With the majority of the world spending more and more time online, it’s becoming increasingly important for businesses to market and sell on the web. In fact, according to Shopify, the global e-commerce market is expected to reach $4.89 trillion this 2021. Today, 19.5% of sales are made from online purchases, that’s a 45.8% increase in the past two years.
Being able to market and sell your products online, however, means making your website and your content visible on search engines. And to accomplish that, you need to target and optimise for the right keywords for your business.
What is Keyword Research
Keyword research is the task of finding relevant search terms that people often use to seek out information on a certain topic online, specifically on search engines such as Google and Bing. Keyword research is best done in order to find popular keywords that are relevant to your business in order to improve your organic and paid search marketing campaigns.
Why is Keyword Research Important
Thorough and extensive keyword research ensures that your business continues to be found online by audiences that are most likely to engage with your business. Keyword research is vital because you want to make sure that the people that are visiting your website are the right people.
According to Google, 76% of people who perform a search query on their phones for something nearby visit a business within the day? What’s more is that 28% of those local searches often end up with the user making a purchase. In other words, keyword research has the potential to greatly increase your reach, your exposure, and your sales both locally and globally.
How to Find the Right Keywords
1. Focus on Intent
The first step to making sure that you’ll be using the right keywords is to focus on the user’s intent. Think about the reasons they’re typing in a particular search term. Is it to conduct research, to read reviews, or to make a purchase? Having your ideal audience or customer in mind is important if you want to be able to attract the right kind of web traffic.
2. List Down Topics Related to Your Business
Think about what categories or industries your business fits into. Do you sell clothing? What kind of clothing? Do you specialise in formal wear, sneakers, casual wear, or statement t-shirts? Start with the broadest categories and then break those categories down into more and more specific niches.
For example, men’s shoes could be broken down into: rubber shoes, running shoes, sneakers, high tops, etc. You can even break down this category into the material that your shoes are made of, or the intention behind using them such as what sports your shoe fits into.
3. Utilise Keyword Research Tools
There are a number of free keyword research tools that you can use to find some of these niche keywords. Top of the list, of course, is Google Keyword Planner. You can also quickly find some search terms by simply visiting Google’s homepage and then typing in your keyword. As you do that, a dropdown menu will emerge, with some search suggestions related to the topic.
Of course, you can also utilise paid tools and software to help you do your keyword research. Among these tools are SEMRush, Ahrefs, Moz’s Keyword Explorer, and many others.
Alternatively, we also recommend trying to get in touch with a SEO or SEM expert, someone that could help you brainstorm ideas and strategies that could increase your business. Our agents, for example, have tremendous experience helping small businesses in Australia increase their leads and sales, and would be more than willing to lend a hand.
Giving your website as much visibility as possible is important, especially as more and more businesses are setting up shop online. Hopefully these few tips can help you get started with your keyword research. However, if you feel that these things are better left to experts, feel free to send us a message or give us a call. Our lines are always open and our agents ready to help.