One of the essential strategies to maintain an efficient digital presence is the application of SEO on your company's website.
Search Engine Optimization in free translation means optimization for search engines.
In other words, it's a set of tools that boosts your website's appearance on the first pages of Google rankings.
The first step in applying these techniques to your digital marketing strategy is keyword research .
Knowing how to define the right keywords is essential to increase the chances of your company appearing in the first results and expanding the number of visitors to your website.
This is because the customer searches through these expressions and tends to click on the sites that receive greater prominence on the first page.
This feature is given even more importance to reach the target audience that still doesn't know your brand.
In the consumer's purchase journey, the first step that the user takes is to search the Internet for information about the problem he wants to solve and the solutions available in the market.
Therefore, the more precise the choice of keywords, the greater the chances of impacting that user in the first stage of the journey.
In this article, we will clarify all aspects that involve keyword research.
You will understand what each keyword group is and how to apply them to your business.
What are keywords?
Keywords are those words or expressions that users throw in search engines (like Google or Bing) to perform searches.
These terms represent ideas and themes that become relevant to search engines.
Deeply understanding the type of research your ideal customer does can contribute to the effectiveness of your company's digital marketing strategy.
Keywords are divided into the following groups:
Short tail
These words are those considered the most comprehensive.
This means that these terms are broader and receive a higher volume of searches, that is, more people use these expressions to perform searches on search engines.
The more searches with these terms, the greater the competition between sites to appear in the top positions.
It is not a rule, but generally, short tail keywords are characterized by terms that are not directly related to purchase intent.
Searches from this keyword group are classified as part of the top of the sales funnel.
Therefore, the conversion may not be very satisfactory.
Often the term short tail can be quite generic, such as “attraction marketing”.
Middle tail
A middle tail keyword , as its name implies, is positioned halfway between the short tail and long tail keyword group .
This means that middle tail terms are not as generic as short tail terms and not as specific as the long tail word group .
In this ranking, the search volume is average and the ranking competition is lower when compared to the previous group, although it still has some challenges related to conversion.
An example of a middle tail term would be “attraction marketing strategies”.
Long tail
This group of keywords includes very specific terms .
In this case, the search performed by the user is accurate and objective.
This means that in the purchase process, the lead is already aware of their problem, is already interested in solving it and is looking for solutions to it.
Keywords that are part of this group usually have little competition, precisely because they are niche.
At this stage of the consumer journey, the search is loaded with purchase intent , therefore, it has a great opportunity for conversion.
Choosing long tail keywords in the strategy will attract a very segmented audience that can also be considered a hot lead , because people are already interested in buying something your company can offer, putting these leads in the middle to mouth position. funnel.
The search volume is much lower when compared to the short tail and middle tail groups , but they are still very efficient.
Precisely because the investment in long tail keywords is lower and has the power to drive a qualified audience to your website.
An example of a long tail expression is “attraction marketing agencies in São Paulo”.
Understanding some variables involving keywords
There are some points to consider when designing an SEO strategy and selecting the keywords that best suit your business scenario.
Let's go deeper into each variable so you can weight each aspect more effectively.
Volume
This metric refers to the number of times a particular keyword is searched within a specific period of time.
Keywords that have a high search volume can be a good choice to drive more traffic to your site , but on the other hand, it can be a little more difficult to compete with other players for the top positions.
Difficulty
When you are selecting the best keywords to integrate into your SEO strategy, it is essential to analyze how difficult it is to rank them.
One of the factors that will define whether a word is easy or difficult is competition , for example.
There are some terms that are already used by large sites that have recognized authority, while other words still have plenty of scope for newer sites to have a better chance of appearing in the first results.
In this case, it is more efficient to prioritize expressions that are easier to rank, as these will bring more results with less effort.
Opportunity
This metric is very relevant when considering the efforts dedicated to your company's SEO strategy.
When a search is done on Google or other search engines, in addition to the organic results on the first page, other elements such as videos, images, maps, ads and other buttons appear that call the user's attention to be clicked.
These elements negatively impact the click-through rate of the first organic results.
Therefore, the fewer elements that appear in the result, the greater the keyword opportunity .
Buy intention
As we explained at the beginning of this article, by analyzing the keyword used in a search, we can identify which stage of the funnel that lead is in.
If the search has vague words with an overarching meaning, it is understood that the lead is still at the top of the sales funnel.
Thus, if the search is specific and objective, the position of this lead is already much closer to the mouth of the funnel .
When you weigh multiple search terms, it's worth considering a keyword that already has a purchase intent behind it.
Because that way, the conversion rate will be much higher.
Current position
In addition to considering all these points mentioned above, don't forget to check your site's current position for each keyword!
Once you do this analysis, you will be able to find out which keywords make your site appear in a good position in the ranking and which ones you can improve.
This will help direct your SEO strategies.
How important are keywords to generate results?
The main research tool these days is the Internet.
