You’ve just written an article. And you think it’s pretty good. But is it fit to compete with the millions of other articles in Google’s index on the same topic?

In this post, I’ll explain how to boost your articles to be the most relevant for a person’s search on the topic.

Read to learn:

• What Is an SEO Article?
• Why Should You Write an SEO Article?
  1. Web Content Is Why Google Exists
  2. Google’s Algorithm Is Getting Smarter, but Still Needs Help
  3. Being Found for a Search Can Impact Your Revenue
  4. Establish Your Expertise and Authority on a Topic
  5. Delight Your Audience
  6. Beat Your Competition in the Search Results
• How Do You Write an SEO Article? 7 Key Steps
  • Step 1. Define the Document Specs
  • Step 2. Research Keywords (aka Search Queries)
  • Step 3. Identify and Analyze the Competition
  • Step 4. Create Expertly Written Content
  • Step 5. Optimize the Content in Your SEO Article
  • Step 6. Review the Content
  • Step 7. Track the Content’s Performance
• Compete Better in the Search Results with Optimized Articles
• FAQ: How can an SEO article improve my website’s visibility and help it drive more organic traffic?

What Is an SEO Article?

An SEO article is a piece of written content, like a blog post, featured on your website as a page with a unique URL.

An SEO article educates, informs, and entertains your target audience with expertise and quality.

An SEO article is also optimized for search engines to have a better chance of getting on Page 1 of the search results.

Why Should You Write an SEO Article?

Here are six reasons why you should write an SEO article.

1. Web Content Is Why Google Exists

Webpages, including articles, are what search engines like Google store in their index.

When someone performs a search, the engine analyzes their query and matches it to the most relevant indexed items.

Without these webpages, Google would have nothing to show users in its search results.

2. Google’s Algorithm Is Getting Smarter, but Still Needs Help

An SEO article is optimized for search so that it can help search engines better understand what the topic is about (see Google’s Search Essentials for more on this).

This increases the chance it will be considered relevant to a query and show up in the top results.

3. Being Found for a Search Can Impact Your Revenue

The organic search channel drives more than 50% of traffic to a website on average (and up to 64% for B2Bs). Organic search is also responsible for up to 59% of revenue over other channels.

4. Establish Your Expertise and Authority on a Topic

Google places more value on websites with high expertise and authority, and a well-written article is one of the key ways to demonstrate this.

5. Delight Your Audience

SEO articles can result in things like return visits to your site, more time on your site viewing other content and conversions.

Creating compelling and useful content will likely influence your website more than any of the other factors discussed here.

Users know good content when they see it and will likely want to direct other users to it. This could be through blog posts, social media services, email, forums or other means. That can also translate to relevant links to your site, another SEO factor.

6. Beat Your Competition in the Search Results

A search-optimized article uses data to make it better. Find out what the top-ranked content is doing on the same topic. Then, you can meet or exceed it.

For more, see: SEO Should Beat the Competition, Not the Algorirhm.

How Do You Write an SEO Article? 7 Key Steps

To write an SEO article, follow these seven key steps:

Step 1. Define the Document Specs

At the top of your document, create a table with key details for new content. This table helps you organize all the details of a well-optimized article before you publish.

First, specify the basic article specs such as the topic, target keywords, meta title, meta description and URL.

You might add other things, too, like the date written, a place for notes about the content and anything else that is helpful to you and your teams.

You may not have all the information to fill in this table upfront, but it’s there to populate as you go along in the process.

Step 2. Research Keywords (aka Search Queries)

What is your audience typing into Google’s search bar when looking for the info you have on your website?

In its SEO Starter Guide, Google explains the very basics of keyword research:

You want to have at least one primary search term you optimize your article with and up to two secondary keyword phrases.

Does that mean you have to use more than one? No. But it can be an advanced strategy for some.

For more, check out:

• Our free keyword suggestion tool to get started.
• Our article on how to do keyword research for SEO.

Step 3. Identify and Analyze the Competition

Did you know your online competition is the top-ranked pages for your keywords? These are the webpages in which you are vying for attention in the search results.

Once you have your keywords, you can begin a competitive analysis. Using the right SEO tools — like our AI-powered content development suite at PreWriter.ai or the SEOToolSet® — you can find out which pages are ranking in the top spots on Google for your search query.

With PreWriter, you can research and structure your SEO article before writing by analyzing top-ranking pages. It gives you:

• A full-page analysis of the top search results for your keyword.
• Outlines based on content published by competitors to show you how to make it better.
• Keyword recommendations based on real search intent.
• Meta descriptions and related questions for more relevance.

And with the SEOToolSet, you can:

• Track keyword rankings over time.
• Look at top-ranking competitors to see how they optimize their content.
• Evaluate title tags, meta descriptions and keyword usage in competing pages.
• Assess readability and content length to match or improve content that performs best.

Remember that all of this is in real-time before or during the writing process, not after.

Step 4. Create Expertly Written Content

Google wants the top search results to have an element of expertise. That’s because Google wants its users to be satisfied with its results. Quality content keeps your audience happy, too.

That said, before you write an article, make sure you have at least one of the following:

• Subject matter expertise or a subject matter expert you can interview.
• Writing ability or a professional writer or editor.
• Tools to help with efficiency and optimization.

From Google’s helpful content documentation, Google recommends the following ways you can create quality content:

• Self-assess your content using their list of questions on quality and expertise.
• Provide a great page experience.
• Focus on people-first content.
• Avoid creating search engine-first content.
• Get to know E-E-A-T and the Search Quality Rater Guidelines.
• Ask “who, how and why” about your content.

Keeping Google’s guidelines in mind for writing quality, helpful content, you will now create the content.

How you create the content is up to you, but keep in mind it must pass the quality test no matter how it’s made.

Generative AI is helping many businesses create content. (You can check out our AI tool, PreWriter.ai.)

For those businesses that already have skilled writing pros, AI tools are helping them automate certain parts of the content creation process.

For other businesses that lack the in-house expertise of a writer, they are also relying on AI to draft content. But, you must be careful when going this route.

AI cannot replace human creativity, insight and experience — and Google knows this. In March 2024, Google unleashed new spam policies on AI-created content and many sites were penalized.

The bottom line is this: Just because we have AI as a tool, we should not view it as a replacement for talent.

We must keep our brand image and audience in mind, and make sure the content we create is still innovative.

So where does that leave businesses? No matter how you are using AI, there needs to be a system in place to preserve quality.

• Some businesses may prefer to have writers create the content but use AI to automate parts of the process, like outlines, research and editing.
• Other businesses might like to have Gen AI deliver first drafts, and then have subject matter experts edit the content for accuracy and impact.

I’ve written about this topic at length, and you can explore more here:

• Stress-Free Writing: How To Streamline Your Content Creation Process
• Crafting High-Quality SEO Content: A Comprehensive Guide
• The AI Content Quality Discussion: 7 Steps To Improve AI Content
• 3 ways to add a human touch to AI-generated content (Search Engine Land)
• How to survive the search results when you’re using AI tools for content (Search Engine Land)
• AI content creation: A beginner’s guide (Search Engine Land)

Step 5. Optimize the Content in Your SEO Article

At this point, you should have both the well-written article and your keywords. Now is the time to optimize.

It’s worth noting that an article will be naturally optimized when you write it. That’s because if you write enough (quality) words on a subject, the words you use will describe the content well.

So why optimize? To help your great content better compete in the search results.

Using specific keyword queries in your content tells Google that this piece of content is a better match to the query of the searcher than other content out there.

First, figure out how you can switch up a few words or phrases with your key terms.

Rule No. 1: Always make sure it reads well. Slapping your keywords in any old place without regard to grammar can make your article look spammy to Google and annoy readers.

In general, you want your keywords to be evenly distributed throughout the content from top to bottom.

For more on this, see:

• How to use keywords in content.
• Our always-up-to-date SEO checklist for more optimization ideas.
• Our article on optimizing page content.

Step 6. Review the Content

Next up — your SEO article needs to be reviewed and edited to make sure it’s written well, free of errors and follows Google’s guidelines before you publish. How this process looks will depend the size of your company and/or circumstances.

An important thing to keep in mind: if you decide to publish guest posts on your site, hold the content to the same standards you would as if you made it in-house. Substandard content can hurt your site quality.

For example, guest posts done wrong can cause a site to get hit with a manual penalty by Google.

Step 7. Track the Content’s Performance

Writing an SEO article is not a set-it-and-forget-it approach. You will want to track the performance of that article and learn from the data.

You can see how an SEO article is performing in search by using Google Analytics. You’ll want to look at things like:

• The number of page views.
• Average time on page.
• What queries are bringing search traffic to that SEO article.

With this data, you can:

• Learn what’s working and not working in comparison with your other SEO articles.
• Update the content with new, more relevant keywords.

Compete Better in the Search Results with Optimized Articles

An SEO article is a quality, search-optimized article written for readers and search engines. Optimized articles have a better chance of ranking higher and bringing in more qualified web traffic.

Follow the steps we’ve discussed, and you’ll win over your readers and search engines in no time.

Our SEO experts can help you create high-quality, optimized content that outperforms your competitors.

FAQ: How can an SEO article improve my website’s visibility and help it drive more organic traffic?

SEO articles have a ton of benefits. They give value to your audience with helpful information, establish you as an expert in your niche, and when done right, they bring in more leads, customers, sales and revenue. Include SEO articles in your marketing strategy if you want more online visibility and traffic.

Start by doing keyword research to learn what your audience is searching for. Add those words throughout your content. Engaging articles keep people coming back for more and tell search engines you have quality material to offer.

Next, focus on on-page SEO. Optimize meta titles, descriptions and header tags to structure your content effectively. Consider including images, videos and infographics to increase engagement with readers.

Link building is key to increasing any website’s credibility and user experience — be sure to add new articles with timely information regularly to keep repeat visitors.

A mobile-friendly website makes users and search engines happy. Focus on making your website fast, and use secure connections for a better user experience.

SEO articles are an effective way to increase website visibility and drive organic traffic. Optimize them using the tips above to attract visitors who are likely to convert into long-term customers.

Step-by-Step Procedure

1. Determine who it is you wish to reach with your article.
2. Use tools like PreWriter.ai, SEOToolSet, Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs or Semrush to do keyword research.
3. Understand what it is your audience is searching for. Are they looking for information, comparisons, products, or services?
4. Look at the content your competitors are producing, specifically top-ranking articles.
5. Structure your content logically with clear sections.
6. Write a catchy title that uses keywords to draw readers in.
7. Draw in readers with an introduction that highlights their issues and gives them viable solutions.
8. Use keywords naturally throughout your content. Avoid keyword stuffing.
9. Your content should be written in short paragraphs. Include bullet points and bolded text to make important points stand out.
10. Internal links to relevant content on your site improves navigation and builds SEO value.
11. External links to authoritative sources gives your points more credibility.
12. Tell readers what to do next. Do they sign up? Buy something?
13. Write concise meta tags which contain keyword-rich meta titles and descriptions that include pertinent terms.
14. Use the correct heading tags (h1, h2, etc) to organize and structure your content.
15. Add alt text to your images.
16. Incorporate engaging elements like images, videos, infographics, etc.
17. Share your great content with your audience on social media.
18. Connect with industry influencers and bloggers to build authority through quality backlinks.
19. Refresh outdated content regularly.
20. Create a responsive design to optimize content for mobile users.
21. Reduce image file sizes and use caching techniques to make pages load faster.
22. Secure your site with SSL encryption to build trust.
23. Track rankings, traffic, engagement, and other performance metrics using Google Analytics and Search Console.
24. Frequently refine your content based on performance data and user feedback.

The post What Is an SEO Article? Why Should You Write One? And How? appeared first on Bruce Clay, Inc..

Excelling at keyword research is central to developing an effective SEO strategy. It’s also one of the biggest obstacles. More than simply selecting words, keyword research requires extensive exploration in the search results to uncover insights that show you how best to create relevant and engaging content.

So here in this article, we’ll go over what aspects of the search results to focus on while you’re doing keyword research.

1. User Intent: The Reason Behind the Search

As you gather and refine your keywords, you need to know the intent behind them. This ensures the content you create fulfills a person’s needs as they search on Google.

