Carly Ellis | 3 min
This post was last updated on May 03, 2023.
Video Transcript
What Are Keywords?
Choosing strategic keywords is essential to your content strategy, so you can attract the right visitors to your site. After all, that’s what SEO is all about.
I’m Carly and that’s what we’ll talk about in today’s video.
So what are keywords?
Keywords are the main topics that define your site content. When it comes to SEO, they’re the words and phrases people use when searching on Google and other search engines in order to find what they’re looking for.
Instead of keywords, we like to think of them as “key phrases” because it better reflects the way people actually search online today. In fact, Ahrefs, a popular keyword research tool, found that nearly 70% of online search queries contained 4+ words.
So when potential customers use specific phrases related to your business, you want your site to appear high on the search results page.
Obviously, your site content plays a huge role. From the topics you cover to the words and phrases used naturally throughout your content, they help search engines get a better understanding of your site and identify if it’s relevant for a given search query.
How to Choose the Right Keywords?
In order to develop a strong content strategy, first you need to know which keywords and phrases you’re targeting. So let’s get to it. Here are 3 important questions to ask yourself when researching and choosing your key phrases.
The first thing to consider: Who are your potential customers? Imagine what they’d be searching for and how. What are their needs and concerns? What topics grab their interest? Put yourself in their shoes.
Next: What is your unique value proposition? Think about what makes your business stand out from the competition. Maybe it’s the fact that you offer free shipping, quality products or a special expertise. Focus on whatever you think your target audience wants and be specific.
Then, see what your competitors are doing. It’s important to do the research and get a sense of what’s working for them. With some detective work, you might even identify critical market gaps. Take this opportunity to highlight your unique values, which can help you rise above your competitors in the rankings.
In short, choosing the right keywords is only part of the SEO puzzle. It takes time and quality content in order to establish your site as relevant and trustworthy. We recommend conducting in-depth keyword research to identify the most effective keywords for your content strategy.
For more info on this topic, check out our how-to guide on keyword research. Again, I’m Carly. Thanks for tuning in and…We’ll see you next time.