How to research keywords

Now that you've become more familiar with specific keywords and their importance, it's time to identify which phrases will best benefit your business. Keywords are what will help your business get noticed online, and search engine algorithms pick up on specific wording related to your market or industry. Without doing the proper research, a keyword strategy won't be effective and your new venture will likely get lost in the online ether.

The primary goal of keyword research is to make research as easy and accessible as possible, especially for the consumers that do research. While Google and other search engines are continually updating their search algorithms, one thing has remained relatively consistent in the past few years: the power of keywords.

How to choose the right words

Depending on the vertical your business is in, most keyword strategies won't be carbon copies of one one another. Even in the same market, companies will likely have product nuances that differentiate their brand from its competition. That being said, it's critical for your business to choose the right words and combination of words on your landing and product pages, otherwise search engine crawlers won't pick up your website.

If you're having trouble coming up with industry words or phrases that you think will yield the best results, then think about it from a consumer's point of view: How would a buyer search for your product or service? In putting yourself in the buyer's shoes for a minute, you're much more likely to improve search engine query results. The next step is using keyword research tools.

Another helpful tool is Google's keyword planner. It tests the popularity of the word in their algorithm to see if it will register high or low in the search engine results. This can be especially beneficial for businesses that work in particularly niche verticals, and narrowing down which words will yield the best results could be extremely helpful going forward. A mix of both long-tail and short-tail keywords are to the benefit of the researching business, especially since search engines are becoming more intuitive with each update.

Listed below are a few things to keep in mind when compiling a list of keywords:

• Brand terms: Words or phrases specific to your brand
• Product terms: What your product is or does
• Competitor terms: What is the competition doing?
• Alternative product description: Will consumers refer to your product in different ways?
• Audience terms: Any language that's specific to your target audience

Some words and phrases may be more beneficial than others, but it doesn't hurt to put together a comprehensive list of keywords to cover all your bases. Different words represent different levels of interest and intent, so selecting a wide variety of short- and long-tail keywords is best practice. Once you select the right keywords, keep a close eye on which ones are yielding the best results, and then you can optimize your strategy and focus more on the phrases that are most popular among your target market.