So we have established why pay per click is not a good idea when trying to get to the top of my customer's Google search, but how can I make it to the top of Google? Simply put, keywords are the key. As a new business owner, establishing an online presence can be very confusing but very rewarding. Keywords allow us to tell our customers and Google that we are the perfect fit for our customers' search.
What are keywords and how do I use them to establish a stellar online presence? Let's take a look.
Keywords are essentially abstractions from numerous search phrases that provide relevant answers to search queries. This means that when someone is searching for a restaurant suggestion they might search numerous different phrases which can be drilled down into the single keyword "restaurant." Include keywords in body text and meta information (the little blurb featured on Google under a link) of your website, blog, and other content you tell Google which searches your content is a good fit for.
Single keywords are definitely simple and easy, but not only are they very hard to rank for (the higher the rank the closer you are to the top of a Google search) but they are also not very likely to send you quality traffic. Take the above restaurant for example, if you are an Italian restaurant in South Boston and you only rank for the term "restaurant," you will appear alongside Chinese restaurants, burger joints, and many other choices. If that potential customer starts thinking "a burger sounds good right now" you've lost them.
How do you solve this problem? With long tail keywords. A long tail keyword for the above restaurant might be "Italian restaurant in South Boston." Simple, right? These specific keywords make it easy to find more of the right traffic for 4 reasons.
Four Reasons Long Tail Keywords Are Your Website's Best Friend:
1. It is much easier to rank for long tail keywords.
Every restaurant is using the word restaurant, but are they all ranking for "Homemade Italian food South Boston?" I hope not!
2. Specific keywords bring traffic to your website that is farther in the buying cycle.
A person searching for "restaurants" is a lot less likely to eventually end up at your door than someone who has decided on Italian food and refined their search to fit that need. That refined search signifies that the customer is ready to buy and you want to be at the top of their search.
3. Long tail searches make up 70% of daily searches.
Although single words like "restaurant" may get more searches, most daily searches are very specific, and finding those customers is much more rewarding.
4. Being specific aligns your interests with Google's, and we all know that Google is king.
Google's goal is to match users with the content they are searching for. By using specific keywords you are telling Google exactly what searches your site is perfect for, allowing for higher rank and Google karma (my term).
Remember, create specific keywords, not misleading ones. Google takes their job very seriously and punishes companies that try to trick searchers (such as with unrelated keywords). They can and have dropped some websites out of their search database for such tactics before.
In conclusion, consider your customers, how they think and what they search, and create your content to fit their needs and their searches. It can truly be that simple!
Where do I use my keywords? Company blogs are often the best way to publish frequent content that is useful and relevant and will boost search rankings. Keywords and SEO are foundational skills for a well oiled Inbound marketing strategy, but play only a small part in the big picture. Find out the truth about inbound marketing and download the ebook below:
