SEO 101: Keywords
What Are Keywords?
Keywords are terms or phrases users type on search engines to find information about a specific topic. They are also known as ‘key phrases’, ‘SEO keywords’ or ‘search queries’. Examples of keywords can be a single word such as a ‘wedding’ or multi-word phrases like ‘wedding planning in Hobart’. So when you think keywords don’t automatically assume a single word, because as you’ll know from your own searches, we usually type more than one word into Google!
Often when we look at keywords from an SEO perspective we’re considering why someone is searching for that - often called the User Intent. The intent behind these keywords may vary, however, a study conducted by the University of Hong Kong in 2016 found that at a primary level, online search intentions can be categorised into two search goals.
Users are looking to find the exact information related to the keyword queried.
Users are looking for more general information about the search query.
This study explains that online user search intentions can be generalised as specificity and exhaustivity intent. This means that while some users’ interests have narrow and focused goals, other users may have a wider or general scope of interests.
If you’re interested in understanding how and why people search online, we recommend a quick read from Search Engine Journal, where they deep dive into the science behind the user intent.
In this article, however, we’ll focus on keywords: their functionality, how to use them and how to perform keyword research.
So, let’s get started.
What Function Do Keywords Play?
When discussing SEO, keywords are the cornerstone. Their essential functions are as follows:
Tell Google how relevant your content is
Keywords help search engines understand what your content is about and will ensure that it’s shown to users who are searching for related information. In terms of SEO, ranking on the first result of Google for your main keywords can bring you quality targeted traffic to your site.
It’s said that keywords are a key part of your website’s foundation. Their importance lies in the fact that they communicate to Google and users what your website is about and how relevant your content is to users’ queries. For example, let’s take a look at JB Hi-Fi’s website.
This image shows the main keywords JB-HiFi rank for as of October 2023.
A closer look at their ranking keywords instantly reveals the website's focus and the specific products they're offering, such as Apple smartphones, massagers, Nintendo Switches, laptops, fridges and other electronic devices.
Help your pages rank on Google
Keyword ranking is the position of your web pages on search engines after a user types a search query. As we mentioned before, ‘keywords’ help Google match your website to relevant Google searches, the right keywords in the right spots will mean your website shows higher than others.
If you want to rank higher than your competitors in search engine results pages (SERPs) and boost your website's visibility, consider optimising your website content with your relevant keywords. Remember not to use the same words too much, and it’s a good practice to use different versions of the same words in your page content and headings.
In the previous example, JB Hi-Fi ranks in the first position of Google in Australia when users type ‘switches Nintendo’. When we perform a search ourselves for ‘switches Nintendo’ on Google, the first result we see is for the switches Nintendo product page of JB Hi-Fi, and they’re even ahead of the Australian official Nintendo website. It’s important to keep in mind that these results could change over time.
Improve your site’s user experience
We could say that keywords are the silent architects of user satisfaction, shaping how easy and pleasant your website or mobile app is to interact with. Simply put, the right keywords don’t just answer your users’ queries; they play a key role in improving the overall user experience.
Think of it this way: when users type specific queries related to your products or services into search engines, your content will meet their expectations if you have chosen the right keywords to optimise it. More than just providing generic answers to their questions, it's about offering tailored responses that resonate with your audience's needs, making it easy for them to find what they're looking for. Therefore, by selecting the right keywords to optimise your content, you can create a clear and personal path for users, consequently improving your site’s user experience.
Bring quality traffic to your website
Targeted keywords can attract organic (unpaid) traffic to your website, potentially converting visitors into customers or subscribers.
Targeted keywords are the specific terms or key phrases your target audience and visitors use in search engines when looking for information, services or products your business offers. Remember, keywords are typically phrases and not single words.
In the image below, when we type the phrase "wedding celebrant services," you can see several results on the first page of Google. These results highlight the main keywords that businesses use to match the user's query.
