The Definitive Keyword Explorer Guide for SEO: key insights

Good keyword research can reveal terms, phrases, questions, and answers that are important to your users and customers. Your keywords should also support business goals, such as getting more pageviews, capturing leads, or selling products and services. To bring more truly qualified leads to your website, you should target the customer's interests and know how to do organic and paid keyword research. Keyword research is the first step in website promotion. The idea behind keyword research is searching and collecting a list of keywords to use on your site, it's one that should be taken seriously. You can increase the visibility of your website by analyzing search queries on it.       

What is Keyword Research?

Keyword research is the process of finding words and phrases that people type into search engines with the intent to find information, services, or products. SEO keywords are a critical aspect of content creation and SEO strategy because they help people discover your website through organic searches on Google, Bing, Yahoo!, or other search engines. A keyword can be a single word like "shoes" or a phrase like "buy running shoes online." The more specific the keyword, the easier it is to rank for in search engine results pages (SERPs).

Why is Keyword Research Important?

Keyword research is essential because it helps you understand what your audience is looking for. It also provides ideas for content topics that will resonate with your target audience. However, keyword research is often an overlooked aspect of SEO. By finding the right keywords, you can improve your website's traffic and rankings. It also helps you identify which keywords are worth targeting for SEO and understand the competition for those keywords.

Creating and Improving Site Structure

 A site structure is now more important than ever before. It makes your site easier to navigate and index for search engines. It's a critical factor in SEO ranking as Google crawls and indexes pages based on the structure of your site. But how do you create and improve your site structure? Below are some tips you can apply;

Creating a Site Structure

Below are some ways to build a site structure;

Plan the categories

The first step to creating a good website structure is planning the categories you want to include on your site. It's essential to keep the number of categories relatively small, as this helps you manage your content more effectively. It also makes it easier for users to find what they are looking for.

Create a hierarchy

If you have created a list of categories, you can create a hierarchy. An excellent way to do this is by creating a visual representation using an Excel sheet or Google Docs. Creating a hierarchy will help you see the structure and clearly how everything fits together.

Create a URL scheme

Once your site structure has been planned, it's time to create a URL scheme. The URL scheme will dictate how your URLs look and should be based on the hierarchy you have already made. If you're using a content management system (CMS), this has likely been set up for you, but if not, then you will need to create the scheme yourself.

Use a shallow depth navigation structure

Using a shallow depth navigation structure is an excellent way to help your users find their way around your site. This involves having just a few levels in your navigation, with most pages being located at the second level or below. It's vital to use breadcrumbs on these deeper pages so that users can easily navigate back up the hierarchy.

Create a header that will be displayed on all pages of your website

This should include the name and logo of the site and a link back to the home page. You can also add additional links, such as search and contact forms.

Improving Your Site Structure

Once you have created your site structure, it's essential to ensure it is as good as possible. Here are some ways you can do this:

Organize and categorize the content

Make sure your content is well organized and categorized so that users can easily find what they are looking for when visiting your site. This will help improve user experience, which will lead to more conversions and a higher ranking on Google.

Improve the site's menu

It should be simple and easy for users to navigate and find the information they need. You can do this by adding clear headings with subheadings under them.

Check the placement of links on your pages

Counter-checking how the links are placed on your pages is essential. If they are too close together, it will become difficult for users to click on them without accidentally hitting another nearby. Also, make sure that there aren't any broken links or 404 errors that could confuse visitors trying to get somewhere else!

Review the links on the footer of the site

Reviewing the links is often a neglected area but can be just as important as the links in the header. Make sure all of your links are working and that they lead to relevant pages on your site.

