If you’ve been following this blog for a while, you’ll know that Search Engine Optimisation is a frequent subject that is visited.
It is vital for all internet marketers to get their heads round the concept of SEO as it is probably the most effective long term solution to gaining great Google rankings. And yet, many businesses are still opting for PPC campaigns which are not ideal long term and simply generate traffic quickly (if done correctly).
So what happens when your budget runs dry and you have to back off the PPC for a while? You guessed it, no traffic.
Investing in SEO may not give instant results but, if done correctly, will over time provide great organic listings and a constant stream of traffic.
So what’s the first step?
Keyword Research
One of the most important aspects of any SEO strategy is identifying the keywords you want to target. If you are unfamiliar with this term, your keyword(s) are the words and phrases real people (i.e. your potential customers) would search for to find your business.
But you have to be careful not to be too general in your choice of words. For example, copywriter in Google UK returns in the region of 3,820,000 results and is therefore a very competitive term. But, by going for a more regional term, such as Suffolk Copywriter (which returns 50,700 results) there is less competition and consequently more chance of you hitting the front page.
Keyword Tools
There are a number of tools available out there, but the most popular is Google’s Adwords tool. But, to get the most out of it, you have to learn how to use it effectively. I recently came across this post on dailybloggr.com – “Tips to Use Google’s Keyword Research Tool Effectively” which will help you understand how to find the optimum keywords for your industry to ensure you attract the right traffic to your website.
Why not pop over there now and take a look and take the first step on your SEO journey.
Sally Ormond – freelance copywriter
3 comments ↓
I agree Sally.
No one can deny the power of search engines. The traffic you get can be huge. And the first step in getting listed in google is indeed keyword research.
Kindest,
Nabeel
Hi Sally, I think the real key to valuable keyword research is finding keywords that are relevant to a businesses services or products. Sometimes it’s better to have 100 site visitor who all convert than 10,000 and none convert.
Hi Gareth,
Definitely – a shed load of visitors from a very generic keyword may look good but if they don’t convert, what’s the point? It’s much better to attract a smaller amount of highly targeted traffic that will convert.
Sally
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