A comprehensive guide to types of keywords and doing keyword research for SEO
In this post we compiled a comprehensive guide to keywords. Learn about the different types of keywords and understand what that means for your website optimisation efforts. Also learn everything you need to know and do when conduction keyword research for SEO and rank.
From quality link building to creating a positive user experience, there are many branches to a successful Search Engine Optimisation / SEO strategy. Of course, the biggest component of SEO is keywords — they’re how you connect with existing customers and find new ones. Using the right keywords also helps you build a stronger online presence and stand out from the competition. But how do you locate these magic keywords? The answer is simple – you start any SEO project by conducting a thorough keyword research.
This comprehensive guide will explain how to do keyword research for SEO, discuss keyword research factors you need to consider and share why you might want to consider the advice of an expert for your next SEO strategy.
What is keyword research?
Keyword research involves sourcing and analysing common search terms people type into search engines. Researching the different types of keywords and finding relevant ones is often done as a part of a business’s digital marketing strategy, like search engine optimisation (SEO).
Keyword Research
SEO keyword research can help you discover customer queries to target and their search popularity.
What You Need To Know About Keyword Research
When you want to succeed in online marketing and get as many visitors to your site as possible, you need to delve into the technicalities. One area you need to master is keyword research, but what is this, and what is the best way to do keyword research for your business?
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What is keyword research?
When you perform keyword research, you uncover and analyse search terms (composed of one or more words) that people use when hunting for solutions. The consumer enters these terms into a search engine query box to find answers, and the business can use the results of this research for SEO purposes.
Keyword research tools can show the popularity of each query, tell you how difficult it may be to rank for such terms and even give you some marketing ideas. When you master keyword research and types of keywords, you’ll reach more of your audience as they conduct their searches and gain more traffic to your online assets.
Why is keyword research important for SEO?
If you run a business, you need to identify the keywords that relate to your products or services. In other words, you need to know what phrases a potential customer will use online as they raise a question that your company could answer. Keyword research is a vital first step for all marketers as they create new content, structure their web pages and focus on search engine optimisation.
The following are some of the many reasons why keyword research is so important for SEO:
It helps you find what people are searching for
In its most basic form, keyword research for your website will tell you what people are searching for online in your niche. This will give you vital information to create content that will address search queries. You will want to create content targeting the keywords people use to find information online. Crucially, you won’t waste time creating content that does not address what your target audience is interested in.
You can also use the results when researching keywords to help
Keyword Research
you create new business ideas. For example, you may have overlooked a certain opportunity or may be able to develop new products and services to address a need that a smaller segment of your market may be looking for. The research will tell you how many people are searching for that specific term and what level of competition you may face.
It shows you how people are searching
Many business owners make assumptions before they conduct any meaningful keyword research. They may have a broad idea of their target keywords and believe they can create a relevant marketing campaign around them. However, such assumptions can sometimes lead you down the wrong path.
Consumers may not think the same way you do and may enter different terms into that search box. It may even be more advantageous for you to pursue a slightly different keyword based on their search intent.
Some people may use localism or even slang, which will effectively lead them to the same answer. You may miss a significant opportunity if you don’t target those ‘offbeat’ keywords. Also, people may often use various questions that create different keyword opportunities.
Uncovering these questions from advanced keyword research may inspire you to write content or create new products or services that cater to those specific questions.
It helps you understand the user journey
Understanding the importance of keywords in research is essential to find out where each consumer is on their journey. Most people will follow a path like this:
- They have little or no awareness of your product or may be unaware that they even have a problem.
- They may have identified a problem and are now looking for a solution.
- They may have gathered the information and are getting close to a purchase decision.
- They are urgently seeking a solution and want to buy now.
You may need to create content, including individual web pages that cater to a prospect at each stage of this journey. After all, they will likely use a different type of keyword depending on where they are. Sometimes these keywords will seek information, and sometimes they may be transactional. Transactional keywords contain specific words as part of the phrase, indicating that they are potentially interested in buying.
You should also understand the other types of keywords, such as navigational (where they are looking to find a specific website or page) or commercial (where they are looking for a particular brand of service).
It can improve your website performance
If you want your site to improve in rankings, you need to show the search engines that your site is relevant, competent and suitable. As part of this process, you need to focus on the correct keywords so that Google (and the other engines) can better understand your website.
