Guide to Keywords: Best Practices, Trends, and Tips

Last Updated: 4 weeks ago by BrodNeil

Discover New Keywords to Generate More Traffic for Your Website

Assuming you already did the task on Day 2, Know Your Competitors’ Key Phrases or Keywords — it is time for us to research our competitors’ keywords or key phrases. 

Today, our task is to discover hundreds of new keyword ideas for our website.

We recommend using an SEO tool like SEMRush and SEOPowerSuite (Rank Tracker) to discover new keywords. You may do it manually, yet it may take time.

Alternatively, if you have installed Google Search Console on your website, you can discover new keywords and key phrases. Even if you use an SEO tool, I recommend using Google Search Console to check the keyword impressions, clicks, CTR, and positions.  SEMRush and SEOPowerSuite (Rank Tracker) integrate Google Search Console into their software/tool.

As there are thousands of keywords to discover, use more than one method or technique in keyword research. That is so you would not miss out on crucial keywords (traffic-generating and conversion-generating keywords).

How long does it take to discover new keywords or key phrases?

It takes about 30 minutes if you use an SEO tool and perhaps about an hour or two if you do it manually via the search engines.

Go back to Tip 5: 30-Day SEO Plan under DIY Internet Marketing.

Source: Discovering new keywords

Long-Tail Keywords: Find and Use Them for SEO

Long-tail keywords may generate lower search volumes but tend to generate higher conversion rates. This is because long-tail keywords are more targeted compared with short-tail keywords. Converting visitors to paying customers with long-tail keywords depends on how you utilize it on your pages.

Consider the following questions:

• What are long-tail keywords?
• How common are long-tail keywords?
• Why use long-tail keywords?
• How do you find long-tail keywords?
• How do you optimize your pages for long-tail keywords?

Takeaways:

• Competition and intent are other important factors for keyword quality, aside from search volume.
• Long-tail keywords have less competition.
• Long-tail keywords have higher conversion rates.
• Long-tail keywords include short-tail keywords.
• Long-tail keywords are perfect for PPC.
• Long-tail keywords are what Google wants.
• Use long-tail keywords for H2/H3 headings to optimize your page for long-tail keywords.
• Optimize anchor texts for internal and external links.

Read the full post from SEO PowerSuite: Long-Tail Keywords: Find and Use Them for SEO.

If you want an SEO tool for your website, check out RankMath or SEO PowerSuite.

Best Free Keyword Research Tools for SEO

Test free tools for keyword research

These top free tools will help you gather keywords that people search for, learn their keyword difficulty, and find out how to rank them:

1.  Ahrefs Keyword Generator
2. Answer The Public 
3. ChatGPT 
4. Ahrefs Webmaster Tools 
5. Google Keyword Planner 
6. Google Search Console
7. Google Trends
8. SERP Checker 
9. Keyword Difficulty Checker

Source: https://ahrefs.com/blog/free-keyword-research-tools/

Keyword research tools for Google

Here’s a list of the best free keyword research tools you can use for your content, SEO, and advertising campaigns:

• Google Analytics
• Google Ads Keyword Planner
• Google Optimize
• Google Search Console (GSC)
• SEOquake
• Moz Keyword Explorer

Best keyword research tools (Free for a Limited Time)

• Free for a limited time
• Semrush
• Wordtracker Scout
• Serpstat

Source: https://www.techradar.com/best/best-free-seo-keyword-research-tools-for-year

Understanding keyword research tools and their importance in SEO

Keyword research tools are software applications that help website owners and marketers to identify the most relevant and popular search terms or keywords related to their business or industry. These tools provide data on the volume of searches for specific keywords, competition levels, and other relevant metrics that can be used to optimize content for search engines.

Keyword research tools allow users to analyze keywords and phrases, their search volume, and the level of competition associated with each. By identifying the most relevant and popular keywords for their target audience, website owners and marketers can create content that better aligns with their target audience’s search intent and preferences. Additionally, keyword research tools can help identify long-tail keywords, which are more specific and less competitive, and can help to target niche audiences.

There are several keyword research tools available in the market, including Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, Ahrefs, Moz Keyword Explorer, and more. These tools are essential for businesses and individuals who rely on organic search traffic and want to improve their website’s visibility in search engines.

5 best practices for effective use of free keyword research tools in SEO strategy

Here are some best practices for using free keyword research tools effectively:

1. Understand your target audience and their search intent
2. Use long-tail keywords for better targeting and less competition
3. Analyze keyword difficulty and competition to find the most suitable keywords for your content
4. Use keyword variations and synonyms for more diverse and natural-sounding content
5. Regularly monitor and update your keyword strategy to stay ahead of changes in search engine algorithms

By following these best practices and utilizing free keyword research tools, you can create more effective content that resonates with your target audience and improves your website’s visibility in search engines.

