Keywords for SEO (also known as SEO keywords) are words or phrases that people use to search engines for results.

Today’s consumers trust the internet. Search engines must show your company website when people type in keywords and phrases.

This isn’t a random result. It is the result of an algorithm called search engine optimizer SEO.

What keywords are and why are they so important in SEO?

This page will discuss keywords in SEO and give tips for how to use them on your website. Call us today or contact us online to speak with an expert. 

What is a keyword?

SEO’s main objective is to rank high on search engines for keywords and phrases your potential customers are looking for. 

How often have you used a targeted keyword on a webpage? We can help with that!

Why are keywords so important?

Many factors can impact your site’s rank, but keywords help search engines understand every page on your site.

Search engines can use keywords to show the pages that are relevant to specific searches. They ensure that users have all the information they require.

SEO is about identifying the keywords that potential customers are searching for when they search for your products or services. Next, create content that answers these keywords and then place those keywords in the right areas of your website.

What keywords are used for SEO?

Keywords are keywords that can be used for SEO. These are words and phrases that help people find your website via search engines like Google. 

What are the various types of SEO keywords?

You need to be familiar with two types of SEO keywords: long-tail and short-tail.

1. Short tail keywords

Keywords that have short tails are keywords consisting of just one or two words.

The graph on the right shows that “dog” is an example of a short tail keyword.

These keywords have high search volumes which means that many people search for them each month. Your business should be visible to as many people as possible.

The short-tail keywords can also be very competitive so it can be difficult to rank them. This is particularly true for websites just starting, and competing with sites that have been optimized over many years.

SEO does not recommend short-tail keywords. They won’t be used by companies who want to optimize their websites.

2. Keywords using long-tail keywords

Long tail keywords are three to ten characters long. This example shows the long tail keyword “best dog breed for families with children”. 

These keywords have lower search volumes, but they are also less competitive. These keywords have a higher chance of reaching people, even though they are searched less frequently.

Long-tail keywords convey more intent than short-tail keywords.

You would rank for the keyword “dog” but it would be nearly impossible to know what pages your visitors are looking to see so you could provide that information. 

How to select keywords that will drive traffic to SEO

You likely want to learn how to choose keywords for SEO. 

1. Keyword search tools are

You don’t have to guess keywords. Many online tools can help you choose the best option for your business.

Google’s Keyword Planner is a tool that can be used to create pay-per-click (PPC)campaigns with Google Ads. It pulls data directly from Google Ads and gives you accurate information about the keyword’s search volume as well as its competition.

Based on the content of your website, it will suggest keywords. This is a great starting point for keyword research.

Other keyword search engines can be used if you don’t have any active Google Ads campaigns, or if you want to do some other research. 

Some examples are:

•  Keyword Resources 
•  Please answer the Public

These tools can be used in any combination to find the best keywords for your website.

2. The most important keywords are the long tail keywords

When identifying keywords for websites, you must focus your attention on long-tail keywords

You might use a few keywords, especially branded keywords such as your company name, on your homepage and other pages specific to your company. You should identify long-tail keywords as your primary goal.

This example shows that even though “dog” is searched over 1.2 million times per month, it is difficult to rank for the keyword.

Only 40 searches per month are made for the keyword “Best breed guard dogs”. This keyword is searched only 40 times per month.

While 40 searches per month may seem low, there are still 480 searches per year from potential customers.

More information on how to identify these highly-specific terms can be found in our article on long-tail keywords.

3. Look for keywords with high volumes and low competition

While long-tail keywords are more competitive than those with shorter tails, you should still verify the volume and competition for each keyword before doing your research.

Certain industries are more competitive than others. It can be difficult to rank for long tail keywords, especially if you’re in the legal, insurance, drug and alcohol rehabilitation, or online education industries.

No matter what industry, it is important that you understand how difficult it is to rank for specific keywords. 

You should instead focus your keyword research on keywords that are likely to rank for your website and bring you traffic. 

7 tools to help you find keywords for SEO

These keyword tools make it easy to select keywords for SEO. 

1. Keyword Resources 
2. Please answer the Public
3. WordStream Key Search Tool
4. Ahrefs
5. SEOrush 
6. Moz Keyword Explorer

Use these tools to help you choose the right tool for your team. Ahrefs can be used to narrow down keywords or to research topic ideas, while Answer the Public is useful for content research.

SEO keywords to optimize your website

Once you’ve chosen your keywords it’s time for you to integrate them into your website. Search engine crawlers can quickly identify the main topic of any page, and present it as a result in relevant searches.

These keywords can be used to start with SEO keywords on your website:

Your URLs

First, ensure your URLs conform to SEO guidelines. Next, modify your URL structure and add keywords. Finally, create 301 redirects for the pages you want to modify.

Your meta tags

Next, add keywords to your meta tag.

A title tag that sounds exactly like it does should sound the same as it does.

Subheading tags are sections of a webpage that distinguish different ideas or sections. These tags inform search engines about the page and make it easy to skim the relevant information.

Your content

Now you can read each page and make sure your target keyword is used naturally. Keyword stuffing This is when your keyword is placed where it isn’t relevant or makes sense.

Keyword stuffing is against search engine guidelines. This can cause your site to not show up in search engine results.

Only use the keywords on each page where they make sense. It should make sense if it isn’t. This will help you achieve the best possible results.

Images

Search engines can’t “see” your images, but they can “read them”.

Optimize your images with your SEO keyword. Include your keyword in the filename and alt text. Use natural language.

The alt text of your image should be a description.

To help with SEO, you could use alt text like “puppy in the pool” for a photo of a dog. This could result in lower rankings, less traffic, and fewer sales.

SEO Keywords in Content Marketing

Search for keywords related to your industry and products.

These keywords can be very useful for your content marketing strategy. Content Marketing is the creation and publication of original blog posts and infographics to inform and entertain customers.

While is sometimes called an independent strategy from SEO. When you use keywords you find while keyword research to guide topic choice, you can be sure that you are creating content your potential customers want. 

This will enable you to optimize and rank for keywords you use.

This strategy works well for long-tail keywords. Someone searching for a phrase will probably know the answer. They must have this information to continue on your site.

Creating original content can help increase your website traffic and brand awareness. Customers will be more likely to remember your company if they find the information useful and authentic.

Although they might not be ready to purchase or contact you right away, they will always remember your brand. The content you create can have a direct impact on sales and revenue.

Need help with SEO keywords

Kobe Digital is a company that has years of experience creating SEO strategies for clients. Research and choose the right keywords every time you need them.

We get to know your industry and will do extensive research to discover what your customers want. Our experts will optimize your website to rank for the most relevant keywords.

Contact us today to speak with a strategist about how we can help your business use SEO to get more customers and increase traffic to its website.