There are typically four buckets of user intent behind keywords:

• Informational intent: Users are looking for answers or learning something new. For example, “What is keyword research?”
• Navigational intent: They’re trying to find a specific brand or resource. For instance, “Google Keyword Planner.”
• Commercial intent: These people are nearly ready to buy, but want to compare products, for example, “Google Keyword Planner vs. SEOToolSet.”
• Transactional Intent: They’re ready to act, like making a purchase. For instance, “subscribe to SEOToolSet.”

The important step here is to analyze the content that ranks for your target keyword to confirm its intent.

If the top-ranking results are product pages but you’re creating a blog post, you might need to adjust your approach.

You can also consider gathering metrics, such as the target word count for that keyword based on the top-ranking pages.

2. Assess the Competition: Who’s Already Winning?

Ranking for a desired keyword entails evaluating your competitors. You have to understand who’s already ranking and what they’re doing to stay ahead.

• Assess content quality: What makes their content valuable? Is it detailed, user-friendly or visually engaging? For more, see my guide on crafting high-quality SEO content.
• Evaluate the domain: Do competitors have strong backlinks and a high level of trust? Check out my article on the site authority metric before you do this.
• Spot gaps: Can you offer deeper insights than your competition, update outdated information or target a specific niche they’ve overlooked?

Use tools like SEOToolSet®, Ahrefs, SEMrush or Moz to uncover competitors’ backlinks and identify gaps in their keyword strategies. I discuss this more at length in How to Do Competitor Research for SEO.

3. Leverage SERP Features: Beyond the Blue Links

The search engine results pages (SERPs) are rich with information during your keyword research.

The SERPs can give you additional ideas for keywords to target and help you better understand how you will structure your content strategy for a keyword.

For keyword research, you can look at the SERPs in areas such as:

• Google’s autocomplete feature.
• People Also Ask feature.
• Related Searches feature.
• People Also Search For feature.
• Discussions and forums results.

Then, you can use the SERP to analyze the SERP features that show up for a target keyword. (For a quick beginner’s guide, see What Are SERP Features and Why Should I Care?)

For example, are videos predominant in the SERPs for an important keyword? Make sure you’re making videos to answer that query.

Every SERP feature will have a unique strategy. There’s everything from AI Overviews to the Local Pack, Knowledge Panels, Image Carousels and more.

So you’ll need a thoughtful approach to ranking in the whole SERP, and you can learn more about that in my article, What Is a Whole-SERP SEO Strategy?

Final Thoughts

For better keyword research, use the SERPs to uncover the insights you need for a solid SEO content strategy.

When you understand user intent, evaluate your competition and leverage the many SERP features available, you can craft relevant content that ranks and resonates.

Read How To Do Keyword Research for SEO for more keyword research insights.

Don’t have the time to do keyword research? Lacking resources to build a content strategy? Let our SEO experts do the work for you.

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FAQ: How can I effectively use keyword research to identify gaps and opportunities in my competitors’ strategies?

Effective keyword research gives businesses a competitive edge online. It reveals what terms are sending traffic to your competitors’ website, and it shows you the areas where their content may be lacking. This is helpful information you can capitalize on. This process involves analyzing search volume, competition level and keyword intent to ensure alignment with user needs and search behaviors.

Staying ahead requires a keen understanding of competitor strategies. Investigating the keywords they leverage provides insights into their market positioning and audience targeting. More importantly, it unveils keywords and topics they overlook.

Focusing on these gaps allows you to produce content that addresses unmet needs while offering unique value, drawing people in while strengthening SEO efforts as a thought leader and resource in your industry.

The challenge lies in the saturation of popular keywords, where competition is fierce and cutting through the noise is difficult. However, resolving this issue involves a strategic shift towards long-tail keywords or niche phrases that offer lower competition yet significant value.

These keywords often indicate specific user intents, resulting in higher engagement and conversion rates when addressed effectively. By tailoring your content to meet these targeted needs, you can draw traffic away from competitors and establish a more prominent online presence.

Integrating emerging trends and technologies into your keyword strategy is also crucial. Utilizing AI-driven tools for keyword analysis can provide deeper insights into search patterns and competitor tactics.

These tools allow you to quickly identify shifts in consumer behavior, enabling you to modify your strategy proactively. Staying current with industry developments ensures your keywords stay relevant.

An experiential tip for optimizing your keyword research is to regularly conduct audits of your competitors’ performance. This involves tracking their keyword rankings, analyzing their content strategies, and monitoring their engagement levels.

By understanding what works for them and what doesn’t, you can refine your approach and implement advanced tactics that set your brand apart. Combining this with a robust SEO framework will solidify your strategy and drive sustained growth.

Achieving a nuanced understanding of keyword dynamics requires a multi-faceted approach. Engage in competitor analysis, utilize cutting-edge tools, and continuously refine your strategy based on performance data.

Step-by-Step Procedure

1. Establish Goals: Set clear objectives, whether it’s generating more traffic, earning higher search ranking or finding new markets.
2. Target Competitors: Focus your research efforts by making a list of competitors, both direct and indirect.
3. Keyword Research Tools: Use the right tools for keyword research, utilize advanced tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, SEOToolSet or PreWriter.ai.
4. Analyze Competitor Keywords: Note which keywords your competitors are ranking for, then look up their search volume, difficulty and click-through rates.
5. Find Content Gaps: Take note of topics or keywords unexplored by competitors that present opportunities for your content creation.
6. Assess Keyword Intent: Establish the intent behind each keyword.
7. Prioritize: Prioritize opportunities based on their impact, feasibility and how well they align with your business goals.
8. Content Strategy: Formulate a plan to produce content which addresses gaps while remaining search engine and user friendly.
9. Apply On-Page SEO Techniques: Take steps such as optimizing titles, meta descriptions and headers in order to enhance visibility for your content and make it more noticeable online.
10. Monitor Competitor Performance: Keep track of how competitors’ keyword rankings and content updates impact them so you can adjust your approach appropriately.
11. Focus on Long-Tail Keywords: Leverage long-tail keywords to take advantage of their lower competition and increased conversion potential, customizing content specifically to individual queries.
12. Acknowledging Emerging Trends: Remain aware of industry developments and integrate key words into your plan in order to remain competitive.
13. Conduct Audits Regularly: Assess your keyword strategy regularly to gauge its effectiveness. Tweak accordingly.
14. Engage With Your Audience: Engaging with your audience through social media will help you understanding what they’re interested in. You can build a list of targeted keywords With these insights.
15. Optimize for Voice Search: Use keywords that are conversational throughout your content. Staying current on voice search trends will help.
16. AI Tools: Use AI tools to analyze search patterns and anticipate future trends to strengthen your keyword strategies.
17. Refining Your Approach: Review performance data and market changes frequently to keep your keyword strategy effective and up-to-date, to make sure it remains effective and relevant.
18. Focus on User Experience: Make sure your content offers readers an enriching and enjoyable experience, which can boost search rankings and increase traffic.
19. Create an Effective Backlink Profile: Strategize ways of acquiring high-quality backlinks that will elevate both authority and search visibility.
20. Test and Iterate: Utilize data-driven experiments to test various strategies and approaches in keyword research and implementation processes, then utilize this feedback to further strengthen them over time.
21. Keep Up: To keep an edge in keyword research and maintain market leadership, keep abreast of emerging technologies and trends through keyword monitoring. Doing this will give your competitors less of a fighting chance while providing you with an advantage for keyword research.
22. Collaborate With Your Team: For optimal keyword strategies to meet business goals and initiatives, work closely with your marketing team in creating alignment between keyword strategies and other business initiatives.
23. Continued Education: Stay current with changes to SEO and keyword research. can ensure your knowledge and abilities stay at their most up-to-date state.
24. Utilize Analytics Tools: Leverage analytics tools to assess and adjust your keyword strategy.

The post What Should I Analyze in the Search Results When Conducting Keyword Research? appeared first on Bruce Clay, Inc..

SEO keywords are single words or short phrases that represent the search queries that people use in a search engine. Website owners select keywords and use them to guide content creation and optimize their webpages as part of their SEO strategy.

There is no one “right way” to do keyword research.

In fact, SEO professionals usually each have their own unique way of conducting keyword research. However, the steps outlined in this article will give you plenty of avenues to explore when it comes to researching and selecting the right keywords for your SEO strategy.

We have deliberate ways of selecting keywords for two basic scenarios. This article describes the method to use when you do not have tried and true keywords.

The other scenario would be for more established websites with well-honed product information and a knowledge of what makes them money. Doing both types of keyword research sometimes makes sense.

If you’re new to the concept of keywords, I recommend you first read our article What Are Keywords and Why Are They Important to SEO?

In this article, I’ll explain how to do in-depth keyword research for SEO, including examples.

1. Know Your Website’s Theme

This may seem obvious, but a lot of websites get this wrong. The first step in keyword research is to identify the website’s theme(s).

You need to hone in on what your website is about. That’s because you want your keyword research and your content to reflect those themes accurately. This step clarifies the main topics your site should be relevant for.

For example, if you sell women’s clothing, that’s a broad theme. But narrow down the types of clothing you sell (petite, plus size, new or used, dresses, shoes, styles or other). If you do local business only, that will also affect your keyword research.

This step is all about getting clarity and focus on what you’re really about and how you want your business to be presented online.

2. Perform Basic and Advanced Keyword Research

Brainstorm an Initial List of Keywords

With a clearer picture of your business, brainstorm a list of possible words and phrases related to all the themes you created in the last step.

This is often called a “seed list.” Remember, these are potential keywords because they relate to your products, services or subject matter expertise.

Some questions that you might keep in mind as you are brainstorming keywords:

• What would I search for on a search engine if I were looking for what I have to offer?
• How does my audience describe what I have to offer? Think about the audience that doesn’t use industry jargon as well. If you are hyper-focused on jargon, and there isn’t search volume for those keywords, you may not end up with a list of many keywords to refine.
• What are the problems that my products or services solve? What would someone search for if they had those problems?

Other places to find ideas for your seed list:

• Keywords from your website’s navigation.
• Your competitor’s keywords (see how to do competitor research for SEO). These can help you do a content gap analysis.

Here, it can be helpful if you know your audience.

Not every business takes the time to build personas of their ideal customers, but it’s useful to have an understanding. Knowing the needs and desires of your target audience will help you as you brainstorm an initial list of keywords.

Similarly, you want to understand the needs and desires of internal stakeholders. They typically have a lot of ideas when it comes to the types of words and phrases they think the business should target.

You will validate these ideas later using other techniques. So don’t worry too much about trying to get the phrasing right or to match exactly how your audience might type a query into Google.

Tools and data will often help you discover the best keywords to use.

Read more about seed keywords: What Is a Seed Keyword and How Can I Use It in My Research?

Use Tools to Discover More Keywords

Now, it’s time to turn to SEO tools and data.

Take the keywords you have brainstormed and enter them into the keyword research tool(s) of your choosing. You will get data back on those words as well as suggestions for many other keywords related to those words.

Some tools to consider:

Google Ads Keyword Planner: This tool can help you discover new keywords from Google, view approximate monthly search volume for those terms and more. Note that you will get better data on keywords if you have an active ad account with Google Ads.

PreWriter.ai: PreWriter, our AI-powered content creation suite, is a great way to conduct keyword research. Simply input a keyword and a specific URL (your competitor’s webpage, for example) into the Keyword Research tool and PreWriter will give you an exhaustive list of related keywords to build your content strategy around.

Give PreWriter a try for free and see the power of the Keyword Research tool in action.

SEOToolSet®: Our Keyword Suggestions tool finds terms that are semantically related to the keywords in your seed list. For each keyword, the tool can provide search activity, three metrics to indicate competitiveness, categories and a trending chart. (See more below …)

Keyword Suggestions Tool: The free version of our SEOToolSet keyword tool will serve up 20 related words and phrases for your keyword (entered one at a time) pulled from search engine data.

Google Analytics 4: You can get some data on keywords here if you have an account. Go to Reports > Search Console > Queries.

Wordtracker: This tool can help you discover new keywords, uncover trending keywords for a niche and discover competitor keywords, too.