Search engines use robots and other tools to crawl your site and gather information, including your use of keywords. The more accurate you are as you choose these words, the more visible your site will be and the more traffic you are likely to get. As such, you’ll be able to improve your website performance and boost your bottom line.
It can help you create great content
Search engines also put a lot of emphasis on content, especially if it is relevant and fresh. You’re less likely to rank for your site if you do not update your content regularly and ensure that it is of potential interest to your prospects. The best way to use keyword research is as content inspiration.
The deeper the research, the more complex keywords you’ll uncover, leading to different questions you can answer with targeted content. In other words, you can find things to write about that you may not have thought about before.
It shows you the competitive landscape
How many businesses already rank for a particular keyword? How much effort should you put in if you want to compete against them? Keyword research gives you a clear picture of your competition. Some keywords will have more competition than others, and you have to make a judgement call regarding how much effort you will put in to try and rank. In some cases, it may be relatively easy for you to move up in the rankings, while in others, it may be better for you to concentrate resources elsewhere.
When you map out the competitive landscape and develop a plan, your aim should be to grow your presence and assume a more significant share of the conversation.
It helps you build out your value proposition
When you develop an advanced keyword research campaign and act on the findings, you’re more likely to be many steps ahead of most of your competition. However, crucially, you may also uncover some opportunities that neither you nor your competition may have thought about before.
These competitors may not currently market to a certain sector or have products and services that can satisfy a more niche demand. This could be your opportunity to capitalise on it and build out your value proposition.
Types of keywords and other keyword research tips
There are also different types of keywords, referred to as ‘short-tail’ and ‘long-tail.’ The latter type will typically have several words and refer to a topic in more detail, while the former is a much more specific search. Think “floating type disc brake” versus “disc brake.”
Why do a keyword research that’s platform-specific?
You may also need to tailor your approach to keyword research depending on where you want to use those keywords. Here, you need to understand the difference between SEO keyword research, paid KWR and other types.
SEO KWR
You will need a different approach when researching keywords for an SEO strategy, to improve your organic reach. Here, it’s all about search intent and understanding what terms the consumer will use at various stages of their journey. With organic SEO, you can use a wide variety of short and long-tail keywords.
Paid KWR (Google Ads or Facebook Ads)
The approach will be quite different if you want to use these keywords as part of a paid advertising / PPC campaign, such as Google Ads or Facebook Ads. With paid advertising, you must choose specific keywords to draw clients and traffic directly to your site. In this case, you will need to pay every time someone clicks on your ad and cannot afford to be too general or unfocused regarding your choice of keyword and types of keywords. Your research must also tell you how much it’s likely to cost to get a click to your site so that you can budget accordingly.
YouTube Ads KWR
Further, the approach may be different when working with YouTube. Here, the person is more likely to use this medium to fine-tune their potential choice of product or service. They may be looking for education rather than searching for something less specific. As the algorithms within this platform will differ, you may need to use keywords that you might not use for Google Ads.
Understanding why keyword research is important
You can now see the importance of keyword research:
- It helps you to understand your market and dig into the wants and needs of your prospects.
- You can adjust your products or services accordingly and add additional offerings based on the results of your research.
- With advanced keyword research, you can also develop solutions that your competitors may never have thought about, giving you a significant advantage in the marketplace.
Getting help with your keyword research
Now that you can see why keyword research is so important, let the SEO agency experts help you meet your goals. Reach out to Online Marketing Gurus today for an initial digital marketing consultation.
Before you start keyword research
Now that we understand what keyword research is and how important it is for the growth of your website, let’s get into how you can prepare for a successful keyword research strategy.
1. Start with a list of topics
The good thing about keywords is that they are always in large supply. The downside is that it can make nailing the right ones for your digital marketing strategy a little difficult.
We recommend brainstorming topics related to your business before jumping into keyword research to keep the process from becoming overwhelming. Comb through your website and social media channels, highlighting your most common keywords when communicating with customers.
For example, if you are a financial advisory company in Sydney, you might jot down the following topics:
- Budget planning
- Debt management
- Preparation for retirement
- Investment management
- Estate planning
It’s important to list all the categories and areas involved in your business — good keyword research will use many types of keywords and multiple levels of categorisation, plus you’ll have a better chance of reaching a wide online audience.
