Content marketing keyword research is important for SEO because it helps your content reach a larger audience. And when you have optimized your content for search, you will be able to enjoy a higher SERP ranking – and because market research has shown that most site clicks go to the first few organic listings, it’s important you aim for a top listing.
Content Marketing Keyword Research: Tip #1
Google is a great place to get started with your content marketing keyword research.
For example, a university has an engineering program they want to create content for (web pages, blog posts, etc.). A good first step would be to go to Google and type in “engineering.” (See images below).
The first image shows you popular search terms, and the second image shows you more.
Let’s say these terms are too broad. For example, you want to focus on your electrical engineering program. Type in “electrical engineering,” and you get more relevant search phrases.
Content Marketing Keyword Research: Tip #2
Long-tail keywords – for example, “best electrical engineering undergraduate programs in the US” – can be easier to rank for than seed or head keywords because there may be less competition for the long-tail keyword.
Identifying long-tail keywords that work will take some insights into your audience and how they search online. And, as always, testing will help you find the most effective long-tail keywords for your efforts.
Content Marketing Keyword Research: Tip #3
Check out your competition. When your competitors are ranking high with certain content, take a look at that content and identify their keywords.
You start by identifying the content that’s ranking high, then look at their headings – h1, h2, and h3 tags within their content.
Keyword Tools
If you are the type of person that prefers using keyword search tools, I highly recommend this article from the folks at WordStream. Most of the listed tools are free, and I have used a few with good results. (I am not affiliated with WordStream.)
How To Put Your Content Marketing Keyword Research To Work
You have done the keyword research, identified your (long-tailed?) keywords – now what?
I have had some that want to use keyword stuffing – ignoring the reader’s experience and how this tactic can drive highly qualified potential customers away from their business.
Remember, ranking high on Google takes more than keywords – there’s link building, incorporating visuals in your content, bounce rates, and more. So focus on providing value to your audience rather than keywords, SEO, and search ranking. Good content gets shared and produces the results your organization needs.