People look for quick and simple answers, which means they rarely go to page 10 of Google to find solutions.
Generally the first results are considered the most relevant and the sites that appear in the first positions will be the first to be clicked.
To link questions to accurate answers, search engines rely on keywords.
For your company's website to be among these answers, you need to optimize ranking through SEO strategies .
In other words, keywords are the bridge between what consumers are looking for and the products or services your company offers.
The more at the top of the ranking your website appears, the greater the generation of leads from organic search.
To increase the relevance of your site in search engines, it is interesting to establish a strategy behind your keywords.
An efficient technique is to offer valuable content that is tied to your keywords, but that will also educate and help your ideal customer.
That way, when the consumer does a search using a specific term, he will find assertive answers linked to your product or service.
What does it take to do keyword research?
Before starting keyword research, you need to have some questions lined up and defined in advance.
To achieve good results with the SEO strategies that your company will adopt, it is essential to have knowledge of who the ideal customer (persona) is, the marketing objective behind the strategy and a communication plan that considers all variables.
Personas
Before communicating anything, you need to understand who you are talking to .
It is crucial that you perfectly understand the profile of personas and have a portrait of their universe.
It is interesting to know what their interests, pains, desires, the reality they live in, demographics, routines, preferences, purchase intentions and objections, needs, dreams and challenges are.
It is possible to have more than one persona.
It could be that your target audience is divided into several groups.
If this is the case, it is recommended to delve deeper into the differences that exist between the groups and create specific solutions for each group.
Remember to act according to the profile of each group!
To arrive at these ideal customer profiles, it is recommended to do an investigation through research.
So that, in this way, the information obtained is consistent with reality.
Knowing this, you can use the blog as a vehicle for keywords, offering content that will be noticed by your audience.
Knowing the profile of your ideal customer, you can also anticipate the steps they will take in relation to the consumer journey.
You have the possibility to predict search behavior and thus determine the keywords that are most aligned with the persona.
Marketing objective
Having a defined objective will indicate which direction to follow when making decisions regarding marketing strategies .
The marketing objective will help you choose the best keywords to integrate into your SEO plan.
Realize that if the marketing objective is to increase traffic to your company's website, for example, the choice of keywords will focus on the top of the sales funnel.
Generally, those keywords that are used to attract more people will have a high search volume.
If the goal is to connect with people who are already interested in buying, i.e. hot leads, the keywords will be more specific and will have a lower volume of searches.
Therefore, the more precise the marketing objective, the more efficient the choice of keywords and consequently the result of using this technique will be.
Planning
Alongside the marketing objective comes communication planning.
These two are intrinsically connected and will result in an aligned communication, where the message reaches the target audience in a clear and assertive way.
The planning will encompass who the competitors are, what content will be explored, what strategies will be applied, which products or services will be included in each strategy, taking into account the quarterly communication planning.
When you get to the evaluation phase of each keyword, remember to check the ranking of each one of them with respect to your main competitors.
Once this information is clear, your company will have a solid foundation to make decisions regarding the best keywords according to priorities and objectives.
Once the planning is aligned, you will be able to have a calculating view of how often you need to re-evaluate your keywords.
How to do keyword research?
Now that you have a broader understanding of what keywords are, which groups they are divided into, which variables should be considered when selecting keywords and what you need to pay attention to before applying this SEO technique, it’s time to time to get your hands dirty.
Let's explain step-by-step how to do keyword research:
Analyze competitors
Make a list of the most expressive competitors and observe the digital behavior of each one of them .
Identify your marketing strategies, what actions they are currently working on, and analyze your competitors' website rankings for each keyword you are considering using.
This analysis will guide your strategy.
Qualify the terms
At this point it is interesting to brainstorm possible keywords .
Create a list of expressions related to your business, your products or service, your brand universe, your ideal customer's problems and also solutions that your company offers to solve these specific problems.
Remember to contemplate broader words ( short tail ) and also more specific terms ( long tail ).
If necessary, add middle tail keywords .
Remove terms that don't align with your business
Once your keyword list is packed with ideas, it makes sense to filter terms and remove those that don't make as much sense for your business.
Pay attention to words that are duplicated or have the same meaning but different search volumes.
Discover the search volume of each word
Now that your list is congruent with your goals and aligned with your SEO strategy, dig deeper into each term and research the search volume for each.
Remembering that if you select words that have more search volume, competition will be greater, but it can also attract more audience to the top of the funnel.
If you choose words with lower search volume, competition will consequently be less, therefore, the lead will be warmer and the conversion rate can be more interesting.
Find out if your brand's website is already positioned on Google
For each word you select, do a search to understand how your business website ranks on Google .
That way you can guide your efforts more assertively.
Discover the Difficulty, Opportunity and Potential of each term
The last step of keyword research is to investigate the other variables we explained above.
Once you've combed each expression, it's important to research the difficulty, opportunity, and potential of each word.
