Search marketers agree keyword research is a critical part of a successful SEO strategy. Proper keyword research and tracking are vital for your business to gain digital visibility and succeed online. This essential practice is the backbone of all successful digital marketing efforts.

Keyword research is a dynamic process that continually evolves to adapt to search engine algorithm changes and user behavior. One significant recent development is the rise of voice search, necessitating the inclusion of keywords specifically tailored for this new search modality.

By identifying and targeting the right keywords for your strategy, you can ensure your content reaches your audience more effectively, driving traffic, engagement, and conversions. Regularly updating your keyword strategy to reflect current trends and user intent will keep your digital marketing efforts relevant and impactful.

What are Keywords?

Keywords are the terms and phrases used to target a specific audience or group of people for organic and paid searches.

For example, a keyword for a residential roofing business might be “residential roofing.” This term would serve to target potential customers searching for things such as “residential roofing contractors in my area,” “residential roofer in [location],” etc. You get the picture.

Different Types of Keywords

Before conducting your keyword search, it’s best to understand the different types of keywords. Keywords can be categorized based on length and intent, each serving a different purpose in a digital marketing strategy.

Short Tail Keywords

Short-tail keywords, also known as head keywords, are typically one to two words long. They are broad and general, such as “shoes” or “digital marketing.” These keywords have a high search volume, making them competitive and challenging to rank for. However, if you manage to rank for them, they can drive significant traffic to your site.

Long Tail Keywords

Long tail keywords are longer, more specific phrases, usually containing three or more words. Examples include “roofing services near me” or “digital marketing strategies for small businesses.” While they have a lower search volume, they are less competitive and often have a higher conversion rate due to their specificity.

Keyword Intent

Your keyword intent refers to the purpose behind the search query. Understanding keyword intent helps target your users and the kind of content they need based on their search queries. Keywords can be separated into four categories:

Commercial

Commercial keywords are keywords that indicate the user is looking to make a purchase or is interested in buying options. These keywords often include terms like “buy,” “best,” “cheap,” or “review.” Examples are “buy digital marketing services” or “best roof replacements.”

Informative

Informative keywords are used when searchers are seeking information or answers to questions. They often start with “how,” “what,” “why,” or “tips.” Examples include “how to do keyword research” or “what is digital marketing.”

Transactional

Transactional keywords indicate that the user is ready to take a specific action, such as making a purchase, signing up for a service, or downloading a resource. Examples are “subscribe to digital marketing newsletter” or “download keyword research guide.”

Navigational

Navigational keywords are used when searchers are trying to find a specific website or page. They often include brand names or specific product names. Examples include “Art Unlimited website” or “Google keyword planner.”

By understanding and targeting the right types of keywords with appropriate intent, you can create content that effectively addresses the needs and motivations of your audience and users, leading to better engagement and higher conversion rates.

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What is Keyword Research?

Ideally, keywords should correlate with searcher intent to get the highest click-through percentage and can be dialed in by region to more accurately target specific areas. Because of this, keyword research naturally and easily flows into content development, link building, and, ultimately, the overall health of your website. It may sound like a lot, but don’t worry; this is why we we’re sharing this information:

Of course, keyword research isn’t as simple as picking a few standard industry terms and adding them to a spreadsheet. As noted above, there are different types of keywords. There are also different ways of tracking keywords, various ways to optimize for keywords, and many tools to discover keywords.

The best ways to benefit from it
The best free tools to use for it
How to use those tools effectively

By the end of this guide, you will have a better understanding of how keyword research can benefit your company and what it takes to create a successful keyword research strategy. You will learn how to create high-quality, keyword-rich content based on keyword performance and the best methods for optimizing your current content to achieve its highest ranking potential.

Finally, we’ll cover how voice search is shaking up the SEO world.

Graphic of woman with magnifying glass and a search bar from a website wondering what keyword research is.

Graphic of man and woman looking at a graph to determine the best keyword.

How Does My Company Benefit from Keyword Research?

Keyword research is one of the most fundamental components of search engine optimization (SEO). A well-developed keyword strategy is essential for getting your website to rank organically on search engine result pages (SERPs).

Your website and individual pages are indexed among millions of others, all of which can have similar information. So, how do you rank above these other millions? How can your page and company be seen above the rest? For most companies, the basic answer tends to be a combination of:

Domain authority
Local optimization
Content-to-query relevance

Keyword research is crucial to establishing content relevance. When new information is posted on the web, Google and other search engines use bots to find and crawl a new page or website. This is called indexing the page. While crawling, the Google bots analyze content to determine its subject, the quality of the information, and relevance to various search queries. This is where keyword optimization becomes crucial to ranking.

By targeting specific keywords on your pages or posts, you can coax the search engines to notice that your page has specific, quality content about a topic matching your keywords. Upon seeing this, the search engines will rank your piece above others with lesser-quality content.

