When it comes to search engines and search engine optimization (SEO), there is very little that is more important than a keyword. Keywords — combined with how easily a potential client can access them — will set the tone for how soon people find your website.
What Exactly Is a Keyword, and How Do You Use It?
The Phrase That Says It All
Picture this: What word or phrase would you want to see at the top of the search engine listings? Whatever your answer is, that’s a keyword you want to use on your website. A keyword is the most important word or phrase for you and your business. Keep in mind that it is impossible, and unwise, to try to jam an unnatural keyword onto your webpage. The keyword that will give you the most success is the one that best fits your website naturally. It will accurately and succinctly describe your webpage and business.The Art and Science of Keywords
Finding keywords that are important to you or your business is absolutely critical, and you’ll want to take advantage of a variety of search engine analytics that can help you better understand this information. Once you have determined how people are finding your website — and what keywords they are using — you can work on tweaking your website’s content to better pull in these searches. This may involve extensive research into subjects like search engine results for your website. You will also want to examine how Google’s autocomplete function completes keywords related to you and your business.Different Ways That Keywords Can Help You
Keywords are used in many, many ways, and entire books and marketing courses have been made available that can help you fully take advantage of them. First, you want to use your keyword often enough that it’s easy to discover on search engines. There are also things you can do to make your keyword stand out more, such as putting it in the title of your webpage, a header, subheaders, or metadata. Make sure you write quality, unique, and relevant content around your keywords as well. You can also take advantage of different types of ads, like pay-per-click (PPC) and pay-per-impression (PPO), so your website appears as a sponsored link when someone types in your keyword. This can obviously get expensive, but it is a great way to use your keywords to increase the chances of the right people finding you.Professionals Offer Valuable Insights
Keep in mind that specific keyword strategies and tactics will vary from business to business. They may take time to discover, and you might need to pay a professional marketing firm to help you find the answers that you need. But this is usually money well spent.
The vast majority of people now use the internet, search engines, or social networks in order to find businesses in their area or services that they are looking for. That is why it is so important that you fully understand what a keyword is and how you can best use it.