Understanding the Interest of your Target Audience

To rank your website higher in search engine results pages (SERPs), you must understand your target audience's interests. Why? Because searchers use specific keywords and phrases when looking for information online. If you can identify the right keywords and phrases related to your business, you can create content that will appeal to your target audience. And when you do that, you'll not only rank higher in SERPs but also increase traffic to your website. There are four ways to determine your target audience. They include;

• Geographic; Searching using location-based keywords. For instance, if you're a plumber, you'll want to target people who are searching for "plumbers near me." That's because they're likely to need your services and are looking for local businesses.
• Demographic; Searching for age, gender, and majority interest as keywords.
• Psychographic; The mindset of the searcher based on their lifestyle choices and habits.
• Behavioral: Considering the phase of life they're in (buying cycle).

There's no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to learning and understanding your target audience. You'll need to do some research and experimentation to figure out which keywords and phrases are most relevant to your business. But once you have that information, you can start creating content that will resonate with your target audience and help increase traffic to your website.

Searching for Useful Content Ideas

It can be tough to develop new content ideas, especially when writing about the same topic month after month. But there are a few methods that can help get the creative juices flowing:

Look at your analytics data

See which posts have been most popular and try to develop similar topics. The more popular a subject is, the more people are likely to be interested.

Do a Google search

If you're stuck for ideas, do a quick Google search and look at some of the top results. Chances are, you'll find several new topics to write about.

Look at your competitors

See what topics they're writing about and try to identify angles that you can cover that they haven't.

Use keyword research tools

Tools like Seobase can help you find keywords related to your topic that you may not have thought of before.

Go through the comments on popular blog posts

If you're writing a blog post about making the perfect scrambled eggs, for example, go through the comments on some of the most popular posts on that topic and see what readers want to know more about the topic.

Writing Titles, Descriptions, H1-H6 Headings

For your content to flow and be of high quality, you must write compelling titles and descriptions. Content is not just a medium to convey information; it should also impact the targeted audience.

The Title

The title of your blog post is the first thing that readers will see when they search for terms related to your content online. If you want to make sure that the right audience will read your content, you must make sure that you write an informative and attention-grabbing title.

The Descriptions

After writing a good title for your blog post, it's time to create an equally effective description. It allows people to know what they will get if they click on your blog post.

The Headings H-tags (H1-H6)

Writing headings, subheadings, and the content itself must be done to make it easy for readers to find specific information from your blog post. The H-tags are used to identify and emphasize the most critical pieces of information in your blog post. H1 is the most important (main keyword), and H6 is the least important. You should use all of them for a well-optimized blog post.

Optimizing Images

Optimizing images is among the most important things to increase your site's traffic and improve its search ranking. Pictures can help you get more traffic by improving your site's search ranking. Here are some of the best tips for optimizing images on your website:

Begin with great photos

The best way to optimize your images is by using high-quality photographs. Use a camera with at least 12 megapixels, which will allow you to get the most out of your photos and achieve better results. Be sure to use proper lighting and angles so that your images look professional and not amateurish.

Use a white background

A white background will help your images stand out and look brighter. This is particularly important if you are using dark or colored text on a light background, as it can be challenging to see the text against specific backgrounds. A white background will also make your website's pages load faster, as there is less data for the browser to process

Save images with the correct dimensions

When you save your images, be sure to keep them in the correct dimensions. If you are using a square image, save it as a square. This will help ensure that the image loads quickly and looks good on all devices.

Include keywords in image filenames and alt text

Including keywords in your images' filenames and alt text is another effective way to optimize them for search engines. Keywords in filenames and alt text will help ensure that your photos are found by people who are searching for those keywords.

Provide context around your image

Adding context to your images can also help you optimize them for search engines. This is done by providing a brief description of the image and including relevant keywords.

Benefits of Optimizing Images

There are many benefits of optimizing your website's images, including the following:

Improved website speed

Faster loading times can increase your site's rankings and improve user experience. Users will be more likely to stay on your website if they have a good experience. This means that you will get more traffic and conversions. This is especially important for e-commerce sites, where people are looking to buy products or services from you.

Improved search ranking

Optimized images can help you improve your site's search ranking. Search engines such as Google use image optimization as a factor in their ranking algorithm. The higher your website ranks, the more traffic you get from search engines.