2. Identify your region
Once you’ve got your list of topics ready, you’ll determine which region you want to focus on. This is an essential task for businesses with a wider reach in certain areas than others. Here, you’ll be able to decide whether you want to target existing customers in your most successful regions or reach new customers in other areas.
You’ll also need to consider the search language of the region you want to target, as the search language may vary from country to country.
3. Set goals
Conducting SEO and keyword research to generate traffic won’t do much for your business if you’re unclear about the action you want your customers to take. Goals are an essential part of your SEO strategy and act as a way to measure success. Ask yourself:
- Do I want customers to purchase?
- Am I interested in building authority in your industry?
- Do I want customers to read the information on your website?
- Do I want to generate more leads?
4. Be open-minded with you approach to keyword selection
While you may have your own perception of what your digital marketing strategy should look like, you must let the data drive your strategy. You need to be prepared to change how you word your website if you discover people are searching for your products and services another way.
Keyword research for SEO at Online Marketing Gurus has a proven track record of success. We’ve helped hundreds of businesses worldwide reach their goals through keyword research.
How to complete keyword research for SEO
Once you’ve gathered all the information you need, you’re ready to do some keyword research! Learning how to research keywords for SEO can be simple when you’ve got reliable keyword research tools on your side. Here are four tips to get you started:
1. Start by sourcing the Types of Keywords called: “seed keywords”
A seed keyword is a short tail keyword that is usually only one or two words long — these can be your list of topics. These often have a higher search volume, and because they are among the broadest terms out there, they’re also the most competitive. Seed keywords are a great starting point because they can help you discover other keywords relevant to your field, which brings up our next tip.
2. Find related keywords
To unlock related keywords effectively, you need to use keyword research tools, like Keyword Planner, to find a broad match or phrase match keywords relevant to your core categories. Other free online tools like Answer the Public also give you an insight into the questions people are asking about your industry.
3. Look at what your competitors are ranking well for
Don’t forget to keep an eye on your competition! Third-party keyword research tools like SEMRush can help you find what keywords bring in your competitors’ traffic.
4. Identify low-hanging fruit
Advanced keyword research also means looking at where your traffic is coming from at the moment. Google Search Console can help you see how customers find your website so that you can adjust your SEO strategy accordingly.
What to consider when choosing keywords and types of keywords from SEO keyword research
As you put together your list of keywords, it’s important to keep in mind that you might not be able to use all of them in your SEO strategy. The best way to do keyword research for your website will come down to deciding which keywords and types of keywords will be the most beneficial for your business.
When sifting through your list of keywords, don’t forget to think about the following:
1. Consider search volume
There’s little point in going after search terms with little to no search results. While using them may mean you rank higher for them, because they carry no weight online, no one will use them to visit your website.
2. Keyword intent
Keywords must have a purpose in your SEO strategy or they won’t align with your SEO goals. As these keywords will be used deliberately in your website’s copy, their purpose is to improve your rankings.
How do people use this keyword?
Gather intel on how people use the keyword online. Do they use it to find a product or service? Are they using it to find more information about a particular topic? This plays a big role in deciding how to use these keywords in your copy, whether in a blog, product description or elsewhere.
Do the keywords align with the goals you set?
Whether you’re after more leads or looking to improve your online visibility, ensure your chosen keywords align with your goals. This will ensure you get the results you want and help measure your success more accurately.
3. Keyword competition
Using keywords with a high search volume can mean you’re on the right track, but it also means that more sites are competing to rank for the same keywords. We recommend finding the balance between sourcing keywords with low competition and high search volume.
4. SERP Features
When it comes to keyword research for SEO, there are a lot of opportunities for online wins, particularly with SERP features. A search engine results page (SERP) feature is any result that appears on a Google search results page.
The most common SERP features are rich snippets — these are Google search results that use the URL, the page description and other rich information a user will find helpful to their query. Because of this, rich snippets often have a higher click-through rate.
Using the right keywords could allow you to appear in a rich snippet and overtake your competitors. Nowadays, getting to the number one position doesn’t always mean appearing as the first search result.
