What are Keywords? Why are they Important?

What are Keywords?

Keywords define the subject matter of your content. When it comes to search engine optimization, keywords are the words and phrases that users enter into search engines, also called "search queries." Basically, your primary keywords are the words and phrases that appear on your page.

In order to be found in the search engine results, website owners and content creators want their page to have keywords that are relevant to the search terms people are using.

Why are Keywords Important?

In a nutshell, keywords are the linchpin between what people search for and the content you provide to fill their needs. In order to rank well on search engines you should aim to drive organic traffic to your site from the search engine result pages (SERPs), and what kind of traffic you get will be dictated by the type of keywords you select (meaning the ones that you include in your content). You might want to rank for "new clubs" if you own a golf shop, for example - but if you are not careful, you might attract traffic looking for someplace to dance after dark instead.

You can describe how you offer what you offer in a slightly different way than some people ask for it, so keywords are as much about your audience as they are about your content. Content that ranks well organically on search engines and drives visitors to your site needs to be created with an understanding of the needs of those visitors - the language they use and the type of information they seek. In addition to talking to your customers, visiting forums and community groups, and using keyword research tools like Keyword Suggestion Tool, you can do your keyword research to improve your SEO (search engine optimization).

How to Figure Out What Keywords to Use?

User Intent is Everything 

You should think about your target audience. What do they want you to offer? To find keyword options, I've found that it's best to start with larger concepts and drill down from there.

As an example, if you sell ceramic tiles and would like to target the DIY market, what would DIY customers look for when looking for a product like yours?

Because you are so familiar with your product, you might make a list of the products you sell, what styles you offer, and even words such as "affordable tile," "quality tile," or "marble style ceramic tile."

There is nothing wrong with any of these ideas, but if you talk to people from your target audience, you may find that they see things differently.  People looking for "tile that looks like stone," "buying tile online," or even "Can I install tile myself," are looking for information.

If you want to know what people are searching for, then ask them directly rather than relying on what you think they want.

Consider yourself a partner in their project. The content you provide that answers questions like “Can I install tile myself?“, not only educates the consumer but also gives them a chance to explore your site more deeply.

Check the latest ebook about Keyword Search Intent Vs Search Volume!

Research Potential Keywords Using Keyword Research Tools 

Having learned what people are searching for and gathered input from your target audience, you need to create a list of keywords to target.

Keyword research can be performed in many ways, so it's important to find the tool that suits your needs. ETTVI's keyword tool is an excellent free option.  It will display a list of phrases that contain a term such as "ceramic tile.".

Google also lets you type in terms to see what other suggestions come up as you type. You can also use a thesaurus to find similar words that people might search for.

You can also discover the keywords your competitors are using tools available on the internet. Using tools such as Open Site Explorer and SEMRush, you can see what terms people used to find your competitors' sites. Look at what terms people are using to link to your competitor's site by entering the URL.

Bonus Tool: To check the competition of any keyword, you can use the Keyword Competition Checker Tool.

You need to determine which potential keywords are worth targeting once you have compiled a list. A free option is the ETTVI keyword research tools, which can be used for many different tasks.

For all the terms you are thinking about targeting, you can use it to find search volume. The Keyword Planner will tell you how many times those terms have been searched in an average month.

I mentioned earlier in this article that questions can be used as keyword ideas. A customer's question can serve as a starting point for more relevant keywords.

This is done to identify keywords relevant to a wider range of people with the same question.

Quality Over Quantity

You should always ask yourself if a keyword will bring you quality traffic, despite it having a lot of search traffic.

A keyword like "Glass Tile" might have a lot of traffic, but if all you sell is ceramic tile, your chances of making a sale are low. You should choose keywords that will bring in conversions and revenue.

Do a Google search for a keyword you're on the fence about. Look at the results. Are the results relevant to your site? Does the result page contain ads? Are there a lot of competitors for that keyword?

How to Incorporate Keywords in the Site?

As soon as you come up with a list of keywords you want to target, you either need to create new content around them or incorporate them into existing content. You can start improving your ranking right now by taking these four steps:

Include Keywords in Page Titles

The first thing people see when they search for your page is the title. They know they've found what they're looking for when the keyword they were searching for appears in the title. Moreover, Google focuses on those page titles also.

For better results and effectiveness always try to incorporate your keywords at the start of the title.

Include Keywords in Meta Descriptions

Meta descriptions are not important to Google but users. An effective meta description ensures that users find the content they are looking for and encourages them to click through to your site. Google ranking can be positively impacted by higher click-through rates.

Ensure your meta descriptions describe your page and why users should visit it. What are your shipping policies? Do you offer bulk discounts? what the page is about, and don't forget your keyword to include that needed for proper optimization!

Bonus Tool: You can use Meta Tags Generator to generate meta tags for any page of your website.

Include keywords in URLs

Keep the URL in mind when adding new content. Use your keyword whenever possible and keep it short. Another way to signal Google that your webpage has relevant information is to include a relevant keyword in your URL.

Include Keywords (Often and Naturally) in Content

It is extremely important to provide visitors with relevant content that answers their questions and assists with the purchasing process. It is important to include keywords in your content so that Google can find it and show it to visitors, but engaging, easy-to-understand content will keep them on your page.

The best way to optimize a single page for a target keyword is to assign that keyword to a single page.

You should create content that addresses your preferred keyword if you have identified one you would like to pursue. Try to incorporate the keyword in the first 100 words of your copy in a way that doesn't feel forced, and make sure it doesn't feel forced.

Track and Measure How Well Your Keywords are Performing

It's important to monitor how your keywords perform after you have incorporated them.

You can track keyword changes by using tools like ETTVI which report on them weekly. Your content and meta tags will be analyzed to determine how they affect the performance of the keywords you are targeting. It's possible to determine if the targeted pages are receiving more traffic and if those pages generate more conversions with tools like Google Analytics.

Rankings change weekly as new content is produced. Because of this, it's so important to track the performance of your keywords regularly.

Look at your content if you notice a dip in a keyword's performance. Is the content outdated? Can you add any images, video, or other information to improve the page's relevance?

By maintaining your keywords regularly, you can stay ahead of your competitors. If you learn how to handle it, you'll be surprised at how easy it is.

Bottom Line

Keywords allow search engines to understand the content of your website.You will be listed in the search results if the search terms on your site match those on the user's search.

In addition to quality, performance, relevancy and authority, where your site appears on that list (also referred to as ranking) is determined by multiple factors. Google uses a formula to determine which sites rank the highest. However, if the content of your site isn't relevant to what people are searching for, your site will never be on the list.

The goal isn't just to rank for any keyword. The right kind of targeted visitors can lead to improved brand awareness and increased sales when you rank for relevant, quality keywords.