What is Keyword Research?
On average, Google process around 40,000 search queries every second! Companies are keen to attract people who are actively searching for information related to their offerings. This is where keyword research helps! Keyword research is the process of identifying popular words or phrases that individuals enter into search engines to look for information related to your offering. Once identified, companies can use these words in their website content, blogs, social media, and other channels to attract relevant traffic.
Keyword research not only helps you optimize your online content for relevant keywords, but it also gives an indication of online demand for your offering. Keyword Research gives an idea of the competition that exists, which ultimately forms the backbone of SEO.
Which is the Best Keyword Analysis Tool?
The most popular keyword analysis tool is the Google Keyword Planner. The best news is that it’s free! It is fairly straightforward to use and has an enormous database of keywords that comes directly from the world’s largest search engine. Google Keyword Planner gives keyword variations, which helps generate more ideas and is good for identifying longtail keywords.
There are some paid keyword analysis tools available which provide deeper insights. For instance, Moz Keyword Explorer enables you to create, manage, and compare keyword lists. It provides suggestions and allows you to prioritize keywords by your selected metrics. Ahrefs offers in-depth information on each keyword, including clicks per search, percentage of clicks, and percentage of paid clicks. SEMrush is a great tool if you’re targeting different regions, as it has 26 regional databases and offers keyword research in 16 languages.
Will Blogging Help My SEO?
The simple answer is YES! Blogs help to optimize for longtail keywords and increase engagement, both of which are great for SEO. However, blogging helps SEO only if done correctly. Here are a few things to keep in mind when blogging for SEO:
Be regular: Blogging keeps your website content fresh and the advantages are twofold. Firstly, search engines love new and updated content. Secondly, when people visit your website and the information is old, it gives the indication of a company that is out of business.
Be relevant: Cover topics that are relevant to your audience. This also helps search engines better identify what your site is about.
Be quality conscious: Plagiarized or badly written content will just not work. In fact, it can have a detrimental effect on SEO. High quality content positions you as a thought leader and improves the chances of other sites linking back to yours.
Are SEO Meta Tags No Longer Relevant?
Meta tags are relevant because they tell search engines what your webpage is about and will impact its overall ranking. The title tag and meta description are most important. They not only have a strong impact on search rankings, but also can boost click-through rates since they are visible to users on SERP.
While you shouldn’t make the mistake of ignoring meta tags, it’s also not wise to consider these as the be-all and end-all of your SEO efforts. A sea of activities need to be performed to significantly improve page rankings.
