How To Choose The best Keywords For Your onpage SEO ?
Choosing the right keywords for your SEO optimization can be a difficult thing for some people. A lot of people think that if you can get a high ranking on Google, you’ll be OKAY. Let me tell you something… getting a high ranking on Google is only HALF the battle. You need to keep them there, offer VALUE and then close the sale. In the initial stages, people will usually start with VERY general keywords. Then, once they have the basics, they will begin to use more specific keywords. Soon after they have done a bit of research, a person will know EXACTLY what they want – now are looking for the best product at a competitive price.
What People Initially do when Searching Online
The first stage of finding something on the internet is a research stage. The keywords entered on Google (or other search engines) are usually quite generic. These general keywords used for browsing are sometimes called short tail keywords. Here is a perfect example of what short tail keywords are. Let’s say you want to lose weight. You might enter “weight loss shakes” into Google. These short tail keywords will bring up millions and millions of websites and you will probably visit a few of the high ranking sites. Those kinds of sites will often be review sites, where you can learn a bit about the different products on the market. It can be near impossible to get a high ranking for these kinds of general keywords.
Because short tail keywords only give you a very generic result, the likelihood of someone actually buying something on your website is diminished – because they are only really looking for some initial or general information. If a web surfer enters in something a bit more detailed, they are closer to making a purchase – because obviously they understand the basics.
Then, People are MUCH more likely to…
The next stage of searching and researching online involves using long tail keywords. Long tail keywords are the more specific keywords entered on Google to help someone find something specific. Going back to the weight loss example, typing “weight loss shakes” into Google probably won’t take you to the website you want, if you are ready to buy. You need to enter something more precise. For example, “the biggest loser weight loss shakes” is a good example of a long tail keyword. All you need to remember is that people who use long tail keywords are looking to solve their issue and are looking to buy that solution.
Which are Better – Short Tail Keywords or Long Tail Keywords?
Well both have value. If your business offers both The Biggest Loser weight loss shakes and Celebrity Slim weight loss shakes (and a whole heap of others), both short tail keywords and long tail keywords will help. If you can get your short tail keywords right, you can drive more traffic to your website and if you can use specific long tail keywords correctly to keep them on your site and buy something from you – you have the perfect combination of both short tail keywords and long tail keywords!
The VALUE of Keywords
It is vital to understand why your keywords are important. Are they too broad, or are they too narrow that you are missing your target audience? You need to get the people to your website, but not bore them and give them the value they seek.
