What Are Keywords? Explained by Digimagg

Keywords represent the concepts and subjects that characterize your content. In SEO, they refer to the terms users input into search engines to find content, known as "search queries." As a website owner and content creator, aligning your keywords with what users are searching for increases the likelihood of your content appearing in search engine results.

Importance of Keywords

Keywords play a pivotal role in understanding search trends and connecting with your target audience effectively. When utilized effectively, keyword-optimized content can facilitate engagement with your audience at crucial purchasing stages, leading to potential conversions. Many advanced SEO and digital marketing strategies stem from the foundational practice of generating, grouping, and clustering keywords to create tailored content that resonates with your ideal audience.

For those aiming to boost organic traffic, the keywords chosen for content creation and optimization determine how users discover your website through search engines. Careful selection of primary keywords ensures alignment between user intent and content, avoiding irrelevant traffic. Keywords are not only about your content but also about understanding your audience's language and preferences. Misalignment between your descriptions and how your audience searches may result in missed opportunities or resource drain. Therefore, crafting content that ranks well organically and attracts visitors necessitates a deep understanding of your audience's needs and content consumption habits.

Strategies for Discovering Keywords

Tread 1: Engage with your customers

Start by engaging with your current customer base, who are a representative sample of potential future customers. Learn about their pain points, expressions, concerns, and preferences directly from them or through teams interacting with them. Utilize this feedback as the cornerstone of your customer-focused language.

Tread 2: Participate in online communities

Active involvement in relevant online forums and community groups can offer valuable insights. Platforms like Subreddits, Facebook groups, or Discords serve as rich sources of information that can be utilized to craft FAQs, support materials, or refine product descriptions. For instance, observing discussions in a wild swimming Facebook group might reveal crucial insights about the importance of neoprene gloves and boots' fit, prompting the creation of a detailed size guide and clearer information on return policies to address customer concerns.

Tread 3: Explore Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs)

Expand your search for keywords beyond conventional methods. Explore SERP features, particularly the 'People Also Ask' and 'Related Searches' sections, which offer suggestions on additional topics your audience may be exploring. 

Tread 3: Conduct keyword research

Keywords and keyword research are essential components of content creation. Initiating your own keyword research is more straightforward than you may imagine. Utilizing a complimentary keyword research tool such as Keyword Explorer enables you to conduct multiple searches at no cost.

To organize, refine, and categorize up to 1000 keyword suggestions, consider registering for a complimentary trial of Moz Pro. By entering your seed word and with a simple click, you'll unlock a plethora of keywords, aiding in your understanding and targeting of your audience.

Understanding Long-Tail Keywords

Keywords can range from broad and general (referred to as "head keywords" or "seed keywords") to more specific combinations of terms, known as "long-tail keywords." According to Moz's Marketing Scientist Pete Meyers, the long tail of search refers to the vast realm of low-volume (and typically low-competition) keywords. Long-tail SEO strategy involves targeting numerous low-volume keywords instead of concentrating on a few high-volume ones. This is depicted by the search demand curve, where long-tail keywords often exhibit greater specificity and richer intent compared to broader terms. For instance, comparing "bicycle" to "best ebikes for commuting" reveals clearer user intent with the latter. 

While targeting and ranking for single keywords may seem appealing due to their high search volume, they often come with tough competition. For instance, aiming to rank for "clothes" with a boutique clothing store will be challenging against giants like Amazon, H&M, and Nordstrom. Additionally, singular keywords can be ambiguous, making it unclear what the searcher actually wants—whether it's information about dog breeds, dog food, or where to buy a dog collar. On the other hand, long-tail keywords typically have more specific intent, such as "best organic dog food for a puppy" or "inexpensive dog walkers Seattle." These phrases often face less competition, providing smaller sites with an opportunity to gain visibility on search engine results pages (SERPs).

Where to Place Keywords on Your Page

Paraphrased: Keyword placement is where the efforts of SEO professionals and content creators intersect, forming a crucial aspect of on-page SEO, one of the three main categories of SEO practice alongside off-page SEO and technical SEO. Adhering to some fundamental rules of keyword usage is essential to start with. Each page of your website should feature distinct keywords in areas typically scrutinized by both search engine bots and human users to assure them of the relevance of your content.

The key areas where keywords should be strategically placed on your page are:

Title tags

Appearing in search results and browser tabs, these should be concise and appealing to human users while being optimized for search engine algorithms. Avoid clickbait tactics that obscure the true intent of the page.

URL

The web address of your page displayed in search results and browser tabs, which should be crafted to include your target keywords in a clear and understandable structure.

Meta description

Displayed in search results and influencing user behavior, each page should have a unique meta description containing the target keywords.

Page title (H1)

This appears within your page content, aiding in formatting for readability by humans and signaling topic relevance to search engines.

Subheadings (H2)

Crucial for content management systems and design, subheadings assist visitors in navigating content and help search engines comprehend the content's subject matter.

Image Alt attributes

Often overlooked, Alt text for images adds value for users unable to view images and provides context for search engine bots, enhancing the overall optimization of your content.

Body of content

Keywords should naturally feature within the body of your content, with the primary focus on creating valuable and engaging content for users rather than merely inserting keywords. Providing relevant, high-quality, and unique content sends strong signals to search engine algorithms. 

Most of these components can be fine-tuned even after your content has been published, except for the URL, which should ideally remain unchanged unless there's a compelling reason to alter it.

Incorporating your keywords into these sections represents a fundamental approach to aligning your content with search queries. While it may not yield immediate top-ranking results, it constitutes essential SEO practice. Neglecting these foundational steps could hinder your ranking potential through other optimization methods. 

Keyword research best practices

• Conduct keyword research to gain deeper insights into your audience and collect industry-specific keywords.
• Ensure that your keywords align with user intent.
• Incorporate your primary keywords into title tags, on-page content, H1 tags, and, where appropriate, in the page URL, meta description, and alt attributes—avoid overusing keywords where they don't fit naturally!
• Regularly update your keyword research to keep up with emerging trends.

Utilize Keywords to Develop a Content Strategy

Paraphrased: While beginning with a keyword is common when creating content, there are instances where content already exists, requiring alignment with keywords. To achieve this, establish a "content to keyword map." This mapping aids in assessing existing content, identifying deficiencies, and strategizing accordingly.

As keywords play a pivotal role in page identification, organizing content, and strategy development, initiating a spreadsheet (termed "content to keyword map") is fundamental. Assign primary keywords to each article and customize the sheet with relevant metrics like keyword search volume, organic traffic, and Page Authority.

Ideally, each page should target a distinct primary keyword. Typically, the homepage targets broad industry terms, while category pages, product pages, and articles delve into niche-specific needs.