Increased traffic

By optimizing your images, you can increase the traffic to your website. People are more likely to click on relevant and well-optimized images for their search query.

More engaged visitors

Optimized images can also help to engage your website's visitors. Visitors on your site will be more likely to click on an interesting image than a dull one. Additionally, adequately formatted photos can make your website look more professional and credible.

Better user experience

Optimizing your website's images can improve its user experience. People are more likely to stay on a site with high-quality images and an optimized image format. Additionally, users will be able to find what they need faster if the site loads fast and looks good on all devices

Improved brand awareness

Optimizing your website's images can also improve its brand awareness. Most people will be more likely to remember your site if it has high-quality, well-optimized images. Additionally, they may share your pictures on social media, which will help promote your brand to a broader audience.

Selecting Internal and External Links For Anchor Texts

When creating links, it is crucial to select the right anchor texts. This will help you control how your website appears to search engine crawlers and bots. It will also influence the ranking of your web pages on SERPs. An internal anchor text is a link within your website. You can use it to connect between pages of the same domain, subdomain, or even external websites that you own. An external anchor text links to web pages outside your site. It includes other domains and websites on the internet. Linking out will help you build good relationships with other webmasters and business owners. When choosing anchor texts, you must keep in mind the following:

• It should not be overused and only lead to relevant pages on quality websites.
• You can use your SEO Title Tag as an anchor
• The text should be relevant to the page it is linking to.
• It must be keyword rich and help improve your site's ranking on SERPs.
• The text should also be easy to read.
• You can use branded terms and keywords in your anchor texts.

How to Create a List of Keyword for SERP Rank Tracking

 When coming up with a list of keywords for SERP rank tracking, it's essential to consider both your SEO campaign's short- and long-term goals. The first step is to note the seed keywords that reflect your business' products or services. You can use various methods to expand your list and come up with a final set of target keywords. Such methods may include;

• Thinking like the consumer
• Selecting specific keywords to target the consumers
• Selecting general keywords for the general consumers

Once you have your target keywords in hand, you can start tracking your SERP rank for each one. This will help you to gauge the effectiveness of your SEO efforts and make necessary adjustments along the way.

Targeting Contextual and Banner Advertising

There are different types of advertising that you can use to target your customers. Contextual advertising is a type of advertising where the ads are targeted to match the web page's content. Google and Yahoo often use this type of advertising! The advantage of using contextual advertising is reaching potential customers interested in what you offer. Banner advertising is another type of advertising that you can use to target your customers. Banner ads are graphic advertisements that are often used on web pages. The advantage of using banner advertising is reaching many potential customers. Additionally, banner ads are often effective at generating clicks from potential customers.

Setting up Chatbots, Providing User Questions with Answers

It is vital to be where they are to capture the modern consumer's attention! This means being on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter for many people. And for customer service, that also includes having a chatbot available to answer common user questions. A chatbot is a computer program designed to simulate human conversation via text or voice input. You've probably encountered one already. Chatbots answer questions, tell jokes, and help with various tasks. They can even purchase items, complete transactions, and deal with returns.

Factors to Consider when Setting Up Chatbots

If you're ready to take advantage of chatbots, here are a few things to consider:

Determine your objectives

Before setting up your bot, determine what you want the bot to do. Do you want it to answer questions, provide information on your products or services, or help customers with transactions?

Determine the best platform

There are many different platforms available for chatbots. It's a good idea to research which one is right for you before setting up your bot.

Choose your chatbot provider

Different providers offer different chatbot services with unique specifications. Selecting the best chatbot service provider that aligns with your business needs would be best.

Pros of setting up chatbots

Setting up a chatbot can provide several benefits for businesses, including:

• Ease of Use: Chatbots are easy to use and can be implemented without coding.
• Faster Response Time: A chatbot can provide a faster response time than traditional customer service methods.
• 24/Seven Availability: Chatbots are available around the clock, every day of the year.
• Lower Costs: Chatbots can be operated at a fraction of the cost of human customer service reps.
• Improve lead generation: Chatbots can capture leads and funnel them to the right salespeople.

