When it comes to SEO Greenville NC, no one does it quite like Red Shark Digital! We know that the base of any successful SEO campaign is keyword research, which is why we spend a lot of time during this phase of each of our SEO projects.

While increasing your overall organic traffic is great and all, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you will see any ROI for your SEO campaign. Attracting the right audience is critical to your SEO success, which is why our SEO experts choose the most effective keywords to connect with your target market. This process takes time and effort, but the results will be effective. Because of how important keyword selection is to organic success, we have put together a list of our top 5 tips for keyword selection!

Adjust Your Mindset

As a business owner, you will have a certain mindset on what terms you would like to be found for, but focusing solely on these terms will likely never turn into substantial success for your business. This is because you have to adopt the mindset of the consumer. Think about your ideal customer/client and ask yourself, “If I wanted to find my product or service online, what would I Google”? If you’re having trouble with this, ask your friends, family, or even current customers to identify which keywords you are lacking.

One thing you do not want to leave out when thinking of these phrases is the data that Google is already collecting on your website. You will definitely want to check out your Search Console account to see how users are currently getting to your website. Then you can take these terms and phrases and make a decision on if they have been beneficial to your online presence.

The Competition Is Stiff - Make Sure You Understand It

Every business has some sort of competition. Make a list of your key competitors and then visit each of their websites, looking for keyphrases they are targeting within the content of their website, as well as in their meta tags. Nowadays, there are hundreds of free and premium services that will let you “spy” on your competitors to see what keywords they are ranking for. Take the data you get here and see if you can expand upon your initial list of keywords based on your findings.

Long Tail Keywords

First off, long tail keywords are keywords that contain a combination of three or more words and phrases. While many will argue that long tail keywords are pointless because they tend to boast lower search volumes, they typically attract more relevant traffic, are usually less competitive, and easier to rank for. The best thing to do when selecting long tail keywords is to focus on keywords that help identify your product or services.

Below, you can see the value of a long tail keyword in the graphic from Hubspot. You can see that there is less competition and cost associated with the long tail keywords and that they will almost always yield a higher conversion rate.

There Are Tools Available - Use Them

Now that you have a list of potential keywords, you should always take advantage of keyword research tools that are available online. These tools allow you to see keyword search volume, competition level, trends, and so much more. Most of these tools are super easy to use, and oftentimes these tools will be the same, or at least have the same functionality, as the tools used to see what your competition is currently ranking for.  

Analyze Your Results

Last but not least, you need to make sure you are analyzing your results constantly, looking for any missed opportunities, as well as highlighting even the smallest successes. Some keywords will trend and search volume will change quickly, so you will need to stay on top of these keywords to ensure that adjustments are made and that you do not lose any potential customers.

Don't forget to utilize your keywords wherever possible! Insert your keywords into blog posts, social media posts, and your website's content. The more you use keywords within your content, the easier it will be for your target audience to find you.

Now Get Crackin’

Now that you have these 5 tips in your arsenal, you are already a step ahead of your competition. Take these tips and get started on building a top tier SEO strategy, and as always if you need any help, contact Red Shark Digital for all of your SEO Greenville NC Needs!