In working with clients over the years, we’ve realized that the definition of a keyword is isn’t always clear. Search engine optimization (SEO) is relying more and more on well planned, researched and placed keywords. That said, we’re going to take a little time to review exactly what a keyword is and how to choose the best ones for your website.
The first thing to note is that the term “keyword” is often used when referring to a phrase. Sometimes specialists will specify that it’s a keyword or a key phrase, but most of the time the default term used is just keyword. A keyword can actually have several words within it and they all have equal value as a whole.
The next thing to determine is what a relevant keyword is. That which may be considered a good keyword for one business may not be for another. Even similar businesses may have radically different needs and definitions for keywords. A keyword should describe the business, the webpage, the product etc., and it should do so easily for the intended audience.
The best way to think of keywords is to try to step outside of your own mindset and think like your customers do. For example, consider an optometrist that has the eyeglasses section of his website labeled as Optical Dispensary. While this is what that area of the website actually is, it’s unlikely that the average customer would use the term “optical dispensary” to search for eye glasses. In that case, an overly crafty term is somewhat lost on its intended audience and is, therefore, ineffective.
Another way to use your customers’ mindset is to evaluate your keywords once you’ve chosen them to see if they’re actually relevant. This seems to be the place where most people get hung up and confusion sets in.
Remember that your keywords and key phrases need to describe something. Let’s say a customer is shopping online for a product – an umbrella, for example. They would most likely search for options using the word “umbrella”. When determining keywords, it’s our job to come up with other terms customers may use as they progress on their shopping mission.
What other search terms might they come up with? How about a red umbrella? Or, maybe a child’s umbrella? Maybe it’s a golf umbrella. Maybe even a red child’s golf umbrella. These keywords are great if that’s what the product is. As long as they relate specifically to the product, then every one of the options above is a relevant keyword. The key is to think along the lines of, “If I were search for ‘XYZ’ in Google, would I get the result I wanted from the words I used?”
What if the keyword was golf clothes? If searching for golf shirts, would you be happy if umbrellas were within your search results? Probably not, even though the same website sells golf clothing. The more specific your keywords, the more specific – and appropriate – the search results will be for your customers. The better the search results are for your customers, the higher the conversion rates and sales will be for your sites.
Even more confusion occurs when people try to describe their business as a whole, or as a service they provide. Lets use the word “professional” as an example. Most businesses want to put forth a professional image and portray a professional manner. As a business impression this is good, but using the word “professional” as a keyword isn’t very beneficial because it’s too general. Focus on specifics. Using the term professional optometrist in Minneapolis, for example, will receive much better response.
Descriptive words seem to throw people off the most, so it’s important that you add what you are describing to your keywords. Consider, also, whether a certain term or description is really needed. If customers are searching for an optometrist on the internet, they’re already assuming that all optometrists are professionals. While you may want to stress in your content that you conduct business in a very professional manner and have been in business for a long time, you actually don’t need those descriptors in your keywords.
It takes a little practice to approach keyword from customers’ perspectives, but it is well worth the effort and research. With the right keywords, you can communicate more effectively to the website visitors your targeting. The more you can help them find what they’re looking for, the better their experiences (and your sales) will be!
Interested in learning more about how to make a spectacle of your website? We’ll have you looking through customer-colored glasses in no time!
Comment (1)