How do you do Keyword Research?

 There is no definitive answer to the question "how to find a keyword" Below are a few tips for keyword research.

Determine how effectively to compile the keyword list

Deciding how to assemble the keyword list for your SEO campaign is critical in our process. Making a keyword list is among the effective methods for finding a keyword. It can be done by using any of the following ways:

• Using the built-in keyword research feature of your CMS (Content Management System)
• Manually enter keywords into a spreadsheet and then import them into your CMS. Generally, this is done using Google Sheets or Excel, but it can also be done with other tools.
• Using Google Trends

Use professional services for keyword research

Special services like Seobase can help you find the right keywords for your SEO campaign. The advantage of using these services is that they offer a wide range of data and insights that can be used to improve your campaigns.

Refine your website's target keywords list

Your website's list of target keywords should be refined before starting your SEO campaign. An excellent way to do this is by grouping keywords into related groups and removing those irrelevant to your website. Refining your list will help you focus on the keywords that have the most potential to improve your website's search engine ranking.

Approaches to Doing Keyword Research

Keyword research has become a significant part of optimizing the content on your website to obtain organic traffic from search engines. There are various processes involved in keyword research. Below are some approaches and tips for keyword research;

Organize a new site according on its keywords

One of the first and most essential steps in any SEO campaign is structuring your website around its target keywords. You need to identify the main topics you want to rank for and related keywords and phrases that you can use throughout your site.

Performing a keyword research for a ready-made site structure

If you have an existing website or are starting from scratch with a blank slate, the process of keyword research is still vitally important. It would be best to find the right keywords to drive traffic to your site and help you achieve your business goals.

Updating a site's keyword list

Your keyword research shouldn't end when your site goes live. If you have an existing website, it is vital to keep track of your keywords and update them as needed.

Define the seed keywords

The first thing to do is define your seed keywords. These are the main topics or phrases you want to rank for in search engines like Google and Bing. They can be as general or specific as you like but should be relevant to your business.

Identify inquiries with high-volume keywords

Once you have defined your seed keywords, the next thing is to identify inquiries with high-volume keywords. You can use a keyword tool like Google's Keyword Planner, which will give you an idea of how many people are searching for those terms in a month.

Broaden the keyword list by merging queries

The next step is to expand your keyword list by combining related queries. You can do this manually or use a tool like Seobase that automatically combines keywords and phrases to create a comprehensive list of potential target keywords. Broadening the list ensures that you have enough keywords to target in your SEO campaign.

Identify synonyms, abbreviations, and other search options

After identifying the seed keywords, the next step is to look for synonyms, abbreviations, and other search options. You can use tools like Seobase that help uncover these words and phrases related to your target keyword. This will help you create a more comprehensive list of keywords before launching your SEO campaign.

Trimming insignificant keywords from your list

Cutting off insignificant keywords from your list is vital in ensuring that your SEO campaign is successful. This can be done manually or using a tool like Seobase, which automatically filters out irrelevant keywords from your list. Cutting irrelevant keywords will also weed out any terms that are immaterial to your business, keeping you on track with your campaign goals.

Irrelevant search queries

Irrelevant search queries are those that are not related to your seed keywords. They can be a waste of time and money to target your SEO campaign and should be cut from your list.

Keywords from other topical niches

Finding keywords from other related niches is essential to target a specific topical niche. However, studying and understanding their main topic and associated subtopics would be easy. This includes the synonyms, products, services, and main ideas of a specific topic. Getting well-informed will help you expand your list of potential target keywords and ensure that you have a diverse range of terms to target in your SEO campaign.

Duplicates

Duplicates are another common issue with keyword lists. Duplicates can be caused by multiple people working on the list or simply copying and pasting from a previous source. Duplicates can cause problems with your SEO campaign and should be avoided at all costs. One can prevent this by using an online tool for duplicates and eliminating them from your list.