Semrush: Semrush allows you to discover new keywords, understand a keyword’s value, analyze competitor keywords, analyze keyword metrics in real time and discover the “not provided” keywords in your Google Analytics.

Google Search Console: Find out which search queries are generating impressions and clicks to your website in Google’s search results. Once you set up your Search Console account, you will have access to up to 1,000 queries. Under the ‘Performance’ section on the left-hand side, click Search Results. On the results page, scroll down and be sure you are on the Queries tab.

Google Trends: Some keywords are more seasonal in nature and see spikes and valleys throughout the year. If you’re in a business that is impacted by the seasons, exploring Google Trends offers some key insights around words and phrases you may already be thinking about and some you may not have. You can also spot search behavior changes, such as new terms replacing older ones. (For details, see our article on how to use Google Trends for keyword research.)

Answer the Public: This tool provides long-tail, conversational keyword phrases based on autocomplete data from the search engines for any given keyword that you input.

People also ask: Dive into Google’s search results for additional keyword research. Manually search (always in incognito mode so that the results are not as biased) for your target keywords and then look at the “People also ask” section. Consider adding those questions to your keyword list.

Related searches: Another way to get more ideas for keyword phrases is by manually searching for your keywords and scrolling down to the “Related searches” section.

Wikipedia: Search for a keyword in Wikipedia and then dive into that Wikipedia page’s table of contents to find more ideas for related terms.

Using one or more of these tools is going to give you plenty of ideas. You can export the data and start compiling the keywords and metrics in a central location (usually a spreadsheet).

Note that not all tools are going to give apples-to-apples metrics for a keyword.

Example of How to Do Keyword Research Using the SEOToolSet

Let’s get into the nitty-gritty details of how you can use our SEO tools, the SEOToolSet, to perform keyword research step-by-step.

1. Use the Keyword Suggestions Tool

The SEOToolSet’s Keyword Suggestions tool finds terms semantically related to a seed and/or keyword phrase.

The report shows search activity, click-through rate (CTR), cost per click, confidence percentage and a trending chart for each.

The confidence metric shows how prevalent the keyword was in the SEOToolSet’s sources (which consist of multiple APIs).

You can set up multiple keyword lists (such as one for each silo). From the Keyword Suggestions tool, you can add any reasonable keywords to one of your lists.

2. Run the Real-Time Ranking Monitor

The SEOToolSet Ranking Monitor allows you to see which keywords your site is ranking for with (relatively) unfiltered and unbiased ranking data across Google and Bing.

You can then assign the appropriate keywords to the right webpages and strengthen those pages by better optimizing them.

For more information, read What Is a Search Engine Ranking Report.

3. Use the Domain Ranking Report

The Domain Ranking report shows which webpages are ranking by keyword or by page. Data points include:

• The keyword.
• The activity for that keyword.
• The number of results in a Google search and Bing for that keyword.
• The average cost per click of that keyword in a PPC ad.
• The number of pages in Google and Bing that use that keyword in their Title tag.
• The rankings for each search engine selected when you ran the report.

The data you get from this report will inform your content strategy. It shows you what the best keywords are to build content around and shows you what content needs improvement.

Export to a Spreadsheet

Once in the Domain Ranking Report, you can export the data to an Excel spreadsheet.

• Click the “Export” button in the upper right-hand side of the report window, then select ‘CSV.’



• Using Excel (or a spreadsheet of your choice), sort the information so that you can look at all keywords with a $0 CPC and determine if you want to keep the keywords none of your competitors bid on.
• Using the spreadsheet, sort the information in Excel so you can see all the keywords with a “0” activity count and determine if you should delete keywords few people search for. Note that this is an approximation of traffic and should be used more as an indicator that a keyword is popular, not as an exact number. Basically, the higher the number, the more likely more people are searching for a keyword.

These steps are typically the first steps in refining the keyword list. Next, I’ll touch on more refinement techniques.

3. Refine Your Keyword List

You should have an extensive list of ideas from the previous steps. Now comes the arduous task of refining that list.

Here are four basic questions you should ask about each keyword:

1. Is this keyword relevant to the site? Right off the bat, you can go through the lists and delete any keywords that are not relevant to your business. That should take out a good chunk of keywords that you don’t need to waste any more time on.
2. Is there a page within the site that specifically talks about that keyword topic? If not, would you be willing to create a page for that keyword topic?
3. Would you expect to see your website listed in the results if you typed this keyword into a search engine?
4. Does this keyword have any search volume?

If your answer is “no” to any of these questions, then delete that keyword phrase from the spreadsheet.

Analyze Metrics

Keyword metrics are another way to determine whether a keyword is a good fit. In general, you want high ROI, CPC, KPI keywords (and then branded terms, of course).

But you also want to strike a balance between what is attainable for your website and the resources you have in order to compete for rankings.

Some data points to consider for each keyword:

• Search volume: Higher search activity means it’s a popular search term. Higher search volume might also mean there’s a lot of competition, which makes the keyword harder to rank for. Newer websites might not want to start with these terms.
• Clicks: Tools like Ahrefs’ “Keywords Explorer” can show the estimated number of clicks for your keywords.
• Cost per click: This can indicate whether PPC advertisers perceive this keyword to be a money-maker. The going CPC rate for a keyword is one measure of its competitiveness.
• Traffic potential: Again, Ahrefs’ Keywords Explorer can help you estimate traffic potential for certain keywords.
• Keyword difficulty: This is often a manual process that looks at the top-ranked pages for certain keywords and takes into account several factors. However, many keyword tools can help refine this process for you.
• Competition: If the competition seems too stiff for your website to compete with right now (for example, if multinational companies show up on page one), then you might skip the keyword. On the other hand, if your market competitors are showing up in the search results for a keyword, it’s probably a good one to keep. (Here’s how to clarify who your SEO competition is.)
• Traffic versus conversions: High-traffic keywords may bring in more traffic, but you also want to consider keywords that may drive less traffic but more conversions.
• PPC data: You can find out which keywords bring in clicks, traffic and conversions by testing them through PPC campaigns. To learn more, read our series on building and managing search campaigns.
• Rankings: If you are already ranking for certain keyword terms, you will want to evaluate those keywords. If they are relevant to your site, then keep them on the list. To find out what terms your website ranks for, check your Google Search Console data by queries. Some SEO tools, such as Semrush, can also help identify your traffic-driving keywords. Note that if you aren’t starting from scratch with keyword research, you’ll want to make this step a priority to better understand the terms you are already succeeding with.

Match to Theme

Get rid of any search terms that don’t reinforce the theme(s) of your site. This is a bit different from just getting rid of irrelevant keywords.

This step is about further refining the keywords in the categories based on the theme of your website. To better understand this concept, read SEO Siloing: What, Why, How.

Cross-Reference Personas

You might go through the lists of keywords with your personas in mind. You can get rid of those that you think don’t align with their needs and desires.

As a reminder, personas can also include internal stakeholders who will have an opinion on which keywords to target as well.

Determine Intent

As you analyze the keywords, ask yourself what intent you believe the searcher has when using this keyword.

Turn to the Google search engine to see what sort of content Google is ranking for that keyword to determine its relevance to your website.

For example, intent can be:

• Informational: These keywords are used by people seeking to learn more about the topic and who are not ready to buy just yet.
• Transactional: These keywords are used by people with the intent to purchase something.
• Branded: These keywords are related specifically to your business or brand.

As an example, if someone is trying to optimize a shopping site for a keyword phrase, and what Google is ranking are research pages with content about “what is [keyword phrase],” then it might not be the right keyword phrase or content.

Another layer might be local keywords, phrases that someone might use searching for a nearby business (think “near me”).

In all cases, you can have a mix of broader category keywords (i.e., the one- or two-word queries such as “women’s clothing”) and longer keywords that produce long-tail traffic (i.e., three or more words in a phrase such as “high heel womens designer shoes”) depending on where a searcher is on their searching journey.

You can try organizing your spreadsheet into the buckets listed above to start, and then further organize by broad versus long-tail.

An important note: Doing keyword research for things like shopping sites can be radically different than what’s outlined in this article. That involves a combination of both how people search and an evaluation of how filter/faceted navigation is set up on the site.

TOFU and BOFU Keywords

You can also organize your keywords by TOFU (top of the funnel) and BOFU (bottom of the funnel) categories.

Top-of-the-funnel keywords are usually more general topics (think “how-to” keywords) that build brand awareness and are used in educational-type resources like blog articles.

Bottom-of-the-funnel keywords typically are those that are highly specific and drive conversions. One example is searching for the “best [product name]”, which may bring up a targeted landing page.

Consider the “Zero-Click” Reality

Dig deeper to understand how certain keywords might instigate certain search results.

Google continually invents new SERP features that allow people to get answers to their queries without ever clicking through to a website. But that doesn’t mean you still can’t compete.

Google’s latest is AI Overviews, which gives an AI-generated summary of the search results for a query.

That doesn’t mean SEO is dead. Far from it. Google still relies on the content of websites to do its job. Still, SEO continuously evolves.

To learn more, read How to Adapt SEO in a Zero-Click World.

4. Assign Keywords and Optimize / Build Content

Keyword research is just the beginning of your SEO journey.

The keywords you choose will serve as a roadmap for your content, including the structure of your main webpages, your blog content and beyond (remember to keep in mind your whole-SERP SEO strategy!).

Identify “Unicorn” Webpages and Strengthen with Keywords

You can identify the webpages that rank well and are bringing in the most traffic first using tools like Google Analytics and our SEOToolSet, as I outlined earlier. Assign relevant keywords to those pages and then optimize them well.

Optimize Other Existing Webpages

Assign relevant keywords to other webpages that are already published. See how to get customized, real-time SEO advice per keyword.

Tips for Assigning Keywords to Webpages

Generally speaking, pages higher up in the site hierarchy should target the high-value keywords (“head” or “money” terms), while pages lower in the hierarchy should target long-tail keyword phrases.

The home page and top landing pages should be assigned the most important, the most competitive and the most-searched keywords, while product/content pages should be assigned long-tail keywords.

Primary and Secondary Keywords

For each page, pick one primary keyword and two or three secondary keywords.

The amount of content on the page determines how many secondary keywords are appropriate. The more content on the page, the greater variety of keywords it can be optimized for.

The secondary keywords should be related to the primary keyword. For example, if the primary keyword is “retirement communities,” then good secondary keywords might be “senior living” and “55 plus communities.”

“Nested” Keywords

Look for opportunities to use nested keywords — combining multiple head terms that share words.

For example, “Arizona retirement” and “retirement communities” both have high search volume. The term “Arizona retirement communities” has a lower search volume but contains both high-volume terms.

By optimizing for “Arizona retirement communities” you also optimize for “Arizona retirement” and “retirement communities.”

Build Content That Is Missing

Assign keywords as new topics for new webpages that you don’t yet have, like important keywords that you can’t assign to any pre-existing webpages. Make sure that you put those new webpages in the right SEO silo.

For more on developing great SEO content, see our guide to Google’s E-E-A-T, what makes a webpage quality, and crafting high-quality SEO content.

Final Thoughts

Keyword research is a lengthy and technical process. It’s worth spending the time up front to get this foundational step in your SEO strategy right.

Then, a good SEO strategy will deliver on your keyword research with quality, authoritative content to satisfy the people who are searching.

To build a solid SEO foundation, I recommend you check out our SEO Guide. This free resource starts with keyword research, then leads you through the important areas you need to know to get ranked. It’s a good idea to bookmark this page as well as the SEO Guide.

Don’t have the time or resources to conduct thorough keyword research? Let our SEO experts do the work for you.

Get your free consultation

FAQ: How can I perform effective keyword research to identify the right keywords that will improve my website’s SEO strategy?

Keyword research is an integral component of an effective SEO strategy, helping website owners uncover the most apt and impactful keywords to target. But exactly how will it benefit us? Let’s delve further into a process which leverages search behavior insights into effective content strategies.

Understanding user intent is vitally important if you wish to accurately portray what your audience is searching for through certain keywords. Tools like PreWriter.ai help you uncover popular and pertinent terms.

An evaluation of keyword difficulty and search volume using tools like the SEOToolSet® is crucial in order to create the ideal balance of high-volume keywords with manageable competition levels and those which add greater relevancy for increased chances of ranking higher in search results.

Creation of content clusters can be an efficient means of conducting keyword research. By organizing relevant information into groups of similar articles on your website, content clusters allow it to increase in authority and visibility while offering visitors relevant, organized data – perfect for both keyword optimization as well as user experience improvement!

Keyword research can be daunting due to an overwhelming volume of data and algorithm updates; but by employing professional tools and remaining up-to-date on SEO trends, these challenges can be overcome successfully.

Step-by-Step Procedure

1. Outline your SEO objectives.
2. Plan an initial brainstorm session in order to compile a list of keywords.
3. Use SEO tools like SEOToolSet, SEMRush or Ahrefs to track the rise and fall in popularity over time of particular keywords.
4. Take advantage of keyword research tools in order to efficiently collect data.
5. Analyze competitor websites to identify their top keywords.
6. Generate long-tail keywords using tools such as PreWriter.ai.
7. Assess the search volume and keyword difficulty for every potential keyword.
8. Arrange similar keywords into clusters to strengthen their organization thematically.
9. Leveraging semantic keywords and synonyms to boost content relevancy.
10. Prioritize keywords by their impact and feasibility.
11. Create a content strategy incorporating keywords related to your products/services.
12. Create high-quality and engaging content that meets user intent.
13. Optimize on-page elements including titles, meta descriptions and headers with keywords for maximum keyword usage.
14. Gain insights into keyword performance using analytics tools that track rankings and traffic levels for accurate tracking of performance metrics.
15. Based on performance data and SEO trends, make necessary modifications.
16. Stay abreast of algorithm updates to maintain competitive edge for your website.
17. When reviewing user trends when revising keyword lists.
18. Experiment with different content formats to broaden the exposure of your keyword targets, and ensure maximum impactful exposure for them.
19. Integrate internal links within content clusters to improve navigation and SEO performance.
20. Engage with your audience through comments and feedback to understand their needs.
21. Utilizing social media platforms such as X to expand and disseminate your content further will allow it to reach farther than it originally could.
22. Join forces with industry specialists or influencers to bolster your credibility and extend the scope of your reach.
23. When optimizing the technical aspects of your website, ensure it can provide optimal speed and mobile performance to maximize speed and mobile functionality as effectively as possible.
24. For maximum effectiveness and relevance, regularly review and edit your content to stay fresh.

The post How To Do Keyword Research for SEO appeared first on Bruce Clay, Inc..

Building a brand takes effort. You need to be where the people will see you and one of the most important channels for reaching your target audience today is the web. The good news is that you can use SEO for brand awareness.

Sure, you can invest in other marketing and advertising channels and you should where it makes sense (fun fact: the ol’ direct mail strategy still shows the highest return on investment).

But you simply can’t ignore the fact that 93% of all shopping journeys now begin online.

In this article, I’ll discuss how to use SEO for brand awareness, and cover the following topics:

• What Is Brand Awareness?
• How SEO Supports the Customer Journey
• Research on Brand Awareness and the Search Results
• SEO for Brand Awareness: 3 Strategies
  1. Do Keyword Research to Boost Brand Awareness
  2. Use Press Releases + SEO for Brand Awareness
  3. Use a Whole-SERP Strategy for Brand Awareness
• Final Thoughts
• FAQ: How do SEO Strategies impact the Customer Journey in terms of Brand Awareness?

What Is Brand Awareness?

Brand awareness is how familiar people are with your brand and its offerings. Building strong brand awareness:

• Increases customer loyalty. Familiar brands are more likely to be chosen over lesser-known ones.
• Supports product launches and promotions. High brand awareness can make new products or services more successful because consumers are already familiar with the brand.
• Creates positive associations. Brand awareness strategies can help shape the perceptions of a brand, making it more likely that customers will think of it positively.
• Drives market share. Brands with high awareness tend to have a larger market share because they are at the top of consumers’ minds.

Overall, brand awareness influences consumer decisions and positions a brand well in competitive markets. And there isn’t a more competitive market than the search engine results.

Brand awareness is the first step in the customer journey, which I’ll touch on next.

How SEO Supports the Customer Journey

Since about nine out of 10 shopping experiences start online, the ability to show up when people search for your brand and what you have to offer is obviously very important.

A customer journey, also known as a buyer or consumer decision journey, refers to the steps a person takes to decide to buy a product, a service, or to convert in some other way.

Different theories out there discuss the customer journey.

For example, the AIDA model describes a linear journey that starts with a person’s awareness of the brand, product, or service and ends with an action (like a purchase, download, or something else).

There are other viewpoints, like McKinsey’s, which shows that the consumer journey is more cyclical.

In either case, both customer journey theories start with brand awareness. For more, see my article How SEO Supports the Customer Journey.

Research on Brand Awareness and the Search Results

In an October 2023 survey conducted by Bruce Clay Inc. using a third-party research platform, we uncovered the impact of brand awareness on customer decision-making:

• Google is the No. 1 place where people discover brands online, followed by social media at No. 2.
• Sixty-five percent (65%) of consumers reported purchasing from a competing brand if the brand they were searching for was hard to find on Google.
• When asked how many times consumers discovered a brand on Google when they weren’t intending to purchase from them (but ultimately did purchase from them), the majority (40%) of consumers made an impulse purchase based on search results up to five times in the past year.

The bottom line: SEO strategies help put a brand front and center where people are looking.

SEO for Brand Awareness: 3 Strategies

Now that we’ve covered brand awareness, its role in the customer journey and the role of search engine results in creating it, let’s examine three ways SEO can support the brand awareness initiative.

1. Do Keyword Research to Boost Brand Awareness

When people search for what you have to offer — or even your brand name — your website must appear prominently in the search results.

This all starts with keyword research. Keyword research enables you to uncover the words and phrases your target audience uses around your brand and its offerings.

Once you have this, you can begin to build an online marketing and advertising strategy. You can blend things like SEO and PPC so that your brand shows up in the search results for those terms.

When you are doing your keyword research, you will work to uncover:

• Branded keywords: Branded keywords include the name of a company only and/or specific products and services linked directly to the brand. For instance, “Nike running shoes” or “Apple iPhone” are branded keywords because they contain the company’s name. On the other hand, a branded term could also just be “Nike.”
• Generic terms: Non-branded keywords do not include any brand names and typically focus on generic terms or broader concepts. Examples include “running shoes” or “smartphone.”

The main difference between branded and non-branded keywords lies in the intent. Branded keywords usually indicate a higher intent to purchase or interact with a specific brand, as the searcher has a particular company in mind.

People use non-branded keywords when they are more in the exploratory phase, which is usually associated with information-gathering and the early stages of the buying process. These terms are usually more competitive.

A good SEO strategy will explore both. The goal is to get as much real estate in the search results as possible. If you don’t show up for that keyword, your competition will.

What do you do once you have selected your keywords?

• Create a content strategy around the keywords — they will dictate what type of content to create on your website and elsewhere so that you have a chance to compete in the search results. For more on this, check out my article on the whole-SERP strategy.
• Make sure you are bidding on your brand name and other keywords in a PPC advertising campaign. To learn more, see my article on bidding on branded keywords.

There are many tools out there to conduct keyword research. You can get your feet wet with our free keyword research tool or for a more serious project, subscribe to our SEO software, the SEOToolSet, for access to the Keyword Suggestions tool.

Creating content around your brand comes in many forms. Next, let’s look at ways to increase brand awareness online through content.

2. Use Press Releases + SEO for Brand Awareness

If you have something newsworthy, consider creating a press release. Press releases offer many benefits, including:

• Boosting brand awareness.
• Increased traffic to a website.
• More public relations opportunities, including journalist interviews.
• Contributions to your brand’s perceived E-E-A-T, which are quality metrics from Google.

When you create and distribute a press release, that press release publishing platform hosts it and pushes it out to other news sites.

From there, it can potentially be picked up by other media, journalists may reach out for an interview, and people may share it on their social media platforms.

Ultimately, you may get traffic to a website and valuable backlinks if you are featured in an article.

So, press releases are a great tool for generating brand awareness on the web.

There are best practices for creating press releases. Some of these best practices use SEO strategies to optimize press releases for brand awareness.

Here are some tips:

• Issue newsworthy press releases: Focus only on truly newsworthy events such as proprietary research, product launches, major company events, significant partnerships, or corporate milestones.
• Create original, engaging content: Given the high volume of press releases published daily, write original and genuinely interesting content. Avoid treating the release merely as an advertisement; provide valuable content that readers will find compelling.
• Follow formatting best practices: Adopt a journalistic approach by addressing the “who, what, where, when, why, and how” at the beginning of the release, using the inverted pyramid style. Keep your content concise and use AP style formatting.
• Make it engaging: Include engaging elements like relevant statistics, quotes from key stakeholders, and images to enrich the content and provide useful assets that journalists can directly incorporate into their coverage.
• Research keywords: Conduct thorough keyword research related to your topic. To enhance visibility, incorporate these keywords prominently in the headline and within the first 250 words of the press release.
• Limit links: Use primarily navigational links within your press releases, typically directing to your homepage or a relevant page using the company name or domain as anchor text. Avoid excessive linking and ensure any necessary links are contextually appropriate, such as linking to both companies in a merger announcement.
• Nofollow links: To comply with SEO best practices, ensure that any links in your press releases include a “nofollow” or equivalent attribute. If your current distribution service doesn’t support this, consider switching to one that does.
• Distribute and share: Use a reputable press release distribution service that can provide insights into how many and which media outlets have picked up your release. After distribution, amplify your press release via social media and consider posting a summary or the full release on your own website to maximize exposure and engagement.

There are many press release distribution services out there. Here are three to consider:

1. EIN Presswire
2. PRWeb
3. eReleases

For more on using press releases to generate buzz for your brand, see Social and PR Practices That Support SEO for Beginners.

3. Use a Whole-SERP Strategy for Brand Awareness

Earlier, I talked about a “whole-SERP” SEO strategy. This strategy analyzes the features that show up most in the search results (not just the traditional “blue links”) for target keywords and then optimizes for them.

This approach is increasingly important as:

• Google frequently updates its search algorithms and SERP formats, introducing various features like knowledge panels, image results and video content from different verticals, such as YouTube.
• Evolving changes to search technology means the search results are directly answering searchers and bypassing websites; a whole-SERP strategy means brands can enhance visibility across different types of search results and remain competitive.

To optimize effectively for the whole SERP, here are the foundations:

• Understand Universal Search and search verticals: Google pulls information from various sources and databases, including video from platforms like YouTube, which appear directly in the SERPs, images from your website and much more. This can impact if your brand shows up in the search results.
• Analyze keywords and SERPs: Identify which SERP features are associated with your target keywords and tailor your content to appear in these features, whether it’s video, images, or standard listings.
• Improve content quality: Focus on surpassing the competition in terms of content quality and optimizing the content for user experience and engagement. Tools like our SEO plugin for WordPress can assist in aligning content with these goals.

Next, you will consider how to include multimedia on your site in a way that optimizes it for ranking in the search results and creates a more engaging experience.

Here are some tips on how to optimize your site:

• Include images, and optimize those images. Read more: How to Improve Google Image Search Ranking.
• Create videos on YouTube and embed those videos on your site for further engagement. Read more: A CMO’s Guide to YouTube SEO.
• Create press releases and archive those press releases in a news section on your website. (See the section above for more tips.)
• For more chances to rank, host a blog and create quality content regularly (driven by your keyword strategy).

For more on this topic, see: The Always Up-to-Date SEO Checklist.

Looking for additional guidance on boosting brand awareness with SEO? Our experts are standing by to assist! 

Schedule a free SEO consultation

Final Thoughts

SEO may not be the first strategy that comes to mind when you think of brand awareness campaigns, but it is surprisingly effective at reaching your target audience. Follow the steps in this article to get your brand top of mind more often and drive more leads, customers and sales.

FAQ: How do SEO Strategies Impact the Customer Journey in Terms of Brand Awareness?

SEO strategies greatly influence the customer journey, particularly in the area of brand awareness. They can be instrumental in improving your brand’s presence on search engines like Google and helping customers, readers and fans find your business.

Before you can implement any SEO-focused initiative, you first need to know what good SEO looks like.

Effective website optimization begins with gathering a thorough understanding of your audience’s demographic and needs. And you can figure that out by conducting keyword research. Purposeful keyword analysis helps you pinpoint terms and phrases searchers use to find similar products or services.

After selecting the most promising keywords, the next step is to sprinkle them throughout your site. You may use them in page titles, meta descriptions, blogs, articles and image alt texts. This gives search engines the information they need to learn what your site is all about, which can increase your SERP rankings and boost awareness of your company.

Two other promising search engine optimization strategies include marketing and content creation. Regularly putting out top-notch, relevant content that actually delivers value to users drives higher rankings on top search engines.

And that’s only part of it. It can also position your brand as a trusted industry authority and provide benefits like ranking improvements and a more positive brand perception. This directly enhances brand awareness.

The link-building aspect of SEO is incredibly important. It’s all about encouraging other respectable sites to link to your website from theirs.

Google and other search engines view link building as a sign indicating that you’re trustworthy and authoritative. With ongoing and effective link building, your business will see more traffic and higher rankings—over time, more and more people will know your brand.

Technical SEO is responsible for retaining site visitors. It concerns how quickly your website loads, the quality of the mobile user experience and the level of website security; it has a monumental effect on customer interactions through your site.

Slow, complicated, and risky sites are not conducive to a good user experience; in fact, they could easily deter potential customers, tanking your brand awareness efforts. Getting a good handle on the aforementioned technical components does the opposite, helping you retain visitors rather than drive them away. It also shows that your site is a reliable authority in your field.

Never underestimate the importance of social shares, comments and likes when crafting your SEO strategy. Building a presence on social media and engaging with your audience there can bring more traffic to your website, increase its success on the SERPs and boost brand recognizability.

Businesses operating in a set geographical area or in physical locations should look into local SEO. It involves creating content that appeals to local areas, ensuring consistency in business information across online platforms and registering the business with local directories. Such tactics help local customers find your company, come in for a visit, or engage with your online content.

Search engine algorithms never stay the same for long. So, it’s critical to stay at the forefront of all things SEO. Tactics that used to work ten years ago, or even last year, won’t necessarily work today. And some of those old practices could even bring about penalties.

So, it’s always wise to conduct continual audits and adjust strategies as needed to align with the latest algorithmic updates. These efforts work to bolster brand acknowledgment.

SEO is a long-game – not a sprint. And this can be difficult for some businesses to accept. Just remember that it pays off over time. Consistently put out quality content, build your backlinks and fine-tune the technical components of your site. All of this effort will result in improved brand awareness and a stronger online presence.

Step-by-Step Procedure:

1. Do some keyword Research: Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, Ahrefs and SEOToolSet are all great tools you can use to find keywords. But not just any keywords – ones that people are using to find products and services like yours.
2. Optimize the website’s metadata: Use the chosen keywords in page titles, meta descriptions, headers and alt text. Ensure nothing sounds robotic or unnatural.
3. Produce valuable content for your audience: Post helpful and engaging blogs, social media posts and web pages that appeal to customers and clearly answer their most burning questions.
4. Create an editorial calendar: Plan out every aspect of your editorial strategy, like what will be published, who will create it, when things are assigned/due, pertinent notes, and more.
5. Change meta descriptions and titles when needed: Each website page needs gripping meta descriptions and titles that contain SEO keywords.
6. Implement technical SEO best practices: Winning tactics include using HTTPS, improving page load times and optimizing for mobile.
7. Come up with a strategy for link building: Submit guest blogs, contact authorities in your industry for backlinks and create shareable media. These practices are central to any link-building strategy.
8. Bolster local SEO efforts: Make sure the business’s name, address and phone number are consistent across social media, your main website and anywhere else. Create a Google Business Profile and optimize your business’s listing. Then, search local directories and get registered.
9. Take advantage of social media: Create accounts on social media sites, share your content on these sites and engage with your audience.
10. Gauge performance: Use Google Analytics and other performance tools to gauge the effectiveness of your site’s SEO performance. Be on the lookout for areas of improvement.
11. Stay up to date on algorithm changes: Subscribe to SEO news outlets and read articles and blogs so you won’t be left in the dark about algorithm changes. Use the information to update search marketing strategies as needed.
12. Optimize images and videos: You can reduce image and video load times by compressing files, writing descriptive filenames and using alt tags.
13. Create an XML sitemap: Submit your XML sitemap to Google, Bing and other search engine giants to improve your website’s indexing potential.
14. Incorporate schema markup: Help search engines classify and understand your pages with schema markup.
15. Implement an internal linking strategy: Be sure that the website has a logical structure, and use descriptive anchor text.
16. Bolster user experience: To deliver a smooth user experience and reduce bounce rates, write clear calls-to-action and improve the site’s navigation.
17. Craft email marketing campaigns: Send newsletters to your subscriber base to keep your brand top of mind and increase traffic.
18. Showcase customer testimonials: Instill trust in website visitors by displaying positive customer reviews and testimonials in pertinent areas of the website.
19. Make regular updates: Add new information and insights to existing blogs and web pages to keep them fresh.
20. Do a competitive analysis: Evaluate competitors’ strategies to find out what’s working for them. Take note of any gaps your business can capitalize on.
21. Set SMART goals: For the best results, SEO goals should always be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound (SMART).
22. Check your backlink profile: In addition to soliciting links from industry authorities, evaluate any existing backlinks and disavow low-quality links that could do more harm than good.
23. Calculate Return on Investment: Tally up your SEO return on investment on a regular basis to ensure that your efforts are sustainable and financially wise.

Following the above strategies and continually watching for new developments in SEO can help you develop your online presence. Over time, your business will enjoy more traffic, more customers and improved brand recognizability.

The post 3 Ways To Use SEO for Brand Awareness appeared first on Bruce Clay, Inc..

Keywords are the driving force in generating traffic, engaging your target audience and boosting your online visibility.

But to conduct keyword research effectively, you’ll need to identify seed keywords. Seed keywords are essential, serving as the foundation upon which your entire strategy is built.

In this article:

• Understanding Seed Keywords
• Expanding Your Keyword Universe
• Organizing and Prioritizing
• Creating High-Quality Content
• Monitoring and Adapting
• FAQ: How do you choose your seed keyword? 

Understanding Seed Keywords

A seed keyword is a fundamental term or phrase representing your research’s core topic or theme. It’s the starting point from which you branch out to discover related keywords and ideas.

For instance, if you’re in the fitness industry, “exercise routines” could be your seed keyword. When you drop your seed keywords into a keyword tool, you’ll get millions of different keyword options, both short-term and long-term.

So, how do you find the seed keywords you want to use in your content?

At times, your most powerful tool is your own intellect. To unearth seed keywords, initiate the process by compiling a roster of evident variations and synonyms related to the subject of your investigation. This step holds significance due to the operational methodology of the majority of keyword research tools.

If you have limited familiarity with the industry and require inspiration, consider examining the keywords for which related websites are achieving rankings. One of the most valuable sources of information is the Search Engine Results Page (SERP) — just enter one of your initial keyword concepts and explore the search results to find inspiration.

Compiling a list of products or services linked to your keyword can prove to be a straightforward method for discovering seed keywords. For instance, “REI” could feature items like “hiking gear, hiking backpacks, hiking apparel,” and so on.

To identify these associated products and services, simply conduct Google searches and explore niche-specific websites that offer related items. Additionally, examining navigation menus can be a valuable tool, especially for e-commerce websites with extensive product pages.

Expanding Your Keyword Universe

Once you have your seed keyword, you can expand your keyword universe. Use keyword research tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, Ahrefs, or our SEOToolSet® to discover related keywords and phrases. These tools will provide valuable data, including search volume, competition and keyword trends.

Utilize the Google Keyword Tool, and if available, tools like Wordtracker and Keyword Discovery, to broaden your initial keyword list and gain insights into the relative search volumes of all your keywords.

A word of caution: Google’s estimated monthly search volumes can be misleading, so they should mainly be used as an indication of keyword popularity. If Keyword A’s monthly search volume is 5,000 and 10,000 for Keyword B, then keyword B would likely be more popular. It would also be safe to assume that ranking highly for this particular keyword would automatically bring in 10,000 users each month; although, of course, nothing guarantees it!

For more, read:

• What Are Keywords? Why Are Keywords Important to SEO? And How Do You Do Keyword Research?

Organizing and Prioritizing

After gathering a list of potential keywords, organize and prioritize them, considering the relevance of each keyword to your content or marketing campaign.

High search volume and low competition are generally desirable as they indicate the potential for attracting a larger audience while facing less competition. However, don’t overlook long-tail keywords, which can be highly targeted and may bring in users who are more inclined to convert into customers or engage with your content.

When organizing your keywords, it’s helpful to categorize them into different thematic groups. Dividing keywords into groups serves multiple keyword objectives while maintaining a cohesive and user-friendly website structure, and it allows for a more structured approach to your content creation and marketing efforts.

Additionally, it’s wise to regularly revisit and update your keyword list, as search trends and user behavior can change over time. This ongoing keyword management ensures that your strategy remains effective and adaptable to evolving search engine algorithms and user preferences.

For more on long-tail keywords, read:

• How Can I Find Long-Tail Keywords and Why Are They Valuable?

Creating High-Quality Content

Seed keywords are not just for SEO; they should also guide your content creation. Develop high-quality content around your seed keyword and its related terms. This will not only improve your search engine rankings but also engage your audience more effectively.

Using seed keywords as an outline for your content is an excellent strategy for creating well-structured and search engine-friendly material. They represent the core concepts and themes of your topic, providing a roadmap for your content creation process. Starting with seed keywords ensures that your content remains focused and aligned with your target audience’s interests and needs.

Once you have your seed keywords, expand upon them to create a content outline. This outline can help you organize your thoughts, identify subtopics and ensure that your content covers all the essential aspects of your subject.

Each seed keyword can become a major section or heading within your content, and you can use related keywords and phrases to develop the subpoints or details. Structure your content so it is both easier to write and more readable for readers. Search engines will reward you for well-structured, organized material.

For more, read:

• 5 Steps To Help Writers Create Expert Content for SEO
• What Makes a Webpage Quality?

Monitoring and Adapting

Keyword research is an ongoing process. Regularly monitor the performance of your selected keywords and adjust your strategy accordingly. As search trends evolve, so should your approach.

Seed keywords are the foundation for your entire keyword research strategy. Start your digital marketing off right by selecting and expanding on a relevant seed keyword, then broadening it as needed to meet the needs of your target audience.

Our SEO experts can help you identify the best seed keywords for your business. Contact us today for a free consultation.

FAQ: How do you choose your seed keyword?

Choosing the right seed keyword is a critical first step in any successful keyword research process. Here are some considerations to help you select the most suitable seed keyword for your project.

Start by identifying keywords directly related to your website’s niche or the topic you want to focus on. These keywords should reflect the core themes and subject matter of your content.

For example, if you run a fitness blog, a seed keyword like “weight loss tips” is highly relevant. Consider your target audience’s interests and needs to ensure that your seed keyword aligns with their search.

Analyze the search volume and competition for your chosen seed keyword. Tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, SEMrush, Moz, or SEOToolSet® can help you assess this data.

Aim for keywords with a healthy search volume, but be mindful of overly competitive ones, as it may be difficult to rank for them as a beginner. Finding a balance between search volume and competition is essential to ensure your efforts yield results.

Long-tail keywords are more specific and can often be easier to rank for. Once you have your seed keyword, explore long-tail variations that stem from it. These are often longer and more detailed phrases that potential visitors might use in their search queries.

For instance, if your seed keyword is “healthy recipes,” long-tail keywords like “quick healthy breakfast recipes” or “low-calorie dinner recipes” can help you capture a more targeted audience. Long-tail keywords can be a goldmine of untapped potential.

Step-by-Step Procedure:

1. Identify the core theme or topic of your research, which will serve as your seed keyword.
2. Utilize keyword research tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, Ahrefs, or SEOToolSet® to discover related keywords and phrases.
3. Analyze the data provided by these tools, including search volume and competition, to evaluate the potential of each keyword.
4. Organize your list of keywords based on relevance and potential impact on your content or marketing campaign.
5. Prioritize keywords with high search volume and low competition, but also consider long-tail keywords for targeting specific audiences.
6. Develop high-quality content centered around your seed keyword and related terms.
7. Ensure your content is optimized for SEO by including keywords naturally within the text, headings and meta tags.
8. Monitor the performance of your selected keywords using analytics tools and track changes in search trends.
9. Regularly review and adapt your keyword strategy to stay aligned with evolving search behaviors and industry trends.
10. Continuously refine your content and SEO efforts based on the insights gained from monitoring and analysis.

The post What Is a Seed Keyword and How Can I Use It in My Research? appeared first on Bruce Clay, Inc..

Keyword research is a fundamental aspect of any successful SEO strategy. As it constantly changes, simply compiling keywords will not guarantee success in search engine marketing.

To truly excel, you need to dig deeper and comprehend the search intent behind those keywords.

In this article:

• Understanding the Main Types of Search Intent
• Creating Content That Matches User Expectations
• Enhancing User Experience and Reducing Bounce Rates
• Utilizing Long-Tail Keywords Effectively
• Monitoring and Adapting to Changing Trends
• FAQ: What are the key steps and considerations involved in aligning your content strategy with search intent?

Understanding the Main Types of Search Intent

Search intent can be categorized into four primary types: informational, navigational, commercial and transactional.

Informational intent is when a user seeks knowledge, navigational intent is directed towards finding a specific website or page, commercial intent is directed at a desire to purchase something (service or product), and transactional intent indicates an intention to purchase or take an action. Recognizing which type aligns with your content is critical in selecting the right keywords.

Ensuring that your content corresponds with the search intent behind your target audience’s chosen keywords is a pivotal strategy for reducing bounce rates. It’s essential to select the appropriate page type for each keyword based on the specific intent that the keyword reflects.

For instance, if a user seeks information, avoid directing them to a product page. Conversely, if a searcher employs a high-purchase-intent keyword, it’s counterproductive to present them with an article about your brand’s mission.

Creating Content That Matches User Expectations

Once you’ve identified the search intent, tailor your content accordingly. For example, if the intent is informational, then creating in-depth guides, articles, or tutorials will resonate with users. On the other hand, transactional intent calls for clear and persuasive product pages or calls to action.

Construct your content framework by considering the specific search intent and analyzing the results. This blueprint should encompass a captivating headline, an engaging introduction, a well-defined main body and a powerful conclusion.

The headline’s purpose is to captivate user attention and pique their curiosity while aligning with their search intent. Meanwhile, the introduction must effectively engage readers, outlining what they can expect to gain from your content.

In the main body, you must deliver on the promises, addressing the users’ inquiries or providing solutions to their issues. Lastly, summarize the key takeaways from your content and incorporate a compelling call to action to guide users toward the desired next steps.

Enhancing User Experience and Reducing Bounce Rates

Understanding search intent helps you optimize your website’s user experience. When users find content that aligns with their intent, they are more likely to engage and stay on your site longer. Reduced bounce rates signal to search engines that your content is valuable and relevant, positively impacting your ranking.

Reducing bounce rates across various website page types, such as product pages, collection pages and blogs, hinges on aligning your content with your customers’ search intent. Achieving this necessitates a comprehensive grasp of your customer’s purchasing journey and identifying the queries they must answer to inform their buying choices.

Search intent represents the primary objective of a consumer when utilizing a search engine. Google’s AI-driven algorithm constantly enhances its ability to discern and address the underlying question, “What is the searcher truly seeking?” for each unique search query. Consequently, Google now provides increasingly precise and relevant results that align with the searcher’s needs.

In the context of product-related queries, Google can distinguish between informational and transactional intent, distinguishing whether the user is seeking information or aiming to make a purchase. Simply presenting limited product information on an e-commerce product page falls short of satisfying the user’s search query for informational keywords.

Utilizing Long-Tail Keywords Effectively

Long-tail keywords are often associated with specific search intent. Incorporating these into your keyword research strategy can help you target a more niche audience and provide content that directly addresses their needs.

Long-tail keywords often exhibit reduced search volume, face less competition and come with lower CPCs than single-word search queries.

The increased likelihood of conversion with long-tail keywords arises from their inherent specificity, making it easier to discern the precise intent behind a user’s search. This stands in contrast to single-word queries with high monthly search volume, which can be more challenging to decipher due to their potentially diverse purposes.

Consequently, accurately pinpointing a long-tail keyword for a marketing landing page is a more straightforward task. This specificity aligns with the user’s search intent, resulting in more effective targeting.

From an SEO perspective, optimizing your content for longer, more detailed search phrases helps establish a website’s authority. The potential to rank for more competitive keywords with higher search volumes is greater, ultimately increasing traffic.

Monitoring and Adapting to Changing Trends

Search intent is not static. As trends and user behaviors evolve, so do search intent patterns. Regularly monitor and adapt your keyword strategy to reflect these changes to keep your content relevant and maintain your SEO performance.

Understanding search intent goes beyond simply identifying keywords — it involves diving into the minds of your audience and tailoring your content to meet user requirements. Keep this in mind as you develop your SEO strategies.

Our SEO experts can help you understand the search intent behind your desired keywords. Contact us for a free consultation, and let’s talk about how we can create SEO content that works for your brand. 

FAQ: What are the key steps and considerations involved in aligning your content strategy with search intent?

Aligning your content strategy with search intent is crucial for successful SEO and content marketing. To do this effectively, start by identifying the primary keyword or topic of your content and determine the type of search intent it serves (informational, navigational, or transactional). Then, create content that matches the identified intent – like comprehensive guides for informational queries or clear calls to action for transactional ones.

Prioritize user experience and incorporate relevant long-tail keywords into your strategy. Stay updated on changing search intent patterns, analyze your content’s performance in SERPs, conduct competitor analysis, and collaborate with your content team while utilizing SEO tools and analytics to ensure your content remains competitive and aligned with user expectations.

Step-by-Step Procedure:

1. Start by identifying the primary keyword or topic of your content.
2. Research and analyze the main types of search intent: informational, navigational, commercial and transactional.
3. Determine which type of search intent aligns with your content.
4. Craft your content to match the identified search intent.
5. If the intent is informational, create comprehensive guides or articles; for transactional intent, focus on clear calls to action or product pages.
6. Optimize your website’s user experience to reduce bounce rates by aligning content with user expectations.
7. Incorporate long-tail keywords associated with specific search intent into your keyword strategy.
8. Monitor trends and user behavior regularly to stay updated on changing search intent patterns.
9. Adapt your keyword strategy accordingly to ensure your content remains relevant.
10. Continuously analyze the performance of your content in search engine results pages (SERPs).
11. Adjust your keyword strategy based on the performance data to improve rankings and user engagement.
12. Conduct competitor analysis to stay competitive in your niche.
13. Stay informed about industry trends and algorithm updates that may impact search intent.
14. Collaborate with your content team to ensure a unified approach to understanding and addressing search intent.
15. Utilize SEO tools and analytics to track keyword performance and user behavior.
16. Test and refine your content based on user feedback and data-driven insights.
17. Keep your keyword research and search intent analysis up-to-date to maintain a successful SEO strategy.
18. Share your findings and insights with your team or clients to ensure alignment on keyword research and content strategies.
19. Continuously learn and adapt to the evolving search intent and SEO landscape.
20. Regularly review and revise your keyword research and content strategies to remain competitive and meet user needs effectively.

The post How Does Understanding Search Intent Impact Keyword Research? appeared first on Bruce Clay, Inc..

Understanding long-tail keywords is the key to enhancing your search performance and matching the needs of your target audience.

Long-tail keywords are specific, highly focused phrases that may have lower search volumes but can bring in more qualified and engaged traffic.

In this blog, we will delve into how to find long-tail keywords and why they are a valuable asset in your online strategy.

• Understanding Long-Tail Keywords
• Benefits of Long-Tail Keywords
• Using Tools for Keyword Research
• Analyzing User Intent 
• Mining Your Existing Content
• FAQ: What is the best long-tail keyword strategy for your business? 

Understanding Long-Tail Keywords

Long-tail keywords are extended and precise search queries that users enter into search engines. Unlike short-tail keywords, which are more generic and competitive, long-tail keywords cater to a niche audience. For instance, while “shoes” is a short-tail keyword, “comfortable running shoes for flat feet” is a long-tail keyword.

When dealing with long-tail queries, it’s important to be discerning in your selection. Avoid generating content for the sake of quantity — opt for subjects closely aligned with your expertise or product offerings and remain within your core business objectives. The content you produce must be relevant, helpful and valuable to your audience.

Benefits of Long-Tail Keywords

Did you know that most US search queries get less than 10 searches per month? Long-tail keywords offer a specificity that attracts fewer people but leads to higher conversion rates for those people. A long-tail keyword approach is perfect for establishing a foothold in a fresh market.

When launching a new website or delving into a new subject, concentrating on long-tail keyword phrases in your content can enhance your visibility among the intended audience. Due to their unique and infrequent search nature, long-tail keywords attract users with precise intentions.

Producing high-quality content that meets these specific queries cultivates your reputation with the right individuals. It also serves as an effective SEO strategy for launching your endeavors and advancing your rankings in areas pertinent to your niche.

It’s true that each singular long-tail keyword may not inundate your website with a surge of traffic. Nevertheless, as you target an increasing number of these keywords, the cumulative search traffic will gradually amass into a substantial flow.

Moreover, considering the abundance of long-tail keywords across virtually every industry, the likelihood of running out of them is pretty remote.

Using Tools for Keyword Research

There are various approaches available for discovering long-tail keywords. Some may be more laborious than others, some could be considered somewhat “unconventional,” and a few are simply inaccurate.

Certain SEO specialists recommend obtaining long-tail keywords through Google Autosuggest. This involves inputting your primary keyword along with various alphabet letters. Google Autosuggest tends to provide predominantly popular search queries rather than the sought-after long-tail variations. Many of the suggested keywords are likely to be well-known and competitive.

To find long-tail keywords, consider utilizing keyword research tools such as Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, Ahrefs, or even our own SEOToolSet®. These tools provide data on search volume, competition and related keywords, helping you identify valuable long-tail opportunities.

Analyzing User Intent

Put yourself in the shoes of your target audience and think about the specific questions or problems they might have. Crafting keywords around these pain points can yield fruitful results.

Analyzing user intent requires a deep dive into the mindset of your potential visitors. To do this effectively, consider conducting surveys and user interviews or using analytics tools to gain insights into your audience’s questions, needs and desires. This first-hand data can be invaluable in crafting long-tail keywords that directly address your audience’s challenges.

Another key aspect of user intent analysis is recognizing the different stages of the customer journey. Users searching for information or solutions may be at various stages, from the awareness stage (where they are just identifying a problem) to the decision stage (where they are ready to purchase or take action).

Tailoring your long-tail keywords to match these different stages can help you capture users’ attention at the right time and guide them through the entire journey. This means creating content that provides informative answers and gradually nudges them toward conversion or engagement.

In essence, user intent analysis empowers you to create a holistic long-tail keyword strategy that aligns with your audience’s needs at every stage of their journey.

Mining Your Existing Content

One of the most efficient ways to uncover long-tail keyword opportunities is to mine your existing content. Examine your current content for phrases relevant to your niche that may have yet to be fully optimized, then revise and update your content accordingly to include these keywords. This process saves time and maximizes the value of the content you’ve already invested in.

Start by conducting a content audit and reviewing your blog posts, articles and other pages for underutilized long-tail keyword options. You may find sections of your content where long-tail keywords could be naturally incorporated. Enhancing these sections with the right keywords will improve the visibility and relevance of your content.

Consider repurposing and expanding existing content to target specific long-tail keyword variations. If you identify a cluster of closely related long-tail keywords, you can create a comprehensive, in-depth guide or resource that covers the topic comprehensively. This provides valuable information to your audience and boosts your authority in the niche. Remember to update the publication date and promote these refreshed pieces to ensure they gain the attention they deserve.

Mining your existing content can yield significant gains in your long-tail keyword strategy by breathing new life into your previous work and aligning it with current search trends and user needs.

