When it comes to search engine optimization, one of the key things you have to focus on is keyword optimization. Keyword research and targeting have been pivotal factors in SEO since the beginning of SEO itself. While we all know that the context and quality of your content are what truly matters, marketers have to acknowledge the weight that keyword research has on the overall success of SEO in Greenville, NC.

If you’re no stranger to digital marketing, you know that there are numerous resources that aid in keyword research for SEO purposes. BUT here’s the catch: no matter how good your research tool, it is only as effective and your ability to target the right keywords at the right time. While SEO is always changing, there are some key tips that will help you pinpoint exactly which keywords you should focus on.

Identify Your Goals

While this seems trivial to mention, so many marketers skip the face while trying to rush in and dominate the SERPs. You have to know what you want to accomplish as a business, then work backward to determine how searches influence your goal before selecting any keywords to focus on. This means that if you want to grow your revenue, for example, you need to know how to grow your revenue the most to get the traffic for the specific keywords and topics that will yield a positive ROI.

Consult Stakeholders

You know what they say, nobody knows your business better than you and those heavily involved. Once you have mapped out goals, it is imperative that you discuss your keyword selection with those key stakeholders for your business. As an agency, we always consult our clients before making any keyword selections to ensure that we are taking the best approach to meet their organizational needs.

Competitor Analysis

Chances are you don’t have an in with your competitor to know if what they are doing is actually working and helping them achieve their goals, but you CANNOT ignore their performance in the SERPs. Creating a list of the topics and terms that your key competitors are ranking for will help you center your SEO campaign properly. Beyond keywords, you will also want to take note of their titles and metas, as this may become beneficial in the future.

It’s Time to Research

Let’s be honest, there are so many great tools and resources that will aid in keyword search for both organic and paid means. I won’t bore you with a list here, but I do encourage you to look into the different tools available, compare them to your needs and choose one that aligns the best. Another thing you need to know is what mistakes to avoid for SEO keyword research.

Topics Matter - MORE Than Keywords

Odds are, you have a huge amount of words and expressions after conducting keyword research. Fortunately, subjects matter more than keywords. You won't work out pages for each and every keyword and you don't have to. On the off chance that you haven't, you have to connect your keywords to different topics. The cool thing here is that your website is likely already divided into topics so you won’t have to do too much extraneous thinking on your end.

Review Search Engine Results

You will need to do some searching of your keywords to ensure that they are relevant and effective. If you find search results aren’t where you want to be or where your target audience is, then you might want to rethink the relevance of those keywords or that topic in your overall SEO strategy.

Monitor Performance!!!!

Remember that SEO is not a "set it and forget" type of marketing effort. Once you have started targeting keywords, you will need to track results and ensure that what you are doing is actually yielding the results that you want. With SEO, everything is always changing and what works today might not work next week. Invest in a tool that will help you monitor performance and continue to tweak your digital strategy based off of the results provided.

Now Dive In

Now that you know how to select the perfect keywords, get out there and give them a go! Remember that there will be a bit of trial and error when it comes to the process, and do not get discouraged if results are not where you want them to be after the first month. If you find yourself struggling to reach optimal success or have additional questions, contact Red Shark Digital today.

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