Products that aren't available on the site

Another thing to watch out for is products not available on your site. If you are targeting those keywords, it will be difficult, if not impossible, to rank in search engine results pages. It would be best to find keywords relevant to your business and have products or services available on your site.

Name of competitor site/company/brand

Targeting your competitor's name as a keyword is not advisable. Although it is possible to rank for this term, it would be at the expense of your time and resources. It is better to target keywords relevant to your business and have higher search volumes. This will provide you with more opportunities to rank in search engine results pages and get more traffic to your site.

Misspelled phrases

Another thing to watch out for is misspelled phrases. People often type in the wrong spelling of a word, and your SEO campaign can target this. Ensure that you have these phrases on your list and optimize your website for them. This will help you get more traffic from people looking for your product or service but have the wrong spelling. Visiting a keyword checker website will also enable you to minimize misspelled phrases.

Geographically irrelevant keywords

Geographically irrelevant keywords are those that are not targeted to a specific region. It is important to only target keywords relevant to that area if you target a particular location. This will help you rank higher in search engine results pages for people looking for products or services in your geographical region.

Identify your goals

Before selecting a tool to use, identify your goals. Different tools are suited for various purposes and have varying results based on your needs. For example, if you want to get more traffic from search engines, then go with tools that show the keyword difficulty score of each term. On the other hand, if you want to find long-tail keywords, then choose tools that offer search volume and the competition score of each word.

Make a list of relevant topics

Create a list of relevant topics with the help of keyword research. When you find popular subjects on different forums and blogs, these subjects can turn out great for your blog.

Select long-tailed keywords

Long-tailed keywords are keyword phrases that are three or more words long. They usually have a lower search volume but tend to convert better because they are more specific. Using the "related terms" function on the Google Keyword Planner, you can find these keywords using keyword research on google with keyword research SEO tools like Google Trends.

How do you Use a Ready-Made Keyword List?

Once you have created a keyword list, you can now use it for different purposes. Here are the top three uses of your newly generated keywords:

For organic traffic research

The first and most obvious use for your keyword list is researching what organic traffic you can expect from ranking for those keywords. You can do this by using a tool such as the Google Keyword Planner. Simply plug in your list of keywords and see how many monthly searches each has.

For paid traffic

You can also use your keyword list to determine how much paid traffic you could get from each of those keywords. This is an excellent way of testing whether or not they are worth paying for when it comes time to start running PPC campaigns. To do this, log into your Google AdWords account and create a new campaign. Under the "Targeting" tab, select "Keyword Planner." Enter in your keywords and see how much traffic you expect from them.

For other promotion channels

Once you have your keyword list, you can promote yourself and your business across other channels. For example, if you are a social media marketer, you could use the keywords to target Facebook ads or even Twitter posts. You could also do this for any other channel that uses keywords as part of its targeting criteria, such as YouTube, Google AdWords, or Pinterest.

How Often Should you do Keyword Research?

Keyword research is an ongoing and never-ending process. The frequency with which you should conduct keyword research on Google will depend on a few factors, including your website's stage in the SEO lifecycle, your business goals, and the competitiveness of your industry. Generally speaking, conducting keyword research at least three months (quarterly) before any promotion is recommended to ensure that you are targeting the most relevant and valuable keywords. However, if you have a newly launched website, regularly conducting research is ideal for tracking your site's progress and making necessary optimizations. As your website gains authority and rank, you may be able to decrease the frequency of your research without compromising on results.

Keyword Research Tools

The first step is finding and targeting the right keywords for SEO. This process used to be difficult and time-consuming, but it's now much easier thanks to a variety of excellent keyword research SEO tools. Below, we'll look at some of the top tools to assist you in making this process faster and easier.

Google Keyword Planner Tool

    Google keyword planner is the best tool out there for keyword research, but it's also one of the most difficult to use. Google planner requires an AdWords account and costs money to use. However, it's worth the investment because it provides a wealth of search volume and competition data.

