Search Engine Optimizaiton (SEO)consists of two parts – on page optimization and off page optimization. On page SEO consists of optimizing your own physical website and content. Off page SEO consists of everything “off” of your website such as link building, social media marketing, etc. With all this said, any SEO whether it’s on page or off page should start with keyword research. Doing some research and then selecting the best keywords and keyword phrases that will attract visitors that are interesting is the most important step with Search Engine Optimization. One of the biggest mistakes with SEO is selecting the wrong keyword phrases and then creating an expensive campaign around those keywords. What should you look out for when starting with keyword research?
Keyword research mistakes
Daily search volume: Never select keywords that are only based on the search volume. This is natural, but try to select keywords based on relevance. Focus on the keywords that your best buyers would use to search for your business on Google.
Phrase match: When doing keyword research, base the keywords you select on phrase match and not broad match as the order of words does play an important role.
Keyword length: Don’t include only short keywords and phrases with your campaign. Short keywords doesn’t attract the right buyers or will convert. Interested people that want to buy mostly use a couple of words to describe what they are looking for. Buyer keywords and phrases are very specific to the product.
General keywords: Don’t use general keywords for the people that are just looking for information but have no reason to take an action. Focus on the keywords that will attract interested people that will complete an action.
Local keywords and phrases: Target a couple of local keywords and phrases that your local customers will use on Google to find you. Make use of the area you service by displaying your address prominently on your pages and targeting local keywords.
