When someone is searching your industry online, do you know what words they are using? More importantly are the search words they are using most likely to match content on your site so that your site comes up at the top of the list? These are questions you have to carefully consider in the world of keywords. Understanding the relevance of search words is the first step in optimizing your webpage.
The importance and relevance of search words
If your business would not show up with typical search words people are using, then it’s time to optimize your website. Before you can understand the relevance of search words, you need to understand what these search words, also known as keywords are.
Keywords are words and even phrases that people type into a search engine to find websites that match what they are looking for. If you were searching for a dry cleaner in your area you would type in “dry cleaner in xyz”. If you are a dry cleaning business in that area hopefully you have the words “dry cleaner” in your name and all over your site so that your business ranks towards the top of Google’s list or other search engines.
Besides the word “dry cleaners” you want to have other keywords that people looking for that business would search as well. Perhaps, “professional stain remover” or “starch and press” would also be in your list of keywords. The idea is to have as many as possible so that your site gets the attention it deserves. At Portside Marketing we can help you understand the relevance of search words and devise a list of keywords and explain how they can be used in SEO for your business.
How to Find the Right Search Words
While you can’t be a mind reader and instinctively know what words people will search for that will result in your business getting a hit, you also shouldn’t go into it blind. There are many online tools you can use that will give you a long list of keywords and phrases you may want to consider.
From there you need to narrow down your list and determine which keywords are used most frequently. This is the most important part of the process and the most difficult. If you get it wrong you could be sabotaging your online presence.
The best way to know that you are using the most beneficial keywords for your business is to consult the experts at Portside Marketing. We will analyze your site and business and come up with keywords that are relevant. From there we can tell you which ones are most likely to bring in the most web traffic and help your business.
What to do with Your Search Words
Once you’ve come up with a list of the best search words, what do you do with them? You want to use them on your site, in titles and headlines, as well as in content. Since you may have a laundry list of keywords you can’t exactly use them all in every sentence. That’s why it’s important to organize and group them together. This way you can use one group on one page or piece of content and another group on another. This ensures all of the keywords will get used in the most natural way possible.
When you are using keywords unnaturally, people will be able to tell. It will make for awkward reading so much so that the visitor may click off your page and move on to the next one.
The same goes for blog content on your site that is incorporating keywords. You want the articles to sound as natural as possible. When people read them they shouldn’t have to read the same sentence twice to understand your point. If you are trying to stuff too many keywords into the same sentence or paragraph this may be the result.
The goal is to use the keywords so that your site registers and gets a good amount of hits. You want quality use of keywords over quantity.
Making Sense of Search Words
Whether you are just starting out or have been in business for years, understanding search words and how they relate to your business can make or break you.
As you’ve been able to tell, it’s not as easy as just thinking of one or two words that pertain to your business and popping them on your site. It’s a process that requires a good amount of thought behind it. Choosing the wrong search words or using them inappropriately will make your web traffic stagnant.
In order to make search words work for you, let the team at Portside Marketing help. We understand the process and can explain it to you as we work together to boost your web traffic and bottom line!