Keyword Research – Is it Really That Hard?
One of the essential strategies to maintain an effective digital presence is applying SEO to your company’s website.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) means optimization for search engines in a literal translation.
In other words, it is a set of tools that boosts your website’s appearance on the first pages of Google’s ranking.
The first step in applying these techniques to your digital marketing strategy is keyword research.
Knowing how to choose the right keywords is crucial to increase your company’s chances of appearing in the top results and expanding the number of visitors to your website.
This is because customers search using these terms and tend to click on the websites that stand out on the first page.
This strategy is even more important for reaching your target audience who may not yet know your brand.
In the customer’s buying journey, the first step a user takes is to search the Internet for information about the problem they want to solve and the solutions available in the market.
Therefore, the more precise your keyword selection, the greater the chances of impacting this user at the first stage of their journey.
In this article, we will clarify all the aspects related to keyword research.
You will understand what each group of keywords is and how to apply them to your business.
What are Keywords?
Keywords are the words or phrases that users enter into search engines (such as Google or Bing) to conduct searches.
These terms represent ideas and themes that become relevant to search engines.
Understanding the type of search your ideal customer conducts can contribute to the effectiveness of your company’s digital marketing strategy.
Keywords are divided into the following groups:
Short Tail
These keywords are considered broader.
This means that these terms are more general and receive a higher search volume, meaning more people use these expressions to perform searches.
The more searches for these terms, the greater the competition among websites to appear in the top positions.
It is not a rule, but usually, short tail keywords are characterized by terms that are not directly related to purchasing intent.
Searches for this group of keywords are classified as part of the top of the sales funnel.
Therefore, conversions may not be very high.
Often, short tail terms can be quite generic, such as “inbound marketing.”
Middle Tail
As the name suggests, a middle tail keyword is positioned between short tail and long tail keywords.
This means that middle tail terms are not as generic as short tail keywords and not as specific as long tail keywords.
In this classification, the search volume is moderate, and the ranking competition is lower compared to the previous group, although it still presents some conversion challenges.
An example of a middle tail term would be “inbound marketing strategies.”
Long Tail
This group of keywords includes very specific terms.
In this case, the user’s search is precise and objective.
This means that in the buying process, the lead already recognizes their problem, is interested in solving it, and is looking for solutions.
Long tail keywords generally have less competition because they are niche-focused.
At this stage of the consumer journey, searches carry significant purchase intent, so there is a great opportunity for conversion.
Choosing long tail keywords in your strategy will attract a highly targeted audience, which can be considered hot leads, as they are already interested in buying something your company offers, positioning these leads from the middle to the bottom of the funnel.
The search volume is much lower compared to short tail and middle tail groups, but they are still very effective.
This is because investing in long tail keywords is cheaper and has the power to direct qualified traffic to your site.
An example of a long tail phrase is “inbound marketing agencies in São Paulo.”
Understanding some Variables Related to Keywords
There are several factors to consider when designing an SEO strategy and selecting the best keywords for your company.
Let’s delve into each variable to help you assess them more effectively.
Volume
This metric refers to the number of times a particular keyword is searched within a specific period of time.
Keywords with high search volume can be a good choice to attract more traffic to your site, but on the other hand, it may be more challenging to compete with other players for the top positions.
Difficulty
When selecting the best keywords for your SEO strategy, it is crucial to analyze the difficulty of ranking them.
One factor determining whether a keyword is easy or difficult is competition.
Some terms are already used by major websites with recognized authority, while others still have room for newer websites to appear in the top results.
In this case, it is more efficient to prioritize terms that are easier to rank, as they will bring more results with less effort.
Opportunity
This metric is highly relevant when evaluating the efforts dedicated to your company’s SEO strategy.
When a search is conducted on Google or other search engines, besides the organic results on the first page, there are also other elements such as videos, images, maps, ads, and other clickable buttons.
These elements negatively impact the click-through rate of the first organic results.
Consequently, the fewer elements in the results, the greater the keyword’s opportunity.
Purchase Intent
As explained at the beginning of this article, by analyzing the keywords used in a search, you can identify the lead’s position in the sales funnel.
If the search uses vague words with a broad meaning, it is understood that the lead is still at the top of the sales funnel.
On the other hand, if the search is specific and objective, the lead’s position is much closer to the bottom of the funnel.
When weighing various search terms, it is worth considering a keyword that already has purchase intent behind it.
As this will result in a much higher conversion rate.
Current Position
In addition to considering all the points mentioned above, don’t forget to check your website’s current position for each keyword!
Once you conduct this analysis, you will be able to assess which keywords are helping your site rank well and which ones you can improve on.
This will help guide your SEO strategies.
Why are Keywords Important for Generating Results?
The primary search tool today is the Internet.
People look for quick and simple answers, which means they rarely go to page 10 of Google to find solutions.