When you have all these answers, your choice of keywords will be “on the ropes” to put into action!
Where to search for keywords?
You might be wondering where exactly to look for these potential keywords to use in your SEO strategy and where to find all these evaluation metrics.
It was with this in mind that we list the main platforms for you to do your research:
SemRush
SemRush delivers in -depth and comprehensive metrics for each search term.
Through this tool it is possible to have a 360 degree view of keyword analysis.
This platform allows 5 consultations a day for free, after that it becomes paid.
Ubersuggest
This tool is a little simpler compared to the others, but it's also perfect for quick keyword research.
This platform is ideal for identifying market niches, since through it it is possible to have access to keyword suggestions according to the researched topics.
Ubbersugest also offers content guidance based on the best keywords and ranking potential.
Google Trends
This free tool from Google lets you search what the world is searching for.
This means that it is possible to identify what are the current trends on the Internet.
When searching for a term, Google Trends shows data that illustrates the growth of this topic over the years and also offers searches related to the searched term.
Keywordtool.io
This is one of the most prominent tools among keyword research precisely because it offers a complete view of the term, including long tail expressions with several words and numerals.
Keywordtool.io offers the free version as well as the paid version, with other specific tools and in-depth analysis on the term and the competition.
Majestic
It is an all-in-one SEO tool that maps websites on the Internet in an insightful and in-depth way.
This platform can be considered a little more advanced when compared to the others.
This is due to the fact that it provides metrics and data referring to the history of searches and results on the Internet as a whole.
Majesti c offers a free trial of the platform, but this service is paid due to its complexity.
Google Ads Keyword Planner
Google Ads is Google's ad platform.
These ads have different formats such as links in search results, banners, ads within other sites and even ads that appear on Youtube.
In addition to managing these ads, the platform offers keyword research as well as suggestions on which direction to put your marketing efforts.
Through the metrics available on this platform, you will be able to clearly see the opportunities to guide the content of your brand.
Keywords Everywhere
Keywords Everywhere is a Google Chrome extension that can be very useful in the daily life of the marketer or SEO analyst.
This extension is very practical to visualize volume of keyword searches in different search engines.
This tool also offers data and metrics for analyzing the difficulty, opportunity and potential of each keyword, as well as suggestions based on the researched topic.
How can keywords help a business?
The potential of a well-done keyword strategy can be huge and directly impact the effectiveness of your company's communication.
This SEO technique can not only positively affect your business’ website conversion rate, but it can also bring valuable insights to your business as a whole.
Let’s highlight the main benefits of adopting this technique for your company:
Better understand your audience
Knowing what exactly your ideal customer is searching for, what their doubts are, their pains, their problems and where they are in the consumer journey will help to create a detailed profile of your target audience.
Create quality content
Having knowledge of the keywords that work best to leverage your business, the content can be precisely targeted to solve a certain demand.
That is, you can include rich and quality content in your communication strategy that will help to clarify doubts and questions that your ideal client may have.
To delve deeper into content strategies, we recommend an article from our blog that explains in detail how to use attraction marketing in your company's communication.
Generate authority in the market
Sites that are better positioned are seen as market references.
But to be recognized as an authority, you need to prove it through assertive communication that talks, educates and creates a connection with the audience.
Once your ideal customer recognizes your company as a reference in the market, they increase the chances that they will choose your brand and not the brand of the competition when making the purchase decision.
Finding possible themes to work with the audience
Through the analysis of your ideal client's searches, it is possible to recognize their questions and thus identify guidelines that may interest your audience.
You can contemplate other keywords that are associated with the same theme and create content based on them.
Create materials on social media
Keywords can not only contribute to increasing and qualifying your website traffic, but can also guide your company's content on social media.
Having knowledge about the main searches performed by your ideal client, you can deliver answers through social media posts, using videos, images, infographics and short texts that are easy to read.
Improve ranking
One of the main benefits of creating an SEO strategy with keywords is improving your company’s website ranking on Google and other search engines.
In order for the website to be easily found by the audience you want to reach, it is necessary that the content of the website is based on the keywords.
Being in the top positions also contributes to bringing in new customers organically, helping to reduce the cost per lead.
Follow the competition
As we have already mentioned in this article, it is important to always keep an eye on the competition and keyword tools make this analysis easy.
That way, you can have a deeper understanding of which ones are working well for your competition, which ones you can include or exclude from your strategy, and you’ll also be more likely to spot gaps and opportunities to exploit something your competitors don’t already work on.
Conclusion
A relatively simple SEO tool can directly impact the success of your business. Keywords can be considered a connecting link between your company and your ideal customer.
Be sure to explore all the valuable features this strategy offers.
But don't get confused: a good ranking of your website is not synonymous with sales.
Use this indicator to optimize the efforts of digital marketing strategies and guide communication.
It's worth remembering that rankings change all the time, so it's important to always be updating strategies according to your audience's behavior.
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