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SEO (Search Engine Optimization) keywords are the lifeblood of digital marketing, and they can make a substantial difference in your website’s online visibility. SEO keywords are topics, phrases or words that people search for repeatedly on the internet; they are the most popular terms people use when seeking specific information. Writers include focus keywords in their articles, because this draws in visitors who are searching for related content. A focus keyword is often used several times within a piece of content, triggering discovery in the search engine results, and lifting the site up in rankings. Although choosing a focus keyword for your website’s content may seem confusing at first, the process can be boiled down to a few logical steps.
SEO, Keywords, and Your Website
Website owners want to investigate which keywords their potential customers are using to search for their product or service. To make a website “SEO optimized” means to find and use the most popular words that will attract potential customers. When researching the best keywords for your business, you can ask questions such as:
- Which words are my potential customers using to search?
- What are they hoping to find?
- Based on the answers to the above questions, what is the best keyword I can use for the product or service I offer?
The top attracting keyword which is most likely to bring in consumers will become the “focus keyword” of the content. Once the focus keyword is found, and other quality keywords and phrases are also employed throughout the piece, website owners can draw more quality traffic to their site. There are some basic steps to uncovering the crucial focus keyword.
Examine Your Goals
Before you begin, consider your goals. What is your company’s central mission, and what makes it distinctive? Who is your target audience; who are you trying to reach? Take the time to write down your goals in detail. If you sit in the middle of a competitive market, think about what makes your company uncommon and key in on this. If your company offers something exceptional, original or niche-like, this is where you can start focusing your attention.
List Keywords
Looking at your goals, create a list of keywords with your potential clients in mind. What are they looking for? What words would their search include? What words would you include if you were searching for your company’s product? Brainstorm as many answers as you can, with a clear idea of your mission and your company’s unique products or services.
Start Keyword Research
Now that you have a list of keywords, you can dig deeper into the choice of a focus keyword, and here are some tools that make digging less daunting.
Google the keywords you listed, and check Google’s suggested searches, which are the questions that people have already asked Google. For additional hints, check out Google’s related searches on the results page. Also, look at the very bottom of the first page of your Google search – those “related searches” are keywords!
Yoast
If you have a WordPress website, you can use Yoast, which is a WordPress plugin that makes it easier to find and use keywords. By simplifying SEO, Yoast enables companies of all sizes to attract more high quality online traffic.
Answer the Public
Answer The Public is a tool that anticipates and creates common search questions, and it can suggest keywords and phrases for your website.
Use Keywords Everywhere
There is a very inexpensive tool called Keywords Everywhere. This tool is quite accurate and can show you the amount of searches performed on a keyword you are researching in Google or other places on the internet.
Use Long-Tail Keywords
Law firms in your field are also using similar focus keywords, and the larger companies with the biggest marketing budgets seem to hover in the highest spots on search result pages. So, in order to compete with larger companies, try using long-tail keywords. Long-tail keywords are phrases that may get less search traffic, but may avoid the congestion of the competition. Using long-tail keywords makes it easier for your website, with its unique offerings, to be seen by potential customers in the search engine results. Long-tail keywords are more specific than a simple focus keyword, so spend time thinking about and jotting down specific phrases which would logically go along with your product or service. If “mens wallet” was a focus keyword phrase, then “mens organic leather wallet” could be a long-tail keyword phrase.
Evaluate Your Competitors
To determine if your focus keyword choice will get swallowed up by larger companies using them, Google the keywords on the list you created, and view the results page. This will list your competitors, who offer the same types of products or services as your company. It is more difficult to rise to the top of the search results when you are swimming with big fish, but with superior content and long-tail keywords based on your niche, you may be able to swim alongside, or even above them.
Examine Search Intent
An cutting edge SEO strategy considers the questions people ask, and evaluates what they are searching for. Were they looking for information? Were they looking for a specific site? Did they want to research a product before purchasing? Were they ready to buy immediately? By looking at Google’s results after entering certain keywords, you can discover what most people were looking for when they entered a word or phrase.
Structure a Keyword Strategy
With the data you have gathered, you can structure a keyword strategy. Look at your compiled key phrases and the search intent data you have collected. Now consider how your website compares to other companies in search engine result pages. If your company is similar in size to the top ranked companies you see, you can stay with a focus keyword. If your company is smaller, focus on long-tail keyword phrases, based on your company distinctives.
Create Effective Landing Pages
Once potential customers click on search results, they need a destination, so provide a landing page where they can find more information and eventually contact your business in person. A company can use a landing page to tailor information to typical clients and their common issues.
- Tell a complete story that illustrates a solution.
- Share testimonials that outline how your company can solve challenges.
Landing pages are crucial for drawing and engaging website traffic. It would be prudent to build landing pages for each focused search term, but this can be a long-term process. However, your website should eventually offer a solid landing page with relevant, high quality content for each focus keyword or phrase.
Evaluate and Update
Once you have established your focus keyword and phrases, and you have analyzed success in the rankings, start creating top-notch content. Then wait a while, check your rankings and see where you stand. If you do not make it to the first page, keep writing excellent content and add some long-tail keywords that reflect your unique business. Watch and evaluate, tweak and update until you find yourself on the first page of the search results page.
How Law Quill Can Help You With Focus Keywords
Finding a focus keyword may seem like a difficult, technical task, but it starts with common sense. What are potential customers looking for, and what are the key words they most likely will choose to search for this? The process of finding your optimal keywords involves examining your company’s goals and unique products or services.
If you would like a free consultation regarding how to increase traffic on your law firm’s website through SEO or keywording, we would welcome the opportunity to visit with you for free. Schedule a chat with us by scheduling a quick phone or zoom call at your convenience on our calendar today. You can also email us at [email protected]. You can visit Law Quill’s About Me Page here, if you are curious!