Keywords for better search engine results

A while back, I wrote about tactics that draw and keep your website audience. One tactic I mentioned was using keywords within your website.

Using keywords effectively in your website or blog will increase your visibility in search engine results (keeping in mind, there are other factors that impact those results). And by raising your visibility, you increase your opportunities for bringing readers to your site through search engine results.

What do I mean by keywords?

Keywords are those words and phrases that searchers use to search for your products and services. You want to use these keywords within your site or blog because this is one important way that Google will determine the “match” or “relevancy” of your site content and your searchers’ query.

How does Google determine your site’s content?

Google spiders and other search engine crawlers constantly crawl the web indexing and collecting information about “what’s out on the web.” As spiders crawl your site, they are reading your content looking for signs of what your site is about. Once the search engines have collected this data, they match searches with relevant sites. So the words and phrases that you use – your keywords – and the way that you use them can help provide good signals to search engines. Your website has a better chance of showing up well in search engine results.

Tactics & Tools to uncover your keywords

1. Google Adsense Keyword Tool

With this tool, you can determine search volume at three different levels (broad, phrase and exact), search volumes for your region in particular (to the country level in this tool) and the level of competition for your keywords.

2. Google Suggest

Use your search box to uncover related and new terms as you type into the search function on Google. Let’s say that your search term is management training. As you type in management, Google will generate other possibilities (and I suspect what others are searching). As you type in your second word, Google will return other suggestions. I’ve listed a Matt Cutts post at the end of this article if you would like to learn more.

3. Google Insights for Search

Google Insights is a tool that helps you identify trends in searches and search volumes. You can also compare search terms with Google Insights. Google Insights also allows you to search at the state or provincial level which is important for a “locally-based” service or product.

4. Ask your existing client base about keywords and phrases

Conduct a straw poll with your existing client base. What terms did they (or would they) use to find the services and products that you offer? Identifying and using the terms that your clients use will result in targeted search results.

And now?

If you want to enhance your site’s visibility in search, you need to incorporate the words, phrases and terms (we call them keywords) your searcher’s use to find you, throughout your site.

Try testing the tools that I have linked to below. Find the keywords your searchers use. And use them throughout your site. Don’t expect instant results in Google or any other search engine – this is unrealistic. But over time, keywords are one tactic to improve your search engine results.

And leave a comment if you have other tactics that help in keyword research. Thanks!

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Cross-posted today on Learn WordPress.