Ultimately, when potential clients search for your targeted keywords, like “roofing contractor near me,” your company gets noticed above your competitors.

Tools and Strategies for Keyword Research

Now that you understand the necessity of keyword research, you are probably wondering how you’re supposed to do it! A wide range of keyword research tools is available to business owners, marketing experts, and professional SEOs. Some of these tools are only available by paid subscription, but many are free for the public to use, and new ones pop up daily as the industry changes. However, even with constant changes in the SEO field, some keyword research tools and methods remain strong over time. These are:

For years, Google Search Consolebeen a staple instrument in every SEO toolbox. This free tool offered by Google tracks a website’s search traffic, data, errors, etc. Through this tool, a knowledgeable webmaster can analyze how a site is viewed through Google.

As far as keyword research is concerned, Google Search Console should be a primary source for search data to guarantee SEO best practices. Google will track and display actual search queries showing your site, the number of impressions your site had, actual click-throughs from the query, and your site’s average rank.

After comparing the data for impressions, clicks, and rank, you can dig deeper into the data set to discover pages that currently rank for queries and keywords you wish to target. After gathering this information, you should know exactly which pages to optimize for the new keywords you want to target.

Paid ads are a crucial part of any successful digital marketing strategy. Look at any Google search results page; it is easy to see where paid advertisements are taking over the top rankings. Paid ads will always appear before organic search results. Although a staple component in almost everyone’s lives, search engines are really just businesses. Because of this, their primary goal is to make money, and advertisements are how they do it.

Using the Google Ads tool to benefit your organic search rankings is still possible. Google Ads can be an excellent place to find potential keywords to try to rank organically.

Gathering keyword data through paid advertising research is a great way to grow organic keywords. Often, keywords will first be “discovered” as hot trends in paid advertising. Taking those trends and moving them into the organic field can move your ranking forward.

You can also use paid keywords to boost organic keywords in your campaign. Occasionally, adding an organic keyword to paid Ads will bring higher rankings to organic search volume on a phrase or keyword.

The intersection of paid and organic is essential and should not be ignored. Do not discount either option; utilizing all the tools available to bring traffic to your website is best. Without traffic through keywords, there can be no sales or leads!

After using Google Search Console and Google Ads to create a base keyword list, your next step should be expanding the list to include variations and long-tail keywords. Google Search Suggestions is an excellent place to look.

To use this keyword research method, you must enter your base keywords into a standard Google search. As you enter your keywords, Google will suggest possible searches in a drop-down menu. Look through these and select keywords and phrases that apply to your company and brand.

Tip: After writing a list of appropriate keyword suggestions, click into the search for your base keywords and scroll to the bottom of the page for additional keyword suggestions.

SEMrush is a powerful resource for SEOs, renowned for its comprehensive keyword research capabilities. This tool provides a wealth of data, including keyword volume, difficulty, and competitive analysis. SEMrush allows users to discover long-tail keywords, track keyword positions, and analyze competitors’ keywords.

One of SEMrush’s standout features is its Keyword Magic Tool. This feature allows SEMrush to generate keyword ideas based on one or more seed keywords. By entering a primary keyword, SEMrush offers a plethora of related terms, questions, and phrases that can be valuable for both organic and paid search strategies.

Additionally, SEMrush provides insights into keyword trends, helping marketers stay ahead of the curve by identifying emerging keywords and seasonal trends.

Ahrefs is another essential tool for keyword research. It is often praised for its extensive backlink analysis capabilities, but its keyword research functionalities are equally impressive. Ahrefs offers a robust keyword explorer tool that helps users find keywords with high search volume and manageable competition.

With Ahrefs, users can see detailed metrics for each keyword, including search volume, keyword difficulty, and click-through rates. This data helps SEOs prioritize keywords more likely to drive traffic and conversions.

Ahrefs also excels in competitive analysis, allowing users to see which keywords competitors are ranking for and identifying gaps in their content strategy. By analyzing competitors’ top-performing pages and keywords, users can uncover opportunities to improve their own rankings.

Furthermore, Ahrefs provides insights into global and local search volumes, making it a versatile tool for businesses targeting various markets.

Try to imagine sitting down to write new content for your website. Do you know what you are going to write? Is the information going to answer the questions people want to know the answers to? Will people search for your content or be interested in reading it? This is where forums can be constructive in content creation.

A forum is a community of people interested in knowing about similar topics. People will ask questions in the forums and hope for a satisfactory response. Often, these questions are not adequately answered elsewhere, which gives your company a perfect opportunity to provide an answer. After all, if one person is curious enough to ask, it’s very likely other people will be interested in the answer. You want your company to answer the questions people are asking, and forums are the perfect place to find those inquiries.

