Choosing Keywords for SEO Content
Most of you may already know the benefits of optimizing your website content for search engines (also known as search engine optimization, or SEO content writing). But how do you go about choosing keywords for SEO content?
Usually, selecting keywords is a three-step process. The first step is for you, the client, to come up with a list of terms that describe your products or services. Think of the words you use when connecting with clients or prospects in person, over the phone or email. Consider the terms you use in marketing collateral, such as sales brochures, business cards and presentations. Brainstorm with employees to add to the list. Focus especially on terms your prospects use when you first make contact. You don’t want anything too obscure or technical.
The next step is to hand your list to a copywriter with SEO expertise. Using different search tools, the copywriter will check how often people search for these terms and how much competition there is from other websites. (I usually use Google’s keyword tool.) The copywriter will then rank the terms by those most commonly searched with lowest competition to those least commonly searched with high competition. In the process, she might also come up with additional keywords or keyword combinations.
A good keyword list will typically consist of strings of two or more words. Rather than just “shoes,” for example, a better keyword string may be “ladies leather shoes Vancouver.” “Shoes” alone will have a lot of competition. “Ladies leather shoes Vancouver” is more specific and more likely to land you on page one of related Google searches.
The final step is for the revised list to go back to you, the client, for review. You’ll go through the list and highlight keyword strings that most accurately reflect your products or services and remove those that don’t.
You might be tempted to leave the entire SEO keyword selection process to the copywriter. I don’t recommend it. I find clients get the best results by applying their unique knowledge of the words they and their prospects use. Otherwise, you risk having your site optimized for keywords your prospects will never search.
Is your website optimized for search? How did you choose your keywords for SEO content?