General, SEO
Keyword FAQ: Why, How, and What + 2 Cool Tools
Apr 17 2018
Why do I need keywords and what do I do with them?
Isn’t it most important to create engaging content? Shouldn’t I be thinking about my content strategy more than keywords?
The answer is yes and no. Think of keywords as part of your content strategy. When creating that amazing content, be deliberate in using your site’s keywords throughout it and in a way that’s strategic. Use them in titles and headers, for example. That will help search engines understand that they’re the focus of the content.
Keep in mind, however, that people don’t only search for keywords using search platforms. They also search for them on social and other platforms. That’s why it’s imperative to know your keywords and use them everywhere!
How do I come up with new keywords?
Keywords tell the world what you’re about and, as importantly, what makes you different than everyone else. Nailing the keywords that make you stand out will help narrow your audience down to the exact people you want reading your content.
When working with clients to broaden their keyword options, we like to use one of our favorite tools. Type in a keyword you’d like to use in a Google Trends search. The result you’ll get includes trend data (is it growing or declining in popularity over time?), related topics, and related queries. This is an incredible tool for using data to determine if additional keywords are right for your content. Use the term “cupcake” for example. In the US, related searches include the word “cupcake” and “unicorn.” If I had a cupcake shop and wanted to capitalize on the popularity of a “unicorn cupcake” I might develop a recipe, feature photos of a unicorn cupcake I created, or create a video of unicorn cupcake ideas.
Google Trends stops the panic when you’re thinking, “I’m running out of content ideas, what do I do?”
You’ll never run out of content ideas if you use this tool in the right way!
What do I do with the questions people ask with regard to my keywords?
Another fantastic tool is AnswerThePublic.com. It allows you to type in a keyword and then generates a list of queries entered into search engines around it. It’s quite spectacular and incredibly helpful! The search below was also run using the keyword “cupcake.”
The easy answer here is that once you know what people are asking, start creating content that answers the questions!
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