When we talk about keyword targeting, we want to be sure we are using those keywords that are relevant to your business. If you have an Italian restaurant, for example, your content should be around your service, your menu and everything in between. It wouldn’t make any sense to anyone if you wrote about Turkish food or cleaning products.
This is what we mean when we say you should focus on quality traffic rather than traffic alone. People whose searches more closely match your website are more likely to become clients or customers, therefore you should focus on the keywords that match your products and services, even if the estimated traffic is low. After all, isn’t it better to get less traffic and more customers, rather than more website traffic and fewer customers?
The question is: how do you find keywords that are right for your business? This process is known as keyword research. And we’ll cover that next.
Keyword research
What’s keyword research?
Keyword research is basically the process of identifying and analysing specific terms or phrases that people use to find information online.
Researching keywords gives you an idea and understanding of what and how your target audience is searching for your content, products or services. You can also better understand what’s the demand for certain keywords and how hard or easy it would be to compete for those terms or phrases against your competitors in search results.
User search intent
Today, keyword research focuses on search intent. In other words, it focuses on understanding the primary goal a user has when typing a query in a search engine. Having said that, keyword research it’s not just about checking the search volume of a specific keyword, it’s more about exploring the different ways people use language to research an idea or topic. That’s why keyword research is more than just a part of content marketing, it’s a major element of it. Once you know what your audience searches for, and what are their needs, problems and questions, you can create targeted content that drives the ‘right’ people to your site, the people who are more likely to become your next customers.
Where to start your keyword research?
Before anything else, we need a starting point when it comes to keyword research.
Your starting points are ‘seed keywords’ or short-tail keywords with one or two words that are the most relevant to your niche. For example, if you own a bakery, your seed keywords may be ‘pastries’ or ‘muffins’.
Ask yourself questions like the following, to help you brainstorm:
What's my website about?
What do I offer?
What keywords do I think I want to rank for?
What words would someone use if they were looking for my services?
Your seed keywords can come from your own knowledge or experience, the products or services you offer, your competitors' websites or social media. There are other elements you can take advantage of in finding what your audience is looking for, known as SERP features called ‘People Also Ask’ and ‘ Related Searches’.
Online marketing tools are also helpful when researching your keywords. There are plenty in the market, including Ubersuggest, Wordstream, Answer the Public and Semrush. While these tools can be very useful in your research process, their free version may not provide the most relevant keywords for your business. So, you might need to subscribe to access all the keyword suggestions.
Keyword Research is a big beast of a process and there are many steps after identifying the seed keywords. If you’re keen to know more, please get in contact, and we can chat about how we can help.
By performing keyword research, you will discover several potentially relevant topics and be able to create and optimise content so it can appear when users are searching for your products or services.
Where do keywords go?
Now that we've talked about how important keywords are and how they help people find your products and services online, let's see where to put them on your website. Adding keywords in the right places helps search engines understand your site and show it to more people. They should be naturally added throughout your content and also included in the meta title, meta descriptions and headings (H1, H2, H3, etc.).
The image below shows how the keyword SEO agency has been added in an article’s text, as well as, in its headings.
Measuring Keywords
Understanding the impact of your keywords is as important as placing them strategically. Tools like Search Engine Console provide valuable insights into how your keywords are performing, helping you refine and optimise your approach.
Google Search Console would tell you the average position of your website for specific keywords, including the total of clicks and the number of impressions. The following screenshot shows these metrics for keywords used by a website that offers septic pumping services in Hobart, Tasmania. In this example, we can see that the website has appeared in the fifth position on Google, received 167 impressions and 11 users clicked on the link to their site.
This image shows keywords metrics for a septic pumping business as of October 2023.
If you want to learn more about keyword ranking and other important metrics your business should be focusing on, check out our article on the top three metrics to track for SEO success. As you begin on your SEO journey, remember that effective SEO is an ongoing process. Stay updated with industry trends, adapt to evolving algorithms and continue refining your keyword strategy to ensure sustained online success.