Keyword Research and Content Development

Now that you have established a keyword list for your business, you will need to write quality content using those keywords for your site. Quality content is used to entice users into your site and ultimately prompt them to complete an action called a conversion. Content accomplishes this ultimate goal through keyword optimization. Keyword optimization is the term used to describe the process of carefully selecting and seamlessly layering chosen keywords and keyword phrases into a piece of content in order to find the target audience.

Without keyword optimization, you could have the highest-quality piece of writing, and it would mean nothing because it is unlikely to be found or read by the intended audience. Essentially, keywords are the bait to draw the right viewers to your site. The right viewers, of course, are those most likely to convert. Keyword-rich content is what we call optimized content.

Tip: Quality content needs to be the priority for keyword optimization. Always start with high-quality, original content people will want to read before baiting the hook with your keywords.

What is Quality Content?

There are a few guidelines for writing quality content for Google. First and most importantly, your content needs to be original. This simply means the content is not plagiarized. Plagiarism is considered literary theft and is illegal under US copyright laws.

Second, and a little less straightforward, quality content needs to appeal to the audience you’re writing for. Ask yourself who your piece is meant to be read by. Are you writing to someone looking for tips to know when to replace their roof? Maybe you’re writing for someone wanting to know the difference between shingle and metal roofing options. This is your audience. Always keep your audience in mind when you are writing your piece. Use language your audience would be comfortable with and explain any language they might not understand. If you are unsure of the audience in your target area, Persona Blueprints is a valuable resource to look into. This targeted audience analysis report will give you the data you need to make strategic decisions for your business!

After you have a clear understanding of the audience you are writing for, it should be easier to select targeted keywords. Choose keywords that appeal to the type of people you’re trying to attract to your site and match the tone you are trying to set for your piece.

The tone is the last of the three guidelines for quality content. It is related to the audience, which can sometimes dictate the tone. Conversely, the tone can help to dictate the audience. The content subject can also significantly affect tone, but it does not necessarily have to (i.e., satire).

The tone of your writing simply means how you intend for your audience to read it. Is the piece meant to be comical or serious, informational or inspirational, formal or informal? Perhaps the work is intended to combine two or more categories or something entirely different. Whatever your tone, it is crucial to keep it in mind while you’re writing. Failure to do so can often lead to inconsistency in your work, which can be jarring and off-putting to readers.

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Google Algorithms and Your Content

Like any genuinely healthy entity and growing industry, keyword research and content development are constantly changing; it is up to content and keyword developers to keep up with those changes. Google’s frequent algorithm updates are, more often than not, the catalysts for the changes:

The first significant change Google made to the content and keyword game came in Google Panda in February 2011. This put an end to keyword stuffing by calling for relevant, high-quality content. Before 2011, keyword stuffing, or the practice of oversaturating a content piece with targeted keywords, was common in many SEOs’ repertoire. After Panda was released, SEOs were forced to change their strategy or fail in the new playing field.

Even after the launch of Google Panda, keyword stuffing did not completely die out in common practice. The release of Google EMD in September of 2012 acted as a supplement to Google Panda to prevent keyword stuffing within domain names. With EMD, sites with poor content could no longer outrank quality content simply because of an abundance of exact-match keywords in the domain name.

Google Hummingbird was the first significant advancement directed at search queries themselves. Hummingbird ensures the whole meaning of a search query is taken into account rather than just individual keywords. This opened the door to better query-to-SERP (Search Engine Results Page) matches based on the meaning of a query and completely changed how we use keywords and how we search. The Google Hummingbird update in 2013 made voice search possible.

The Helpful Content Update is the most recent (September 2023) core algorithm update that has shaken up the SERPs. The update focused on reducing spammy content and uplifting detailed, informative content for users. This update is one of many steps Google has made to make search easier for users to navigate and consume content that will answer their desired questions. This update has affected rankings and made adjustments to Google’s guidelines regarding Artificial Intelligence (AI), making it a more acceptable tool for creators.

Graphic of woman leaning on a cell phone listening to the voice search.

The World of Voice Search

How Do I Optimize My Website for Voice Search?

In today’s world of spoken commands and quick, concise answers, long-tail keywords are becoming increasingly valuable, and knowing how to properly use them is becoming more essential. Long-tail keywords are precise phrases more likely to correspond with highly specific questions in voice queries. Voice search, long-tail queries, and the lack of an actual screen means devices must return concise answers. Generally, only one answer is returned, and the conversation either ends or springs to another question.