To buy or not to buy? Choosing between free and paid keyword research tools

Whether to buy a keyword research tool or stick to free ones depends on your budget, needs, and goals. Free tools can be effective for basic keyword research, but paid tools offer more advanced features and data analysis capabilities that can provide a significant advantage for businesses that rely on organic search traffic. Ultimately, the decision to buy a keyword research tool or use a free one depends on your specific situation and goals.

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Updates on Keywords:

• 4 Uncommon (But Super-Effective) Keyword Research Tactics
• Know Your Competitors’ Key Phrases or Keywords
• How to Use Social Media for Keyword Research
• Best Free Keyword Research Tools for SEO

Keyword Targeting: Deciding on keywords to choose

Keyword volume should not be the only deciding factor in choosing a keyword. Answer the following questions to help you decide:

1. Will the keyword send me enough traffic?
2. Can I give searchers what they want?
3. Does the keyword have value for my business?
4. Can I rank for it?

Learn more: https://ahrefs.com/blog/keyword-analysis-for-seo/

3 steps in keyword optimization

Optimizing your keywords can help you rank better in search engines and drive more traffic to your website. Here are three steps to do keyword optimization for SEO:

2022 December 2

1. Ensure you are optimizing the right keyword
2.  Align your keyword with the search intent
3. Observe best practices for on-page SEO

Source: https://ahrefs.com/blog/keyword-optimization/

SEO PowerSuite shares what keyword Cannibalization is and how you can fix it

2022 November 4

Keyword cannibalization is an SEO problem when different pages from the same website compete with each other in search results. These pages compete for one keyword and hurt each other’s ranking.  

To fix this problem, you can try any of the following:

• Consolidate competing pages.
• Use Content Editor to improve the relevance of your landing page.
• Add internal links to help search engines understand the importance of your pages, such as their prominence.
• Fix duplicate content.

Source: https://www.link-assistant.com/news/fix-keyword-cannibalization.html

Google addresses a question as to whether or not to target keywords with zero search volume 

2022 September 30

The response was that you could optimize for any keyword you want. It is not always about the keywords with the most volume. Instead, it would be best if you focused on how people can find your page and use those keywords. 

Source: https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-zero-search-volume-keywords/464556/

Search Engine Journal shares how you can measure keyword difficulty to help you identify which keywords to prioritize

2022 September 30

Keyword research tools like the following will help you measure keyword competition and difficulty:

• Moz Keyword Difficulty Checker
• Google Ads Keyword Planner Competition Metric
• Google Ads Keyword Planner CPC Metric
• Number of search results 

Source: https://www.searchenginejournal.com/keyword-difficulty-how-do-you-measure-it/462536/

Google says you don’t get penalized for keyword-stuffed URL

2022 October 12

And while adding your keywords in the URL is a good habit, its impact is minimal. It would be the wrong prioritization to keep your focus there.

Source: https://www.seroundtable.com/google-keyword-stuffed-urls-penalty-34132.html

2017 Most Expensive Keywords in Google Ads

February 24, 2022by Josh

WordStream has done new, extensive keyword data research in English-speaking nations for five different currencies. As a result, they have identified the top 25 most expensive keywords (indicating that these specialized markets are incredibly competitive) and their average CPC.

The following are Google’s top 25 most expensive keywords:

What makes these keywords that make them so expensive?

People have a serious problem that they must address immediately.

When people are eager for assistance, they are willing to pay extra for services or items to solve their problems. That means ad agencies may charge more for their services, and they can typically get a good return on their ad spend even if the cost per click is high.

Items or services with a high price tag.

Insurance-related keywords were at the top of the list the last time we looked. However, according to the data, insurance is no longer the king of the hill. The most expensive keywords now fall into the area of “business services,” – which includes terms like “data room” and “network security monitoring.” Most likely due to the high cost of these services.

Companies that provide business services are ready to spend higher per keyword. This is because there is much to gain when a prospect converts. Whether a single large purchase or long-term service.

Bringing hopes and dreams to reality.

People are willing to pay a high price to see their ambitions realized. Some people’s dreams include receiving an education. Some people enjoy studying, yet the term “degree” remains high-priced.

Read more: https://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2017/06/27/most-expensive-keywords

More on SEO: Search Engine Optimization.