You know that keywords are important, but how do you use them to improve your search ranking and bring the right audience to your content? Trying to understand SEO (search engine optimization), is often an exercise in jargon-filled frustration. Fortunately, the concept of keywords is actually straightforward. The great news is that you don’t have to be a guru or large corporation to make keywords work for you. In this post we’ll go over the basics of keywords, to help you better understand SEO and how it relates to your business growth.
Related: 6 Ways to Google’s First Page
What Are Keywords?
Any time you type a word or phrase into a search box—on Google, for example—you are using keywords to try to find relevant images, videos, or information. Keywords are basically terms that we send to a search engine when we’re on the prowl for answers, knowledge, products, or services.
When it comes to SEO, keywords have a specific and important purpose. They tell a search engine, like Google, exactly what you are looking for. The search engine then queries its database to try to deliver the most useful and relevant web pages.
Since organic search plays such a central role in attracting customers to your business, you want to rank high for the terms that your audience is searching for. To do that, you need to send signals to the search engines that you have the high-quality content your potential customers need.
By placing keywords in your content—on your website pages and in your blog posts—you make it easier for search engines to know what your pages are all about. It isn’t about stuffing your content with keywords or trying to hide terms where they don’t belong. Instead, write for your audience and optimize your pages for search engines.
Keywords and Marketing Your Business
Search engines are the link between your business and your target audience, so you’ll want to understand how that connection is made. While Google is smart—and getting smarter every day—it doesn’t automatically know that you have the solutions your customer needs.
The best it can do is take the words and phrases your audience is using (the keywords) and try to find the most relevant results from the internet. This means that you need to know not just what your audience is searching for but also the specific words they are using. This is where keyword research comes in.