Generally, the first results are considered the most relevant, and the websites that appear in the top positions are the first to be clicked.
To link questions with precise answers, search engines rely on keywords.
For your company’s website to be among these answers, you need to optimize its ranking through SEO strategies.
In other words, keywords are the bridge between what consumers are searching for and the products or services your company offers.
The higher your site ranks, the more leads will be generated from organic search.
To increase your site’s relevance in search engines, it is important to establish a keyword-driven strategy.
One effective technique is to offer valuable content tied to the keywords, which will also educate and assist your ideal customer.
This way, when the consumer conducts a search using a specific term, they will find accurate answers linked to your product or service.
What is Needed for Keyword Research?
Before starting keyword research, there are some key elements that need to be aligned and defined in advance.
To achieve good results with the SEO strategies your company will adopt, it is essential to know who your ideal customer is (persona), the marketing objective behind the strategy, and a communication plan that takes all variables into account.
Personas
Before communicating anything, you need to understand who you are speaking to.
It is crucial that you fully understand the persona profiles and have a clear picture of their universe.
It is helpful to know their interests, pain points, desires, the reality they live in, demographic data, routines, preferences, buying intentions and objections, needs, dreams, and challenges.
There can be more than one persona.
Your target audience may be divided into several groups.
If this is the case, it is recommended to delve deeper into the differences between the groups and create specific solutions for each group.
Remember to act according to the profile of each group!
To arrive at these ideal customer profiles, it is recommended to conduct research.
This way, the gathered information will align with reality.
With this knowledge, you can use the blog as a vehicle for keywords, offering content that will be noticed by your audience.
By understanding the profile of your ideal customer, you can also anticipate the steps they will take regarding the consumer journey.
You have the ability to predict search behavior and thus determine the keywords that are most aligned with the persona.
Marketing Objective
Having a clear objective will guide the direction when making decisions related to marketing strategies.
The marketing objective will help select the best keywords to integrate into the SEO plan.
Notice that if the marketing objective is to increase traffic to your company’s website, for example, the choice of keywords will focus on the top of the sales funnel.
Generally, these keywords, used to attract more people, will have a large search volume.
If the goal is to connect with people who are already interested in buying, i.e., hot leads, the keywords will be more specific and have a smaller search volume.
Therefore, the more precise the marketing objective, the more efficient the keyword selection will be, and consequently, the results from using this technique.
Planning
Alongside the marketing objective is communication planning.
These two are intrinsically connected and will result in aligned communication, where the message reaches the target audience clearly and accurately.
The planning will encompass who the competitors are, which content will be explored, which strategies will be applied, which products or services will be included in each strategy, taking into account quarterly communication planning.
When it comes to evaluating each keyword, remember to check the ranking of each one concerning your main competitors.
Once this information is clear, your company will have a solid foundation for making decisions related to the best keywords according to priorities and objectives.
Once the planning is aligned, you will have a calculated vision of how often it will be necessary to re-evaluate the keywords.
How to Conduct Keyword Research?
Now that you have a broader understanding of what keywords are, what groups they are divided into, which variables should be considered when selecting keywords, and what you need to pay attention to before applying this SEO technique, it’s time to get hands-on.
Here’s a step-by-step explanation of how to conduct keyword research:
Analyze the Competitors
Make a list of the most prominent competitors and observe the digital behavior of each one.
Identify their marketing strategies, which actions they are currently working on, and analyze the ranking of your competitors’ websites for each keyword you consider using.
This analysis will provide guidance for your strategy.
Qualify the Terms
At this point, it’s interesting to brainstorm possible keywords.
Create a list of expressions related to your business, products or services, your brand universe, your ideal customer’s problems, and also the solutions your company offers to solve these specific problems.
Remember to include broader words (short tail) as well as more specific terms (long tail).
If necessary, add middle tail keywords.
Remove Terms that are not Aligned with your Business
Once your keyword list is filled with ideas, it makes sense to filter out the terms that don’t make much sense for your business.
Pay attention to words that are duplicated or that have the same meaning but different search volumes.
Find out the Search Volume of Each Word
Now that your list is aligned with your objectives and SEO strategy, dive deeper into the analysis of each term and research the search volume of each.
Remember that if you select keywords with higher search volumes, the competition will be greater, but it can also attract more traffic to the top of the funnel.
If you opt for keywords with smaller search volumes, the competition will be lower, and therefore, the lead will be warmer, making the conversion rate more interesting.
Check if your Brand’s Website is Already Ranked on Google
For each word you select, conduct a search to understand your business’s website position on Google.
This will help guide your efforts more accurately.
Discover the Difficulty, Opportunity, and Potential of each Term
The final step in keyword research is to investigate the other variables we explained above.
After carefully filtering each expression, it’s important to research the difficulty, opportunity, and potential of each keyword.
Once you have all these answers, the keyword selection will be “on point” and ready for action!
