One of the keys to successful content marketing is to use the right keywords when creating content. Few other factors have as much impact when it comes to beating out the competition.
If you are having a hard time coming up with effective keywords when generating content for your business, these tips on conducting keyword research should help:
Research the words and phrases that your customers are using.
One of my friends owns a company that works with groups of singers to come up with customized a cappella arrangements. Not long ago, he had an eye-opening experience when he reached out to his customers to learn more about the words and phrases they were searching for when they found his business.
His gut feeling was that most people were finding him by searching for the phrase “a cappella arrangements”. As it turns out, however, they were actually using phrases like “a cappella sheet music” a lot more frequently.
This anecdote clearly demonstrates the importance of researching the actual words and phrases that your customers are using. If you try to guess what they are searching for, you most often will be wrong. By listening to your customers and asking them for their input, however, you can get a much better idea of which words will give you the greatest chance of connecting with them online.
Here are some ways that you can learn more about the language that your customers are using:
- Carefully read the comments that you get on your website, taking note of any words or phrases that they use when talking about your business or weighing in on your content.
- Gather detailed analytics about your visitors including the keywords that they used to find your website. This information can be invaluable when it comes to creating new content for your site.
- Reach out to your customers through social media or via email to ask them which search terms they typically use when they are trying to find information about the products or services that you offer.
- Use the Keysearch keyword research tool to do so – it will make things a lot easier for you and automates a large part of keyword research.
Familiarize yourself with the structure, style, and vocabulary of the content that your customers prefer.
The world’s best copywriters rely on one big secret: when writing content, they keep the voice and style consistent with the type of content that their audience is already familiar with.
You can put the same idea into action when conducting keyword research. Spend time reading content that interests your potential customers. Check out articles and other publications that they read on a regular basis to learn more about the style of the content and the language that is used.
Research which social networks are the most popular with your target audience. Spend time on those sites, watching for people who are talking back and forth about topics related to your industry to get a better idea of the language that they use.
You can also watch videos, listen to webinars, or subscribe to podcasts in your industry. Again, this will give you a better idea of how to speak to your target market in a way that they will understand.
Not only does conducting this type of research present you with a practically unlimited source of keywords but it also is a great way to get inspiration for new content for your site.
Understand The Fluid Nature Of Language
Language continually undergoes changes. Words that were commonly used in the past are outdated today. Similarly, the terminology and keywords that are popular in your industry today may become passé tomorrow.
To keep up with the latest keywords and trends in your industry, you should regularly conduct research. Here are some tips to help you keep up-to-date:
- Add time for conducting keyword research to your schedule at periodic intervals. For instance, you may want to set aside a day each quarter to conduct research, setting a reminder on your calendar so that you don’t forget.
- Explore different methods for conducting keyword research. As an example, if you normally use a keyword tool, try searching for keyword ideas on social media instead.
- Make keyword research a habit by scheduling time for it after a task that you perform on a regular basis. For instance, if you view the analytics for your website on a specific day each month, set aside time to do a little bit of research after checking your statistics.
The Advantages of Keyword Research
Taking the time to research the actual words and phrases that are being used by your customers can go a long way toward helping your business succeed. Familiarizing yourself with the most popular types of content in your industry can help you create much more compelling content for your own business.
As an added bonus, when you conduct keyword research, it naturally helps you come up with ideas for new content.
