5 Reasons Why Keyword Research Is Important
Have you wondered if keyword research is important?
Here’s the thing…
Keyword research is the foundation of any SEO writing campaign. Researching keywords helps you write content that connects with your target reader and makes your content easier to find in Google.
If you don’t add keywords and phrases to your content, your page won’t position how you want – and it will be invisible in Google.
And who wants to be invisible in Google? That’s why keyword research is so essential!
What’s the difference between a keyword and a keyphrase?
Before I jump in, here are some quick definitions. A keyword is a single search term, like the word [travel]. A keyphrase is a multi-word search phrase, like [best place to travel with kids in Seattle].
Since most people search using multi-word queries, I use the terms “keyword research” and “keyphrase research” interchangeably.
Ready?
Here are five reasons why keyword research is important – and why I recommend you do it before writing a blog post or services page.
— First, you’ll learn how your readers search – and what you find may surprise you!
A long time ago, a client wanted me to use the keyphrase “multilingual global communication system” because he was sure people searched for it. Nope. People searched for “instant translation chat.”
Don’t let this happen to you! Keyword research helps you ensure the terms you include in your content are terms people actually type into Google.
Plus, understanding how your readers search can help you…
— Find new content ideas.
Do you need help figuring out what to write about? That’s SO normal. Keyword research helps you peer into your readers’ brains and discover the topics they want to know more about.
For instance, if you were writing blog posts for an accounting firm, the keyphrase, “Do I need an accountant for a small business,” would allow you to share your stories and demonstrate expertise.
Notice I qualified the search term [accounting firm] with the phrase [small business]. If you were writing for an accounting firm that served the construction industry, you could find topics (and keyphrases) focusing on that specific industry.
You’re probably catching on that keyphrase research helps you…
— Drive highly targeted traffic.
Imagine you’ve created a marketing guide for dentists.
Sure, you could name your guide “Extract more profits from your business.” It’s catchy, but it may make it hard for dentists to find it on Google.
The headline doesn’t clearly state what the guide is about.
But what if you named your guide “100 Dental Marketing Ideas”?
Not only is the title more targeted but [dental marketing ideas] is also a keyphrase! Dentists are looking for marketing ideas.
Of course, the big reason clients think keyword research is important is that they want to…
— Get a top Google result.
After all, why spend all that time writing a fantastic page if – as we discussed earlier – the page won’t position and will be invisible in Google?
Pages that have gone through the keyphrase research process and have been written by a skilled SEO writer have a better chance of positioning – and converting. Because getting a top Google position is more than the fun buzz of seeing a page you wrote in Google’s top-ten results.
(Although that’s fun, too!)
The main reason keyphrase research is so important is…
— A better Google position can help you achieve your goals and make money.
Maybe that means you want more writing jobs. Or more prospects are finding your white paper and visiting your B2B site. Or you want to boost your brand to get better jobs and be recognized as a subject matter expert.
Getting a top Google ranking can help bring the right people to your site, which will help you achieve all those things – and more.
Keyword research pays off.
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Yesterday, I came across a video by Ryan Robinson about free keyword research.
Like you, I don’t like videos – I’m deaf, but the CC was very helpful. It showed how to use AI together with keyword research to write 1000-word blog articles with free keyword research, and you only need to edit the article to make it more interesting. You can produce five times as many articles if it takes a few minutes to write them and an hour or two to edit them.
It was very convincing, but I’m too old now to start a new blog. At 83, I don’t make plans for a blog that will take five years to start making good money!
He emphasizes your point about keyword research showing you what your readers will bother reading!
Hello! Thanks for your comment!
I’ve tried keyword research in ChatGPT, Bing, and Bard — and I didn’t dig the results. Bard was the worst of them all, wanting me to use the keyword [digital marketing] for a term tightly focused around SEO writing. So, although the content *could* eventually position and make money — it may take more than five years. My guess is there are faster, better ways to turn a profit. :)
Great article! I have found it very interesting. I wanted to ask your opinion on press releases, I have recently issued one with BrandPush to help my keyword research for my online business, I wanted to know if you’d think this is a good strategy?
Hi @Davide! Thanks for your questions. Unfortunately, press releases don’t help to increase search positions or research keywords. :(
Hello, Thank you for clarifying the differences between “key phrase” and “key word”. I started doing SEO recently, so those terms actually confused me the first time.
I write SEO using the yoast guidelines. And I use AI tools to find keywords to help in my SEO writing.
You’re welcome! And here’s what’s cool — the more you know about SEO writing, the less you need to rely on tools like Yoast. I love most of Yoast’s functionality (especially the back end technical stuff), but I don’t agree with a lot of its content suggestions. If you’ve ever thought, “Hmm, I know it’s telling me to do X, but it won’t sound right in the copy,” do what’s best for the reader. :)
Personally, I’ve witnessed the transformative power of keyword research. It unveils the words and phrases your target audience uses, revealing their desires and needs. It’s like having a direct line to their thoughts. By incorporating these keywords into your content, you become a beacon, attracting the right people who are actively searching for what you offer.