Long-tail keywords are invaluable tools in your SEO and content strategy arsenal. By catering to specific user needs and optimizing your content accordingly, you can tap into a niche audience that is more likely to convert.

Our SEO experts can help you identify long-tail keywords and incorporate them into your content strategy to improve relevance, visibility and authority. Contact us for a free consultation.

FAQ: What is the best long-tail keyword strategy for your business?

The best long-tail keyword strategy for your business depends on various factors, including your industry, target audience and the specific goals you aim to achieve.

One practical approach is to focus on informational long-tail keywords. These keywords are centered around answering questions, solving problems, or providing valuable insights to your audience.

By creating content that addresses these specific user needs, you can position your business as a reliable source of information, attract qualified traffic and build authority in your niche. This strategy is especially beneficial for businesses seeking to establish themselves as experts and nurture long-term relationships with their audience.

Another powerful long-tail keyword strategy involves targeting transactional keywords. These keywords are often used by users closer to making a purchase decision.

By optimizing your product or service pages with transactional long-tail keywords, you can attract potential customers who are actively seeking to buy.

This strategy is ideal for e-commerce businesses or service providers looking to boost conversions and drive revenue. It’s important to conduct thorough keyword research to identify transactional long-tail keywords that align with your offerings and create compelling content to convince users to take action.

To determine the best long-tail keyword strategy for your business, you must strategically combine both informational and transactional approaches. This entails providing valuable information through content while seamlessly guiding users toward conversion points.

You can effectively nurture leads and transform them into loyal customers by striking a balance between educating your audience and offering solutions that meet their specific needs. Your choice of long-tail keywords should align with your business objectives and the preferences of your target audience.

Continuously monitor the performance of your keywords and be ready to adapt your strategy to stay in sync with evolving search trends and user behavior.

Step-by-Step Procedure:

1. Understanding the role long-tail keyword phrases play in SEO is critical.
2. Identify your target audience and their specific needs or pain points.
3. Utilize keyword research tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, Ahrefs, or SEOToolSet®.
4. Conduct keyword research to discover potential long-tail keywords relevant to your niche.
5. Analyze search volume and competition for each keyword.
6. Focus on keywords with lower competition and higher relevance to your content.
7. Consider user intent when crafting long-tail keyword phrases.
8. Create content that addresses the specific queries or problems associated with your chosen keywords.
9. Optimize your existing content by incorporating relevant long-tail keywords.
10. Ensure that your content provides valuable information to users.
11. Monitor the performance of your content using analytics tools.
12. Adjust your strategy based on the performance data.
13. Continuously update and refine your content to stay competitive.
14. Build backlinks to your content to improve its visibility.
15. Engage with your audience through comments and social media.
16. Track your rankings in search engine results pages (SERPs).
17. Measure the conversion rate and ROI of your long-tail keyword strategy.
18. Adapt and evolve your keyword strategy as search trends change.
19. Stay abreast of the latest algorithmic updates and SEO best practices.
20. Reap the benefits of targeted, high-converting traffic generated by long-tail keywords.

The post How Can I Find Long-Tail Keywords and Why Are They Valuable? appeared first on Bruce Clay, Inc..

Life has a lot of lessons to offer. And so does your content. If you want to improve your content and have a more productive SEO strategy, here are five rules to live by:

1. ABO: always be optimizing
2. Know what your readers want or be irrelevant
3. Know what your competitors are up to so you can maintain your edge
4. Always make each and every webpage quality
5. Aim for a good balance of quality and quantity 

FAQ: How can I create an effective SEO content strategy that improves search engine rankings and drives organic traffic?

1. ABO: Always Be Optimizing

Content without optimization is like peanut butter without jelly. Sure, you can eat a peanut butter sandwich without jelly, but why would you?

Just like jelly gives peanut butter that finishing touch, optimizing your webpages puts the final touches on your content.

You can have the most incredible content in the world, but if your page is too slow to load or you have duplicate meta data, your content performance can fall short.

To make sure the content will perform for you, there is a lot to consider outside the words you’ve written or the video you’ve created.

That’s why optimized content and webpages are a cornerstone of SEO.

Read:

• What is Content Optimization?
• The Always-Up-to-Date SEO Checklist

2. Know What Your Readers Want or Be Irrelevant

Many people have asked, “Who am I?” at some point in their lives. When it comes to SEO content, however, you want to ask: Who are they?

In other words, do you know who reads your content? Do you know the unique challenges they face, their deepest desires, and what matters most to them? If not, then your content may fail to strike a chord.

Make a better connection with your audience by defining who they are. This is where creating audience personas can be key. Then, map your content topics to each persona.

Keyword research can be a great complement to this exercise. It will show you the types of queries your target audience uses when they look for what you have to offer.

Take those keywords and marry them with your personas. You’ll then have the foundation for content that can reach them at the moment they need it with what they need.

Read:

• Web Personas: Creating Jane
• What Are Keywords? 
• 7 Keyword Suggestion and Research Tools

3. Know What Your Competitors Are Up to So You Can Maintain Your Edge

All those research studies that come out telling you that content performs better if it is X, Y and Z is much too generic to follow.

In SEO, beating your competition is the name of the game. And you can’t beat your competition without first studying them.

And that means knowing who shows up on Page 1 of the search results for your target keywords and analyzing their webpages.

How are they presenting the topic and how can you stand out? What is the average length of the articles for the top-ranked webpages? What about the sweet spot for the meta data?

If you rely on general benchmarks, you will never truly embrace the uniqueness of your own SEO content strategy.

Read:

• Competitor Research for SEO: What, Why, How
• How to Do Competitor Research for SEO
• Want Customized SEO Advice Per Keyword? There’s an App for That!

4. Always Make Each and Every Webpage Quality

Any job worth doing in life is worth doing well. And when it comes to your SEO content, don’t skimp.

Quality content contributes to so many key aspects of SEO. Remember that experience, expertise, authority and trust are all factors in how Google assesses content and website quality.

This is important because you want to be able to compete in the search results. And demonstrating E-E-A-T can make your webpages more relevant to Google for a given search.

And don’t forget: If you have quality content, people will want to read and share it, which can help you earn links correctly.

Read:

• What Makes a Webpage Quality?
• The Complete Guide to the Basics of Google’s E-E-A-T
• The New Link Building Manifesto: A Complete Guide to Earning Links That Count

5. Aim for a Good Balance of Quality and Quantity

Over the years, the SEO perspective on content has changed.

At one point, it was that cranking out as much content as possible was the thing. Then Google stepped in and put its foot down; there were just too many subpar webpages out there.

So quality became a primary focus of the search engine. SEOs took a step back, played it cautiously, and adopted a quality-over-quantity approach.

But just like you need balance in life, you need balance in your SEO content.

It is true that you always want each piece to be quality, but does that mean you only publish once every couple of weeks? It depends on how fast you want to see results.

The fact is, if you want to see your website and blog drive more traffic, publishing more frequently can do just that.

To give you a real world example, we increased blog publishing frequency on our own Bruce Clay Blog beginning in early June 2023. You’ll notice in the image below that direct traffic to our blog sharply increased during that time. Our frequency increased even more in mid-July, and so did our traffic.

The Journey Begins with One Step

Every SEO content strategy is unique, but we can all learn from the wisdom of years of content creation and good SEO performance. Follow these five rules on your content journey and find out for yourself how they can improve your SEO content.

Our SEO experts can help you improve your SEO content strategy. Schedule a free 1:1 consultation here.

FAQ: How can I create an effective SEO content strategy that improves search engine rankings and drives organic traffic?

To start, thoroughly research your target audience and their needs. Understanding their preferences and pain points enables you to create content that resonates deeply.

Begin by conducting thorough keyword research. Identify relevant keywords and phrases that align with your industry and audience. A mix of short-tail and long-tail keywords will provide a balanced approach. Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush and other tools can provide invaluable insight into search volume and competition.

Quality content is non-negotiable. Crafting informative, engaging and original content is essential for retaining visitors and attracting organic backlinks. Leverage your expertise to provide value and establish credibility within your niche. Regularly update your content to reflect industry trends and address emerging topics.

Strategic content organization plays a vital role. Structure your articles with clear headings, subheadings, and concise paragraphs. This not only enhances readability but also improves search engine crawlers’ understanding of your content’s hierarchy and relevance.

Harness the power of on-page SEO elements. Optimize meta titles, descriptions and headers with your target keywords. Ensure your website is responsive and loads quickly across devices. Mobile-friendliness is a key ranking factor that directly impacts user experience.

Promote your content across various channels. Utilize social media, email newsletters, and online communities to amplify your reach. Encourage social sharing and engagement to broaden your content’s visibility and foster a loyal readership.

Step-by-Step Procedure: Creating an Effective SEO Content Strategy

1. Research your target audience’s preferences, pain points and search behavior.
2. Identify a mix of short-tail and long-tail keywords using tools like Google Keyword Planner and SEMrush.
3. Create an editorial calendar outlining topics, keywords and publication dates.
4. Develop high-quality, original content that addresses your audience’s needs.
5. Incorporate target keywords naturally within your content while maintaining readability.
6. Organize your content with clear headings, subheadings and concise paragraphs.
7. Optimize meta titles, descriptions and headers with relevant keywords.
8. Ensure your website is mobile-responsive and optimized for fast loading speeds.
9. Implement a solid internal linking structure to guide users through related content.
10. Leverage high-quality images, infographics and videos to enhance user engagement.
11. Regularly update and refresh existing content to reflect current trends and information.
12. Promote your content across social media platforms and relevant online communities.
13. Encourage social sharing and engagement to expand your content’s reach.
14. Build relationships with influencers and collaborate for mutual content promotion.
15. Monitor your content’s performance using analytics tools to track traffic, engagement and conversions.
16. Continuously refine your content strategy based on data insights and user feedback.
17. Adapt to evolving SEO trends and algorithm changes to maintain your competitive edge.
18. Focus on providing value and relevance to your audience through every piece of content.
19. Stay patient and persistent; SEO results take time to manifest fully.
20. Review and adjust your strategy periodically to align with shifting market dynamics.

The post SEO Content Rules To Live By appeared first on Bruce Clay, Inc..

Keyword research is a big job, and you need the right tools to do it successfully. There are plenty of keyword suggestions and research tools on the market — here are seven of them (in alphabetical order) you should be using to better meet your audience’s needs and rank better in search.

1. Answer The Public
2. Bing Webmaster Tools Keyword Research
3. Google Ads Keyword Planner 
4. Google Trends
5. Keyword Generator (Ahrefs)
6. Keyword Suggestions (SEOToolSet)
7. QuestionDB

FAQ: How can I leverage keyword research tools to enhance my content strategy and SEO efforts?

1. Answer The Public

Answer The Public serves questions and phrases related to your keyword by using autocomplete data from search engines.

Add the data to your keyword research list, then write content to address each relevant question or phrase. You can write a separate webpage for each question or phrase, or include a bunch of them within one article (you might even rank for a featured snippet if you do it the right way).

You can do a couple of searches for free each day, or upgrade to a paid subscription.

2. Bing Webmaster Tools Keyword Research

If you’re trying to compete in Bing, then you’ll want to use its Webmaster Tools keyword research tool to discover the keywords and phrases people are using on the Bing search engine.

Take your seed list of keywords and input them into the tool. The keyword tool will suggest matching or relevant keywords related to them, including search volume and trends. Keywords suggestions fall into the following three categories: related, questions, or newly discovered.

Plus, the tool also provides the top-ranked URLs for the root keywords and can also give data on the keywords that are already driving traffic to your website. There are all sorts of filters you can apply to the data to refine it as well.

Bing Webmaster Tools keyword research feature is free for those who have an account.

3. Google Ads Keyword Planner

The Google Ads Keyword Planner is not just for advertisers; it’s also a handy SEO keyword research tool for websites competing in Google.

Input your seed list and the keyword suggest tool will help you find the most relevant keywords. Or, you can enter your website and Google will look for keywords related to the content.

The Keyword Planner gives data on search volume and will provide bid estimates for advertisers (which can also help gauge how competitive a keyword in organic search will be). You can narrow down your search by using various filters as well.