Google Trends

 Google Trends is a free tool that can determine the popularity of specific keywords. It compares search volume over time, so you can see if interest in your keywords has risen or fallen over the past few years. The tool is easy to use, but it doesn't provide much data beyond popularity. For example, you can't find information on competition or search volume for specific keywords.

Keyword Explorer from Seobase

This tool is a powerful keyword research SEO tools available in the market today. It provides a wealth of data on search volume and competition and detailed information about how competitive each keyword is. This makes it easy to find new high-traffic and low-competition keywords.

The Most Common Keyword Research Mistakes

When it comes to keyword research, many people make the same mistakes. They choose keywords that are too general or target too many keywords at once. In addition, some people don't use the right tools for their research, or they rely on outdated methods. To help you avoid these common mistakes, below is a list put together of the most common keyword research mistakes:

Inaccurate keyword distribution across pages

This mistake is widespread. It's when you target the same keyword repeatedly on one page or across multiple pages on your website. For example, if you have a blog about SEO and a blog post called "Keyword Research for SEO," it would be better to target that keyword only once (in the title and H-tags). You can include related keywords like "keyword research" or "how to research your keywords" for the rest of your content. This is a better way to target multiple keywords without being repetitive.

Surface-level keyword collection

This mistake is when you target keywords that are too general. For example, if you're targeting the keyword "SEO," you'll be competing with many other websites. However, if you target a more specific keyword like "SEO tips for beginners," your chances of ranking higher are much higher.

Establishiment of different pages for similar keywords

This mistake is often made when people are targeting long-tail keywords. When creating a page for a specific keyword, create another page with the same content but a different title. For example, if you have a page about "SEO tips for beginners," don't create an "SEO tips" page.

Incorrect keyword distribution across URLs

This mistake is when you target a keyword on multiple URLs. For example, suppose you have a blog post called "SEO tips for beginners" on the URL /SEO-tips-for-beginners and another one with the same title but different content (/SEO-tips). In that case, this is considered incorrect keyword distribution across URLs. The mistake can be neutralized by creating one page with the correct keyword and title and ensuring it's not repeated on other pages.

Poorly cleaned keyword list

This mistake is made when people don't take the time to clean up their keyword list. For example, if you have an inventory of keywords that are all variations of one word (like "dog"), your list will be much less effective than if you had a list of well-targeted keywords. To clean up your list, you can use the following methods:

• Remove duplicates
• Sort by relevance
• Filter irrelevant keywords
• Find a keyword checker website to help you clean the keywords

Incorrect use of keyword research SEO tools

This mistake is when people don't use the right tool for their research. Each research tool has its strengths and weaknesses, so finding one best suits your needs is essential. For example, if you're looking for long-tail keywords, using the Google Keyword Planner won't give you the results you want. To avoid this mistake, make sure that your tool is relevant to what kind of keywords you want to target. Don't use it if it doesn't provide enough information about long-tail keywords or if it only gives you a limited number of words per search.

Insufficient content for targeted keywords

When people target a keyword too aggressively, they often write thin content. Thin content is when your article has less than 300 words or doesn't contain enough information to be considered valuable to the reader. To avoid this mistake, ensure that your content is high quality and informative. This way, you'll be able to rank higher in Google and provide value to your readers.

Also read Ways to Use Keyword Explorer Tool for SEO

Conclusion

Keyword research is the first step you should take before creating any content. It helps you understand users' intent, how they search for information, their needs, and what types of words they use when looking for a solution. With our Seobase keyword research tool, businesses can create more targeted campaigns, increasing traffic and conversions. More benefits on how businesses benefit from using our keyword research tools include;

• Define your SEO strategy by identifying the best keywords to target
• Create more relevant and high-quality content that drives organic traffic from search engines.
• Build backlinks from other websites with relevant content, boosting rankings on Google's first results page (SERPs).
• Use appropriate strategies like pay-per-click (PPC) ads or social media marketing campaigns to stay ahead of competitors.

With our vast experience in keyword research, SEOBase will provide you with deep knowledge to assist you through the keyword selection process.