Online Marketing Gurus — your go-to for SEO keyword research and types of keywords
As we can see, types of keywords and keyword research is more than just adding random words into a sentence. It’s important to understand how to research keywords for your SEO strategy properly, as it can make a difference in the success of your campaign.
SEO changes almost every day, so businesses must be prepared to keep up with the latest updates and algorithm improvements to guarantee ongoing success — a task many business owners may not feel equipped for. In most cases, SEO and keyword research is best left to experts who understand the ins and outs of digital marketing and can drive the results you want.
Online Marketing Gurus is a highly experienced digital marketing agency specialising in all kinds of SEO. We’ve worked with businesses of all shapes and sizes across various industries — and we can help you too! Our dedicated team of gurus will work with you to create a tailored SEO campaign that aligns with your business goals.
If you want to learn more about our range of SEO agency services our search engine optimisation agency has to offer, feel free to get in touch today!
Keyword FAQs
How long does keyword research take?
Keyword research is one of the biggest parts of an SEO strategy and can be quite time-consuming if you’re starting from scratch. SEO is an ongoing strategy that must be consistently monitored to ensure it’s working. Many businesses opt to take the guesswork out of SEO by consulting with a digital marketing agency.
These agencies have access to marketing-leading tools and are experts in the field who can create a tailored plan for your business.
How often should you do keyword research?
While businesses should aim to conduct keyword research quarterly, your keyword research requirements will depend on your industry and the type of products you have. You must keep up to date with how people are searching, so you can tweak your SEO strategy and remain competitive.
How do you do keyword research for local SEO?
Local SEO involves improving your online visibility so that nearby users can find your business. Keyword research for local SEO requires a more comprehensive approach and includes other components such as link building, incorporating customer reviews and ensuring your website is user-friendly.
Learn About All The Different Types of Keywords In SEO
From internal linking to site mapping, many branches make a bulletproof SEO strategy. If you’ve considered upgrading your SEO tactics, you would likely have come across keyword research and implementation. Using keywords is essential to any SEO campaign and requires thorough research to ensure you’re using the right ones. But what are keywords, and what types of keywords do you use for your website? This blog will define the keywords you may come across in your SEO venture and explore which are best suited to your digital marketing goals.
What are keywords?
In the SEO field, keywords refer to the words users type into Google when searching for something specific or to find content, for example, ‘best shampoo for oily hair.’ Also known as search queries, the keywords relevant to your industry are crucial if you want your website to rank highly in search results.
Doing the research to have relevant keywords on your website will give users a better chance of finding your content and driving organic traffic to certain website pages. However, that doesn’t mean just using any keyword that’s slightly relevant to your industry.
Keyword Research
Keywords come in many forms, from short keywords to navigation keywords — it’s your job to find the ones that will not only bring new visitors to your site but also help you meet your digital marketing goals.
Search intent types of keywords
Whether a user is looking for more information about a particular topic, needs directions, or wants to purchase something, there is usually an intent behind just about any search. Depending on your business’ nature, keyword intent plays a significant role in the likelihood of a user clicking on your website.
Many search intent types of keywords also represent the stages of a user’s or customer’s journey. Let’s explore some common types of search intent keywords.
Informational types of keywords
Informational keywords refer to those a person uses when searching for information about a product, service, or topic. For example, looking up upcoming weather conditions, how many pages are in a specific book, or how to clean a fish tank.
One important thing to remember about informational keywords is that when a user searches with these keywords, Google is highly intuitive to a user’s needs and provides answers well beyond written content.
For instance, if a user searches for ‘how to clean a fish tank,’ the search engine may offer a blog post featuring a video or a series of images about this topic. If you want to rank for informational keywords, consider implementing these features as part of your SEO strategy.
Navigational types of keywords
People may use navigational keywords when they want to go to a specific website, like Facebook or their energy provider. Google is smart enough to understand that if a user searches for a business by name, they usually want to visit their website. So while this may seem obvious, it’s essential to ensure a user can find your business easily online just by typing its name.
Commercial Types of Keywords
Commercial types of keywords are often used by people who intend to purchase something shortly but need more information about the item. For example, ‘what is the best hair dryer?’
