So you have some sort of business, or at least a website that you want to show up on Google. You know that Google search results have something to do with SEO, and so you’ve decided to jump into the Search Engine Optimization game.
But… now what? How do you get started with SEO?
SEO is a massive investment, requiring long term efforts in order to maximize long term gains. Whether you decide to tackle it yourself, or engage the SEO services of a digital marketing agency like Rock Solid Marketing, one of the first things you should do is determine which keyword phrases you want to optimize your website for.
Here’s a quick guide to getting started with SEO keywords:
What is Your Website About?
First, ask yourself what your website is about. Start with a general topic, then branch off into more specific topics that are related. (It’s ok if you can’t think of many at first – you will later on!)
Type Your Keywords Into Google Search
Once you have a list of keyword phrases, search for each of them on Google. As you’re typing, pay attention to the list of phrases that start appearing below the search bar – this is Google’s Predictive Search function, which is designed to give you instant search results without you having to type in the whole phrase. It’s basically Google guessing at what you’re trying to search for – sometimes it’s right, and sometimes it’s not.
But no matter here – your goal is to find new, related keyword phrases from Google Predictive Search. As you type in the various keyword phrases you’ve already thought of, you may pick up a few new ones to add to your list. Notice how the list of suggested keywords changes as you type out more of your phrase into the Google search box.
And, bonus: you’ll also see who your SEO competitors are when you search for your keyword phrases: they’re the ones who show up on the first page of Google! (But more on that in a future post)
When you finish typing in your keyword phrase and hit ‘Search’, notice the search volume for each one (it’ll say ‘About ______ results’ right below the search bar). This will give you an idea of which of your keyword ideas are being searched more frequently than others.
Use The Google AdWords Keyword Planner Tool
To further add to your list of SEO keyword phrases, have a go with the Google AdWords Keyword Planner Tool.
You can leave the section for Your product or service blank to have the tool scan your site and determine keyword ideas for you, or you can type in one or more products or services related to your website (one per line). Your landing page should be your website domain, and Your product category should be selected from the drop-down list available.
Once those are filled in, click ‘Get ideas’ and a page will load with a list of suggested keyword phrases for your website.
Consider using keywords with high Avg monthly searches and low Competition – you’ll have a better chance at ranking for low competition keywords, and you’ll gain more traffic for keywords that are searched more frequently.