Keyword Planner is free for anyone who has a Google Ads account.

4. Google Trends

Google Trends offers — you guessed it — trends on search queries. You can enter a given keyword and get various data points on it, including:

• Interest over time
• Interest by region
• Related topics
• Related queries

You can also apply filters like what type of search — web search, image search, news search, etc.

You can also check out the Trending Now page to see what’s currently trending around the world. This can be useful for writing on timely topics.

Google Trends is a free keyword research tool.

5. Keyword Generator (Ahrefs)

Ahrefs’ Keyword Generator is a keyword suggestion tool that lets you enter up to 10 words or phrases and generates keywords for the search engine of your choice (there are nine of them), including Google, Bing, YouTube, Amazon and more. Filter by country.

The data is offered up into six categories of keyword types, including: Phrase match, having the same terms as your seed list, keywords the top-competing pages also rank for, search suggestions via autocomplete, newly discovered keywords and question formats.

Get data like keyword difficulty scores and search volume for each keyword listed. You can use filters to find those keywords with good search volume and low competition (the sweet spot!).

Also, find out any SERP features associated with that keyword (a must when you are doing a whole-SERP SEO strategy). And, you can use this tool to find out SEO metrics on the top-ranked webpages for a term, too.

You can use the free version with limited functionality, or try a paid trial for a small fee. After that, if you upgrade to a subscription, the Lite version is $99 per month, and the Standard version is $199 per month at the time of writing.

6. Keyword Suggestions (SEOToolSet)

Of course, we have to mention our solution to keyword research, too, and that’s our Keyword Suggestions tool, which is part of our SEOToolSet®.

With the Keyword Suggestions tool, you can find terms that are semantically related to the keywords in your seed list. The tool can provide search activity for each keyword, three metrics to indicate competitiveness, categories, and a trending chart.

The SEOToolSet allows you to research keywords further by presenting more data, including keyword relative “activity” as a search query.

You can use the Keyword Suggestions tool for:

• SEO research
• Content planning
• Discovering word associations for video descriptions
• Finding keywords you might want to exclude from your PPC campaign, and more.

The SEOToolSet offers a free trial and then is $24.95 per month after that. The free version of the Keyword Suggestion tool will serve up five related words and phrases to your keyword (entered one at a time) pulled from search engine data.

7. QuestionDB

QuestionDB allows you to enter a broad keyword and find relevant questions related to it, pulled from its database of more than 32 million questions that “have been asked on various websites over time.”

The generated list will give you the relevant questions for keywords, plus volume and difficulty data from DataForSeo, an SEO data API provider. (“Keyword difficulty represents the median backlink profile strength of the top 10 webpages ranking for a specific keyword,” according to DataForSEO.) From here, you can view related topics and download the list of questions.

QuestionDB is free with limited functionality, offering 50 results per search. You can upgrade for deeper dives into the data and unlimited searches for $15 per month at the time of writing.

Keyword research is not a small feat, and the right tools can help you get the keywords most relevant to your audience and your business. For more on keyword research, check out:

• What Are Keywords?

Don’t have the time or resources to conduct thorough keyword research? Let our SEO experts do the work for you. Schedule a free 1:1 consultation to discuss how we can help.

FAQ: How can I leverage keyword research tools to enhance my content strategy and SEO efforts?

Navigating the complexities of content strategy and search engine optimization demands strategic precision. Keyword research tools are beacons of insight, guiding your content toward relevance and your SEO efforts toward success.

Engaging in a comprehensive content strategy necessitates more than just high-quality writing; it involves strategic keyword integration. Keyword research tools serve as the compass in this journey. By delving into these tools, you uncover trending keywords and gain insights into what your target audience seeks. This valuable understanding empowers you to curate content that resonates deeply with your readers.

Seamless integration of meticulously researched keywords directly influences your search engine rankings. Search engines thrive on relevancy, and these tools offer you the means to align your content with user intent. As you strategically pepper your articles with these keywords, you provide search engines with clear signals, ultimately enhancing your chances of climbing the results ladder.

One key advantage of leveraging keyword research tools lies in uncovering untapped niches. These tools illuminate the uncharted terrain of long-tail keywords, where competition might be less fierce and relevance is more attainable. Incorporating these hidden gems into your content enriches your strategy and helps you reach a more targeted audience.

Beyond keyword discovery, these tools facilitate monitoring and adaptation. Continuously tracking keyword performance offers insights into user behavior shifts. As search trends evolve, these tools empower you to adjust your strategy in real time, ensuring your content remains aligned with your audience’s evolving needs.

Keyword research tools transcend mere words; they are the compass, guide and beacon illuminating your path to successful content strategy and SEO. By harnessing their power, you position your content to resonate with audiences and increase search engine ranks.

Step-by-Step Procedure: How To Leverage Keyword Research Tools for Enhanced Content Strategy and SEO

1. Understand the significance of keyword research in content strategy and SEO.
2. Familiarize yourself with different keyword research tools available in the market.
3. Research your target audience’s preferences, interests and pain points.
4. Explore trending keywords related to your niche using keyword research tools.
5. Identify long-tail keywords that align with your content’s focus.
6. Analyze the search volume and competition level of selected keywords.
7. Prioritize keywords with a balance of search volume and competition.
8. Incorporate relevant keywords organically into your content.
9. Ensure that keywords match user intent and enhance the overall reader experience.
10. Monitor the performance of integrated keywords using tracking tools.
11. Adapt your content strategy based on emerging keyword trends.
12. Utilize keyword research tools to identify content gaps and potential niches.
13. Create content that addresses specific long-tail keywords and user queries.
14. Incorporate keywords in key areas such as headings, subheadings and meta descriptions.
15. Regularly update your content to reflect evolving keyword trends.
16. Engage in competitor analysis to identify keywords driving their success.
17. Leverage keyword research tools to refine and optimize paid advertising campaigns.
18. Collaborate with your SEO team to align keyword research with technical optimization.
19. Continuously educate yourself on emerging SEO and content trends.
20. Keep a pulse on your audience’s preferences to consistently refine your keyword strategy.

The post 7 Keyword Suggestion and Research Tools to Figure Out the Right Keywords for Your SEO Strategy appeared first on Bruce Clay, Inc..

The bucket list is all the things you want to do before you die. I argue that every website needs a bucket list, too. This list prioritizes all the things that need to happen before the site becomes so irrelevant it “dies” in the search results.

There is a lot I could say here. To keep it short and sweet, though, I have categorized the SEO “bucket list” into three main buckets:

1. Get a strong foundation 
2. Create an SEO-friendly architecture
3. Write quality content 
4. FAQ: How can SEO Siloing improve my website’s subject and website authority?

1. Get a Strong Foundation

Search engines want to rank websites that provide a good user experience. That means: Get the technical stuff right.

This includes:

• An SEO-friendly content management system
• SEO-friendly web design (HTML Living Standard code and W3C compliance, for instance)
• A mobile-friendly website
• A fast website
• A modern design
• User-friendly webpages
• Technical SEO best practices

This list may seem small, but getting everything right in each of those bullet points is a huge undertaking. When you do get it right, though, your site can better compete in the search results.

2. Create an SEO-Friendly Architecture

How you organize the content on a website matters to both search engines and website visitors. This includes the navigation and internal linking of webpages.

SEO-friendly site architecture is created through SEO siloing. Siloing creates content categories/directories on a site based on the keywords you’ve selected through keyword research.

This SEO strategy helps to build subject and website authority and clearly tells the search engines what the content is about. In other words: It can make your website more relevant for a search.

For more on this, read:

• SEO Siloing: What, Why, How
• 5 Times When SEO Siloing Can Make or Break Your Rankings

3. Write Quality Content

If you haven’t seen Google’s Search Quality Rater Guidelines, then it’s time to do some reading on how important it is that you get the “quality content” piece right.

Of course, those guidelines are not the end all be all, but they are useful to understand how Google thinks about quality. Ultimately, you have to decide what is quality content for your website, and Google agrees.

Giving your website visitors useful information written by experts on the matter is the goal. How you go about doing that is up to you.

In general, though, you will need things like:

• A webpage with a clear purpose that delivers on that purpose.
• Content that is created with a good amount of expertise on the subject matter.
• Information that is well-written and useful.
• An optimized webpage in keeping with SEO best practices.

Content is one of the most important ranking factors, and quality content can often trump other ranking signals all else equal.

For more on this, read:

• What Makes a Webpage Quality?
• The Complete Guide to the Basics of Google’s E-E-A-T
• What Are Meta Tags?
• The Always-Up-to-Date SEO Checklist

This SEO bucket list helps ensure that your website is relevant for search queries and useful to your target audience. Don’t wait until your website dies before you prioritize doing all the important things that will keep your business alive online.

FAQ: How can SEO siloing improve my website’s subject and website authority?

SEO siloing is a powerful website structuring technique that significantly influences how search engines perceive and rank your website. By organizing your content into distinct categories or “silos” based on relevant keywords, you can create a logical and hierarchical structure that enhances your website’s subject relevance and authority.

When implementing SEO siloing, start by conducting comprehensive keyword research to identify primary topics related to your website’s niche. Group these keywords into relevant clusters, each representing a specific content category. For example, if you own a gardening website, you might have silos for “Vegetable Gardening,” “Flower Gardening,” and “Gardening Tools.”

Within each silo, create in-depth and valuable content that covers various aspects of the topic. Ensure that the content is interlinked through contextual internal links, guiding visitors and search engine crawlers to related articles within the same silo. This internal linking strategy reinforces the subject relevance and authority of each silo.

It is vital to keep each silo focused on its primary topic without mixing unrelated content. By doing so, you enhance the clarity and expertise of your website, establishing yourself as a trustworthy resource within your niche. Search engines recognize the organization and topical focus which can lead to improved rankings for your targeted keywords.

Another benefit of siloing is that it allows you to demonstrate expertise on specific subjects. When your content consistently delves deep into a particular topic, it signals to search engines that your website is a valuable and authoritative source on that subject. This can lead to higher rankings for related search queries and increased organic traffic.

Siloing enhances user experience by making it easier for visitors to navigate your website. The logical organization and clear interlinking guide users to relevant information, reducing bounce rates and increasing engagement. This positive user experience signals search engines that your website provides valuable content, contributing to improved rankings.

To make the most of siloing, regularly update and expand the content within each silo. As your website’s authority on specific subjects grows, you can explore broader or more specialized topics, further solidifying your website’s position as a go-to resource in your industry.

SEO Bucket List: How To Effectively SEO Silo Your Site

1. Perform comprehensive keyword research to identify primary topics and keywords related to your website’s niche.
2. Group similar keywords into content categories or silos, each representing a specific subject area.
3. Create high-quality and valuable content within each silo, covering various aspects of the topic.
4. Ensure contextual internal linking between articles within the same silo to reinforce subject relevance and authority.
5. Keep each silo focused on its primary topic and avoid mixing unrelated content to maintain clarity and expertise.
6. Regularly update and expand the content within each silo to demonstrate ongoing expertise and relevance.
7. Implement SEO best practices, including proper URL structures, meta tags and optimized headings within each silo.
8. Monitor and analyze the performance of each silo using web analytics tools to identify areas for improvement.
9. Engage in off-page SEO activities such as building quality backlinks and guest posting to further boost website authority.
10. Conduct competitor analysis to identify gaps and opportunities within your niche and adjust your siloing strategy accordingly.
11. Optimize website speed and performance to enhance user experience and reduce bounce rates.
12. Use responsive web design to ensure an optimal user experience across devices.
13. Audit your website regularly for broken links, duplicate content and any technical issues that could impede its SEO performance.
14. Monitor search engine algorithm updates and adjust your siloing strategy accordingly to stay competitive.
15. Pay attention to topics relevant to your audience and modify your content strategy using data-driven insights.
16. Utilize user-generated content like testimonials and reviews to establish trust among your target market.
17. Foster a community around your website by engaging with your audience through comments and discussions.
18. Stay up-to-date with the latest SEO trends and industry developments to maintain a competitive edge in your niche.

The post The SEO Bucket List: 3 Things To Do Before Your Site Dies appeared first on Bruce Clay, Inc..