How to Research Keywords for SEO
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How does the idea of researching keywords for SEO make you feel? Overwhelmed? Confused? I know the feeling. I used to feel the same. But after putting a lot of time and effort into learning about SEO and how to do keyword research effectively, I no longer feel like it’s a daunting task. That’s why I’ve put together this beginner’s guide on how to research keywords for SEO.
What is SEO?
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is the process of improving your website in order to rank higher up on search engines, the main one being Google. Ranking higher on search engines will help your business for years to come. It increases your visibility, builds trust and credibility and drives organic traffic. When people find your content via a search engine, chances are they were intentionally searching for the answer to a problem that you can solve, which means that they are a pre-qualified lead. It is a lot easier to convert pre-qualified leads into paying clients, especially if they see you as trustworthy because you appear high on search results.
What are keywords?
Keywords are words or phrases that people use to search for information online. Keywords are crucial for SEO because they bridge the gap between what users are searching for in search engines, and the content they find. Search engines, like Google, crawl web pages for keywords so they can best match a user’s query with the most relevant content. When you research the keywords that your target audience are searching for, and place them strategically in your content, you are increasing your chances of being discovered on search engine results pages.
How to research keywords for SEO
Brainstorm keywords from scratch
For the main pages of your website, you will want to find keywords that are related to your industry, location and service or product. For example, if you are a wedding photographer based in London, UK - start by making a list of the obvious words and phrases that people would type into Google to find you. These will include:
Wedding photographer
Wedding photographer London
Wedding photographer UK
Wedding photographer London UK
For blog posts, you will want to find keywords that are relevant to your post title. As a wedding photographer, if you wanted to write a blog post about how to budget for wedding photography, some keywords you might come up with are:
Budget for a wedding photographer
Wedding photography budget
Save up for a wedding photographer
Wedding budget
2. Choose a keyword research tool
Keyword research tools will not only help you find keywords that are relevant to you, but they will tell you how popular your search terms are and how easy or difficult they are to rank for.
Ubersuggest is a great keyword research tool for beginners and allows you to search up to 3 keywords per day for free. They offer a paid plan if you need to do more than 3 searches in one day.
SEOSpace* is the first SEO plugin for Squarespace. This free tool is built specifically for Squarespace websites and makes it easy to optimise your website pages without missing any important steps, however you do have to be on a paid plan to carry out keyword research on SEOSpace.
There are other paid options out there too, but I’ve found Ubersuggest and SEOSpace to be the easiest to use.
3. Analyse your keywords in the keyword research tool
Choose one of the keywords or phrases from the list you made and enter it into your chosen keyword research platform. This will bring up a lot of data about the keyword you just entered, but the two things to pay attention to are:
Search volume
SEO difficulty
Search volume tells you how many people are searching for that keyword every month.
SEO difficulty tells you how difficult that keyword is to rank for on search engines.
Ideally, you want to find keywords that are heavily searched for but are easy to rank for. However, these are difficult to come by so if it’s a choice between using a keyword that has a high search volume vs a keyword that is easy to rank for - go for the keyword that is easy to rank for. It’s better to rank on page 1 of search results, where you will be seen, for a search term that not many people are searching for, compared to page 5, where you will not be seen, for a search term that is widely used.
Keyword research tools will also give you a list of related or similar keywords, some of which may have higher search volumes or lower SEO difficulties. Note these down. When you’re stuck for keywords or blog post ideas, you can refer back to this list for inspiration.
4. Strategically use your keyword on your website
When Google crawls your website, it crawls the pages that are visible to people and the back end. Placing your keyword strategically will tell Google what your website is about and when it should show your website to people who are searching.
Here is a list of the most important places you can add your keywords on your Squarespace website:
Site title (add a site title even if you are using a logo instead of a site title. Google will be able to read your site title)
Site description
Page titles
URL slugs
Headings (anything that you format with H1, H2, H3 or H4)
Body text - but don’t overdo it here. The priority with your body text is that it makes sense so if it doesn’t feel natural to add your keyword in a certain section then don’t! Only add your keywords in the body text if it flows.
Blog post titles
Image and file names
Image and file alt text
SEO title
SEO description
5. Scan your website with SEOSpace
The free version of SEOSpace* will allow you to scan your Sqaurespace website and it will give you simple to follow advice on how you can boost SEO on any particular page of your website. This tool is brilliant for anyone who wants to improve their ranking in search engine results. It’s easy to use and the solutions it gives are jargon free. Even if you are not on the paid plan of SEOSpace for keyword research, I recommend the free version to everyone with a Squarespace website.
How to research keywords for SEO - The Bottom Line
Although the idea of researching keywords and SEO can seem complicated and daunting, it doesn’t have to be. SEO is a long term process, and researching keywords is a fundamental part of that. I like to set aside some time every week to brainstorm and research keywords and often come away with more than I need for the week, which then gives me ideas for future content.
I started my SEO journey with Kate Scott’s Raise Your Rank Challenge*. It’s a 5 day challenge where you will get a daily email with an actionable step you can take that day. It’s a great way to learn a little about SEO daily and build momentum from there.
Kate Scott’s Grow With SEO* course is also great for building knowledge and skills for ongoing Squarespace Website SEO.
Finally, it helps to have the right tools. SEOSpace* is the first SEO plugin for Squarespace. The chrome extension will scan your website and give you steps you can take to optimise your website without missing anything out.
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