Voice searches tend to mirror natural speech patterns, often featuring longer, more conversational phrases. To capitalize on this:

Incorporate complete questions and phrases into your content
Use colloquial language and idioms
Think about how people speak, not just how they type
Create concise, easy-to-read content that answers specific questions your audience might ask

Voice assistants frequently source their answers from featured snippets—those concise summaries that appear at the top of search results. To increase your chances of securing these coveted spots:

Organize your content with clear heading and subheading structures
Provide direct, concise answers to common questions
Create easy-to-read content using bullet points or numbered lists
Include a summary paragraph at the beginning of your content

In the world of voice search, speed is king. Users expect quick responses, and search engines prioritize fast-loading pages. To improve your site’s speed:

Optimize image sizes and formats
Minimize HTTP requests
Enable browser caching
Use a content delivery network (CDN)
Consider implementing Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP)

Most voice searches occur on mobile devices. This means that having a website that is optimized for mobile is critical. To enhance mobile-friendliness:

Use a responsive web design that adapts to different screen sizes
Implement large, easy-to-tap buttons and links
Optimize font sizes for readability on small screens
Avoid using Flash or other technologies not supported on mobile devices
Test your website on multiple devices, including phones, tablets, and desktops.

Having properly structured data helps search engines understand your content and its intent, potentially improving your website’s performance in voice search results. Consider implementing:

Schema markup for local businesses, products, and more
Rich snippets to enhance your search listings
Microdata to provide additional context about your content

For your company, this means a shift from the traditional techniques used to rank high in SERP results to focusing on short, descriptive answers worth listening to. Certainly, you will still want to be one of those top search results; traditional searching has plenty of value, but having content optimized for voice search and rich snippets is becoming more essential every day.

FAQ pages align well with how people phrase voice queries. To make the most of this:

Create detailed, informative FAQ pages addressing common user questions
Structure questions and answers in a clear, easy-to-read format
Use natural language in both questions and answers
Regularly update your FAQs based on customer inquiries and feedback

There is usually an intent behind every search. For voice searches, the intent is usually locally focused, meaning users usually look for directions, reviews, or products available locally. To improve your local SEO:

Claim and optimize your Google Business Profile (GBP) listing
Ensure your NAP (Name, Address, Phone number) information is consistent across the web
Encourage and respond to customer reviews
Create location-specific content and landing pages
Use local keywords and phrases in your content

While voice search requires some specific optimizations, solid general SEO practices remain crucial. Focus on:

Creating high-quality, relevant content
Building authoritative backlinks
Improving user experience across your site
Using relevant keywords naturally throughout your content
Regularly updating and refreshing your content

Voice searches often use longer, more specific phrases. Incorporate long-tail keywords into your content strategy:

Research and target longer, more conversational search terms
Create content that addresses specific user intents
Use tools like Answer the Public to find question-based keywords

Since voice assistants often pull answers from featured snippets, aim to secure these positions:

Provide clear, concise answers to common questions
Use formatting (like tables, lists, and headers) to structure your content
Include relevant statistics and data where appropriate

By implementing these strategies, you’ll be well-positioned to capture the growing voice search market and provide value to users regardless of how they choose to search. Remember, voice search optimization is an ongoing process—stay informed about new developments and continuously refine your approach.

Creating A Keyword Research Strategy

Developing a comprehensive keyword strategy is crucial for SEO success. Here’s a step-by-step approach to create an effective keyword strategy:

Start by understanding different keyword types (short-tail, long-tail) and their intent (commercial, informational, transactional, navigational). This knowledge will help you target the right keywords for your specific goals and audience needs.

Leverage powerful tools like Google Search Console, Google Ads Keyword Planner, SEMrush, and Ahrefs to gather keyword data. These tools provide valuable insights into search, competition, and related keywords, helping you make the best decisions for your website and business.

Conduct thorough keyword research using the tools mentioned above. Look for keywords relevant to your business, consider search volume and competition, and identify opportunities for long-tail keywords. Don’t forget to analyze competitor keywords and industry trends.

Develop high-quality, original content that naturally incorporates your target keywords. Focus on creating value for your audience while maintaining a consistent tone and adhering to SEO best practices. Remember, content should always prioritize user experience over keyword density.

As voice search continues to grow, adapt your keyword strategy accordingly. Focus on conversational, long-tail keywords and natural language phrases. Structure your content to answer specific questions and aim for featured snippets, which are often used in voice search results.

By following these steps, you’ll create a robust keyword strategy that forms the foundation of your SEO efforts.

Graphic of a man choosing keyword strategy on a desktop computer screen.

Ready to Supercharge Your Digital Marketing with Expert Keyword Research?

The world of SEO is always changing; it’s up to you to ensure your company is ready by staying on top of the latest news and always being open to adapting your methods.

Now, it’s time to take your digital marketing strategy to the next level. Our team of seasoned marketers is ready to help you uncover your business’s most valuable keywords and implement them effectively.

Don’t let your competitors outrank you. Contact Art Unlimited today for a free consultation and discover how our tailored keyword research services can boost your website’s visibility, drive organic traffic, and grow your business.

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