Updated 15/05/2024
When you first started learning about SEO, you probably heard a lot about keywords. But since all of the Google algorithm updates, you may be wondering if they are still important for your SEO. Well, in this blog, we answer just that, as well as looking at how you can use them to best benefit your website.
But first, what are keywords, and what are the different types of keywords?
What Are the Different Types of Keywords?
If you don’t know what keywords are, they basically refer to the terms and phrases that users enter into search engines when looking for information. For a blog about gardening, important keywords could be “garden tips,” “plant care,” or “how to grow potatoes.”
Keywords are generally categorised into 2 types based on their usage and length:
- Short-tail keywords – These are very broad and general keywords, usually consisting of one or two words. These keywords often have a high search volume (lots of people are searching for it), high competition, and often less specific. For example ‘dress’ or ‘shoes’.
- Long-tail keywords – These are more specific phrases, usually consisting of three or more words, but have a much lower search volume, lower competition, and more targeted to specific queries or niches. For example ‘black V-neck dress’ or ‘best running shoes for women’.
Now we’ve got a good understanding of what they are, let’s dive into why keywords are so important for search engine optimisation…
Why Are Keywords Important For SEO?
Keywords are important for SEO because:
1. Keywords Increase Traffic Quantity
First and foremost, keywords are crucial for improving the quantity of traffic for your website as they directly impact how search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo index and rank web pages. Let’s break this down…
Keywords help search engines understand the content of your website, and when you use relevant keywords that align with what users are searching for, your website is more likely to appear higher in search engine results pages. Higher rankings typically lead to more clicks and, consequently, more traffic.
2. Keywords Increase Traffic Quality
Not only do keywords increase the amount of traffic to your website, but they also increase the quality of this traffic.
By understanding and using keywords that align with what your target customer is searching for, you can optimise your site to attract visitors who are more likely to engage with your content and convert into customers.
This is great for SEO as choosing keywords that accurately reflect the content of your page will help ensure that the traffic you receive matches what users expect to find. This will in turn reduce the bounce rate, as visitors are more likely to stay and explore your site rather than leaving immediately because they didn’t find what they were looking for. All of these factors signal to Google that your website is providing value, which typically results in higher ranking.
What Type of Keywords Should I Target?
When you’re researching keywords for your business, it’s best to focus on long-tail keywords. Long-tail keywords are often two or three words long and more specific to your business.
By matching individual long-tail keywords to each landing page, you’re saving the user work as they’re not having to go to your homepage and have to navigate through to the page they want. By optimising individual product and service pages, people will find themselves clicking directly through to that product or landing page. Remember – the less work viewers have to do, the more likely they are to convert.
To find your long-tail keywords, we recommend using the free Google Trends tool that can be found online.
Need help getting started with your keywords? We can help! Get in touch here or give us a call on +44 (0) 77110 52211 for a friendly chat with Aled.
3. Keywords Are More Than Just SEO
The third reason why keywords are so important for SEO, is because they can be used for more than just SEO. With your keyword research, you’re finding out the words and language that people use to specifically find what you offer, so it only makes sense to use these keywords in more than just SEO.
These keywords can be used in your social media (via hashtags, metatags, captions and headlines) on your online market places such as Etsy or Amazon, or even in your general copy for stuff that you do within your physical marketing also.
4. Keywords Increase Conversion
The fourth reason why keywords are important for SEO, is because they increase your conversion rate. This metric refers to the percentage of website visitors who take a desired action, such as buying a product, signing up for a newsletter or downloading an app.
Remember that with SEO and especially keywords, it’s all about focusing on intent marketing as you’re going after people who already want what you offer. It’s just up to your website to convince them that you’re the best option available.
If these people are already looking for your product, they’re more likely to convert and by doing SEO and keyword implementation, you’re exposing more pages of your site, giving the user less work to do and therefore increasing your conversion rate by finding customers who already want your product or service.
For more information on why keywords are important for SEO, check out our recent YouTube vide0:
5. Keywords Help You Remain Competitive
Last but certainly not least, keywords help you understand your competition and who you’re up against in your industry.
By researching the keywords your competitors are targeting, you can identify opportunities to differentiate your content or find gaps in the market that you can exploit.
Monitoring keywords also allow you to identify new trends in your industry, allowing you to stay ahead of the curve and adapt your SEO strategy accordingly. By identifying these new topics or keywords with increasing search volume, you can produce content that capitalizes on these trends before your competitors have chance to.
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At Lumen SEO, we can take care of your whole SEO strategy, including keyword research, link building and technical SEO. Learn more about what an SEO agency, like ours, does here.
If you like the sound of working with us, we offer free SEO audits on business websites (big or small). To claim yours, simply enter your details here and we’ll get a free SEO audit to you within the same week.
For a friendly chat about the SEO services we provide here at Lumen SEO, contact us today. Alternatively, you can message us on either our LinkedIn or Instagram pages.
Written by Kate, for Lumen SEO.