Where to Research Keywords?
You may be wondering where exactly to look for these potential keywords to use in your SEO strategy and where to find all these evaluation metrics.
With that in mind, we have listed the main platforms for conducting keyword research:
SemRush
SemRush provides in-depth and comprehensive metrics for each term searched.
Through this tool, it’s possible to have a 360-degree view of keyword analysis.
This platform allows for five free searches per day; after that, it becomes a paid service.
Ubersuggest
This tool is simpler compared to others but is perfect for quick keyword research.
It is ideal for identifying market niches, as it provides access to keyword suggestions based on the themes searched.
Ubersuggest also offers content guidance based on the best keywords and ranking potential.
Google Trends
This free tool from Google allows you to research what the world is searching for.
This means it’s possible to identify current trends on the Internet.
When searching for a term, Google Trends shows data illustrating the growth of this theme over the years and also offers related searches for the term.
Keywordtool.io
This is one of the most highlighted tools in keyword research because it offers a complete view of the term, including long tail expressions with several words and numbers.
Keywordtool.io offers both a free and a paid version, with additional specific tools and detailed analyses of the term and its competition.
Majestic
Majestic is a comprehensive SEO tool that maps websites on the Internet with keen and thorough insight.
This platform is considered a bit more advanced compared to others due to its provision of metrics and data related to search and result history across the entire Internet.
Majestic offers a free trial of the platform, but this service is paid due to its complexity.
Google Ads Keyword Planner
Google Ads is Google’s advertising platform.
These ads come in different formats such as links in search results, banners, ads within other websites, and even the ads that appear on YouTube.
In addition to managing these ads, the platform offers keyword research and suggestions on where to direct marketing efforts.
With the metrics provided by this platform, you can clearly see the opportunities to guide your brand’s content.
Keywords Everywhere
Keywords Everywhere is a Google Chrome extension that can be quite useful for marketers or SEO analysts on a daily basis.
This extension is very practical for viewing keyword search volumes in different search engines.
This tool also provides data and metrics for analyzing keyword difficulty, opportunity, and potential, along with suggestions based on the researched theme.
How can Keywords Help a Business?
The potential of a well-executed keyword strategy can be enormous and directly impact the effectiveness of your company’s communication.
This SEO technique can not only positively affect your business website’s conversion rate but also provide valuable insights for your company as a whole.
Let’s highlight the main benefits of adopting this technique for your business:
Better Understand your Audience
Knowing exactly what your ideal customer is searching for, their doubts, pain points, problems, and where they are in the consumer journey will help create a detailed profile of your target audience.
Create High-Quality Content
By understanding the keywords that work best to boost your business, content can be precisely oriented to meet specific demands.
In other words, you can include in your communication strategy rich, high-quality articles that will help clarify any doubts and questions your ideal customer may have.
To delve deeper into content strategies, we recommend an article from our blog that explains in detail how to use inbound marketing in your company’s communication.
Generate Authority in the Market
Websites that are better positioned are seen as market references.
But to be recognized as an authority, you need to prove it through assertive communication that engages, educates, and connects with your audience.
Once your ideal customer recognizes your company as a market leader, the chances of them choosing your brand over the competition increase when making a purchase decision.
Find Possible Topics to Engage your Audience
Through analyzing your ideal customer’s searches, it’s possible to identify their questions and recognize themes that may interest them.
You can include other keywords associated with the same topic and create content based on those.
Create Materials for Social Media
Keywords can contribute not only to increasing and improving your website traffic but can also guide your company’s content on social media.
By understanding the main searches made by your ideal customer, you will be able to provide answers through social media posts, using videos, images, infographics, and short, easy-to-read articles.
Improve Ranking
One of the main benefits of creating an SEO strategy with keywords is improving your company’s website ranking on Google and other search engines.
For the site to be easily found by the audience you want to reach, the site’s content needs to be based on keywords.
Being in top positions also helps attract new customers organically, reducing the cost per lead.
Keep Track of the Competition
As we mentioned earlier in this article, it’s important to always keep an eye on the competition, and keyword tools make this analysis easier.
This way, you can gain a deeper understanding of which keywords are working well for your competitors, which you can include or exclude from your strategy, and you will also have more chances to spot gaps and opportunities to explore something your competitors have yet to work on.
Conclusion
A relatively simple SEO tool can directly impact the success of your business. Keywords can be considered a connecting link between your company and your ideal customer.
Make sure to explore all the valuable resources that this strategy offers.
But don’t get confused: good ranking of your website is not synonymous with completed sales.
Use this indicator to optimize the efforts of your digital marketing strategies and guide your communication.
It’s worth remembering that rankings change all the time, so it’s important to keep updating your strategies according to your audience’s behavior.
One last thing: don’t forget to sign up to our 14-day trial! It’s free and no credit card is required.
Thanks for reading! See you on the next article.
