How do I know what keywords to use in my content? 5 tips for easy content creation

No matter how much data you have, as a marketing manager you and your team are constantly making decisions about what you think works. If you don’t have enough data, you don’t have anywhere to start. If you have too much data, how do you know when to stop? So, when you are facing the challenge of ensuring that your content not only reaches but resonates with your target audience, remember these six simple tips for keyword research for marketing your business.

WHAT IS KEYWORD RESEARCH AND HOW DO I USE IT?

One of the most powerful tools you have access to as a marketer is keyword research. It helps identify the terms and phrases your potential customers are searching for, and when used correctly, it can significantly boost your website’s visibility, drive traffic, and convert visitors into customers.

“Search” isn’t just limited to Google, either. There are competing search engines, social networks, and LLMs (those AI chatbots that you’re using to write your content, don’t worry—we know), to name a few.

But how do you know which keywords are the best for your business, and how do you use them effectively? Let’s break it down.

Why DOES Keyword Research Matter?

No matter the size, SEO is an essential part of the overall marketing strategy for your business. Proper keyword research can help you:

• Understand your audience: Knowing what your potential customers are searching for allows you to create content that addresses their needs, desires, and pain points.
• Increase visibility: By optimizing for relevant keywords, you can improve your rankings on search engines like Google, making it easier for potential customers to find your website.
• Stay ahead of the competition: Keyword research lets you track what keywords your competitors are targeting so you can uncover gaps and opportunities in your strategy.
• Drive qualified traffic: The right keywords bring users who are actively looking for what you offer, leading to higher conversion rates.

How DO I Identify the Best Keywords FOR MY CONTENT?

To choose the best keywords, marketing managers should focus on a combination of factors that balance relevance, search volume, and competition:

1. Relevance: Start by identifying keywords that are directly related to your products, services, and industry. Think about the phrases your customers might use when looking for solutions like yours. Consider using various keywords, including long-tail (more specific, lower search volume) and short-tail (broader, high search volume) terms.
2. Search Volume: Tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or Ahrefs allow you to assess the search volume for a particular keyword. Keywords with a high search volume are attractive because they bring in more potential visitors. However, targeting highly competitive keywords can be costly and difficult, especially for a large company. Instead, look for a balance: high-volume keywords that aren’t overly competitive.
3. Keyword Difficulty: Use tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs to check the keyword difficulty score. This score will give you an idea of how challenging it is to rank for a keyword. For large companies with the resources to invest in SEO, aiming for moderately competitive keywords can be an effective strategy.
4. Search Intent: Understand the intent behind the search queries. Are users searching for information, products, or services? Matching keywords to search intent ensures your content answers the exact questions or needs your audience has, which helps increase engagement and conversions.
5. Competitor Analysis: Analyze the keywords your competitors are ranking for. This technique can help uncover opportunities where your company might outperform competitors by targeting keywords they are neglecting or identifying niche markets that are under-served.

HOW DO I USE KEYWORDS EFFECTIVELY?

Once you’ve identified the best keywords, it’s time to optimize your content. Here’s our five tips to make effective, keywords-rich content that will help your business rank well in search.

1. Incorporate Keywords Naturally: Keywords should be organically integrated into your content, including titles, meta descriptions, headings, and throughout the body of the content. Avoid keyword stuffing, which can negatively impact readability and SEO rankings.
2. Create High-Quality Content: Google rewards content that’s useful and engaging. Instead of focusing solely on keyword density, prioritize creating high-quality, informative, and valuable content that serves your audience’s needs. This approach will help increase time spent on your website, reduce bounce rates, and improve rankings.
3. Optimize Page Elements: Keywords should be used in page elements like the title tag, meta description, URL, image alt text, and internal links. These signals help search engines understand your content and improve its chances of ranking higher.
4. Focus on User Experience (UX): Keywords aren’t just for SEO—think about how they affect the user’s journey through your site. Ensure your site is easy to navigate, fast, mobile-friendly, and that your content provides real value. This improves the chances of users converting once they land on your page.
5. Track and Adjust: SEO is not a one-time task. Regularly monitor your rankings and adjust your keyword strategy as needed. Tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console can provide valuable insights into how well your keywords are performing.

WHAT ARE Best Practices for Keyword Research at Scale?

For large companies with extensive websites and multiple product or service offerings, keyword research can become a more complex task. Here are a few best practices to streamline the process:

1. Leverage Keyword Clusters: Group related keywords into clusters around a central theme. This approach can help you cover a broad range of related terms with fewer pages, making your content more authoritative in the eyes of search engines.
2. Utilize Content Silos: Organize your website into content silos (i.e., distinct categories) that each target a set of related keywords. This helps search engines understand the structure of your site and improves ranking for relevant queries.
3. Monitor Your SEO Efforts: Implement regular SEO audits to ensure that your keyword strategy is delivering results. This involves tracking keyword rankings, analyzing user behavior, and identifying any gaps in your strategy.
4. Use Paid Search for Testing: If you’re unsure about which keywords will perform best, consider using paid search (PPC) campaigns to test different keyword variations. The data collected from these campaigns can provide valuable insights for organic SEO efforts.

Conclusion

Keyword research is a crucial step in driving your company’s SEO success. By identifying the right keywords, you ensure your content speaks directly to the people searching for it, driving traffic and boosting conversions. For large companies, a strategic and data-driven approach to keyword research can lead to substantial improvements in search rankings, visibility, and ultimately, ROI.

At Giant Shoe Creative, we specialize in helping marketing managers like you leverage the power of SEO and keyword research to enhance your company’s online presence. Contact us today to learn how we can help you develop a tailored keyword strategy that drives measurable results.