Transactional types of keywords
Transactional keywords are those a person uses when they intend to buy something. Depending on the item, a person may already know what they want and will search for the product by name, for example, ‘Rambler water bottle.’
On-page keywords and keyword types for SEO
As the name suggests, on-page SEO is any search Engine Optimisation (SEO) tactic performed for any webpage, including meta descriptions, images, internal linking, and keywords. Google will consider whether on-page SEO keywords align with a user’s search intent.
Google: keywords are still a fundamental part of the search engine algorithm
If your webpage contains these used keywords, it will rank the page higher in search results. Let’s look at the three types of on-page SEO keywords:
Long-tail types of keywords
Long-tail keywords are highly specific and, as the name suggests, long. Long-tail keywords generally have low traffic volumes but may have a higher conversion rate because they are specific.
Mid-tail types of keywords
Also known as ‘chunky keywords,’ mid-tail keywords usually contain three or more words and are moderately competitive in search traffic, for example, ‘gym in Sydney.’
Short-tail types of keywords
Short-tail keywords are short keywords that only consist of one or two words. These keywords can be extensive in terms of topics. Because of this, short keywords often have a high search volume, which can draw in more website visitors. However, this can make it difficult to compete with other sites if they’re trying to rank for the same thing.
SEO Industry Keywords
Industry SEO refers to the optimization done for an organization looking to improve its authority and credibility, such as a mechanic or fertility clinic. Aside from using relevant types of keywords, it also involves high-quality content, service descriptions, and backlinks.
Let’s learn more about the three types of industry SEO keywords:
Market segment keywords
These keywords are used when a person is looking for a particular product, service, or industry. For example, ‘cat food’ can bring up several search results relating to the pet industry.
Customer-defining keywords
These keywords filter users down to a specific demographic, such as age, gender, location, and more. For example, ‘shorts for women’ will trigger the search engine to only display results relevant to women.
Product keywords
Product keywords mention products by name or brand, for instance, ‘De’Longhi coffee machine.’ These keywords will trigger search results with sites that offer this specific product.
Geo-targeting keywords
Geo-targeting keywords refer to keywords a person uses when searching for a product or service within a specific location. For example, ‘Italian restaurant in Florida.’
Types of keywords used for paid search
When it comes to paid search or pay-per-click (PPC) keywords, SEO specialists will use three different types of keywords for your paid search campaign — exact match, phrase match, and negative keywords.
Unlike regular SEO keywords, which you must regularly optimize, monitor, or update, PPC keywords give you more control, allowing your content to appear in search results.
Exact match keywords
Exact match keywords are those that perfectly match a user’s search query. These keywords generally have a low reach but can be highly effective for conversions. Exact match keywords are used with brackets and will only appear if an exact search is made.
Phrase match keywords
Similar to exact match keywords, phrase match keywords are used with quotations. For these keywords to appear in the user’s search results, the keywords must be an exact match or contain close variants.
Negative keywords
Negative keywords are those that sound like they would be closely related to your field but aren’t. For example, say you run multiple wedding venues, and someone searches for an ‘outdoor wedding venue.’ Your ad appears, and a person clicks on it and leaves when they realize your company doesn’t offer wedding venues outdoors, wasting a paid click.
Negative Keyword Lists
By listing ‘outdoor’ as a negative keyword, your ads will no longer appear in those searches, ensuring only you drive ready-to-convert customers to your website.
Nail the types of keywords you need for an SEO campaign made by Online Marketing Gurus
If there’s one thing you need to get right with your SEO campaign, it’s keywords. Keywords help you connect with your existing customers and, more importantly, find new ones. With so many different types of keywords, finding the ones relevant to your business can feel almost impossible — that’s where we come in.
Online Marketing Gurus is a highly experienced digital marketing agency specializing in all SEO branches. Whether you’re a budding café or have been running a hotel for years, we can put your website on the path to digital success!
Unlike other digital marketing agencies, we, the top Australian SEO services agency for proven search results, approach our clients one-on-one and create SEO campaigns tailored to your needs and goals. From skyrocketing sales to becoming a trusted leader in your field, our gurus have the resources and know-how to take your business to the next level. Discover our range of SEO keyword services by contacting us today.
As this can be a more complex task, it’s recommended that you engage with an SEO specialist who can conduct this research for you.
