. For example, if my company is Apple and the focus is on phones, these phrases might include “Apple iPhone 6” or “Apple iPhone camera quality.”
When it comes to choosing phrases, it is very important to consider user intent. What exactly were they looking for and why? By understanding this, you will be able to determine the most appropriate content for your customers based on the topics you choose.
For example, if a person searches for the term “iPhone”, it could refer to any model in the iPhone line. By analyzing the wording used, we can determine what exactly the client is looking for or interested in. When he enters “iPhone camera quality”, we understand that his interest does not revolve around a particular model, but rather the capabilities of the camera. This valuable information indicates that the quality of the camera is a decisive aspect for our customers in the broader topic of the iPhone. Therefore, we can use this data to improve our analysis.
After gaining some understanding of the user’s interests, it is important to gain a better understanding of their specific interests. One way to achieve this is to do keyword research and learn related terms, which is actually easier than expected! Just visit google.com and type in your subject, such as “iPhone camera”, and the search engine will display related queries. These related searches are keywords that were also searched by the people who searched for your original keyword. In my situation, here are the related search queries:
- iphone camera night mode
- iPhone camera live
- iphone camera review
- iphone camera settings
- iPhone camera settings
This indicates that among users of iPhone cameras, people have a strong interest in their capabilities and settings, especially for difficult shooting situations, such as at night. Therefore, it would be ideal to write an article detailing the features of the iPhone camera and its potential applications.
How to use the found keywords?
Once you understand the meaning and process of keyword research, it’s important to also consider the type of keywords you choose when making your final selection for optimal results.
We’ll take a look at each of the five main types of keywords, discussing them individually.
The most well-known type of keywords are called short tail keywords, also known as title keywords, which are three or fewer words. These keywords have a high search volume, but they also face stiff competition and the user’s search intent is often vague. For example, when someone searches for the word “phone”, they may be referring to an iPhone or a Samsung device, making it difficult to determine their exact intent. Because of this ambiguity, it is recommended that you use this type of keyword as the central topic of your entire article, website, or blog.
The next category consists of long tail keywords that are three or more words long. Because of their length, these keywords usually have lower search volume, resulting in fewer competitors using the same keyword. Unlike short tail keywords, long tail keywords provide a clear indication of the user’s search intent. As a result, they are especially useful for optimizing product pages and blog posts by directing stakeholders directly to relevant content. For example, if I type in the query “does the iPhone have a good camera” and I stumble upon a blog that discusses iPhones with excellent cameras, I’m more likely to stay on the page, read the blog, and interact with the website further. This probability is significantly higher than if I were just looking for “phones”, where my intent may not even be related to the quality of the camera.
Short-term fresh keywords refer to keywords that benefit from the latest trends or high levels of popularity. These keywords experience a sudden surge in search volume and popularity, often due to significant advertising efforts or online buzz. For example, when the Netflix series The Squid Game was released, the word became a new trending keyword due to the buzz around the show. However, it’s important to be careful when using such keywords, as their relevance and search volume decline once the initial hype subsides.
Unlike new keywords, long-term, evergreen keywords stay relevant for extended periods of time. They are especially suitable for detailed and informative articles or blogs that can be updated periodically. Because of their length, these keywords provide a clearer understanding of the user’s search intent. Although they require periodic updating of environmental information, they remain relevant. An example of such a keyword is “Search Engine Optimization”, which remains relevant for a significant period and is therefore useful to include in blog posts and articles.
Summary
To conduct an SEO Analysis, it is crucial to establish the intended recipients of your message. Given that it is impractical to reach the entire population with a single post, it becomes essential to first determine the specific demographic that your post is catered towards. These target audiences can be defined by characteristics such as age, gender, location, interests, and more.
Afterward, it is important to consider the subjects you wish to prioritize. Now that we have identified our intended audience, we should contemplate topics that will capture their attention, while also being within our own capabilities to write about. For instance, if the intended audience comprises bankers, a topic like the fluctuation of interest rates could be of great interest to them.
You will first need to brainstorm keywords related to the chosen topic. If you are unable to think of any, feel free to use Keyword Ranking Checker Tool to search for your topic or keywords. The next step is to conduct research on the keywords you have selected.
After compiling a lengthy inventory of keywords, it becomes crucial to choose the most suitable ones as it is impractical to incorporate every single keyword into your text.
To begin with, the last stage involves commencing the writing process. When you have carefully selected a suitable topic for your intended readership and have identified keywords that receive a high number of searches each month, you are fully prepared to commence the writing endeavor. Simply incorporate your chosen keywords seamlessly within your written content, and you will be all set to publish it!