When you need to choose the right keywords and key phrases for SEO, it may seem simultaneously simple and overwhelming. Either way, it is a vital step in successful search engine optimization (SEO) efforts. Whatever industry you’re in, your website is a key component of your business. You want to increase traffic to your website. 

More importantly, you want to attract the right audience. This is an absolute necessity for any business. When you choose effective and relevant keyword ideas, you can connect with your target market. This can take time and research, but it’s absolutely worth the effort. 

Think Like Your Target Audience 

Once you know your target audience, you need to put yourself in their shoes. As you craft your list of keywords, try to think like a customer. For example, ask yourself, “If I wanted to find my product, what would I type into a search engine?” 

Another strategy is to ask friends and family or even your current customers. As you detach from your role as the business owner, you’ll find people search in a plethora of ways. While some type key phrases into Google, others opt for voice search. 

More and more, we see long-tail keyword phrases that take the form of questions. This is because the phrasing of keywords changes between text and voice. With text, people tend to truncate their search unless it’s something incredibly specific. 

For instance, you might type “Houston SEO” into a search engine. However, if you use voice commands, you might ask, “Who is the top SEO expert in Houston?”

Understand Long Tail Keywords 

A long-tail keyword is a combination of three or more words or phrases. They tend to have lower search volumes but often attract more relevant traffic. Moreover, these keyword phrases tend to be less competitive, which makes it easier to boost your rank. In part, this goes back to voice search because they help to specify a product or service. 

Study Your Competition 

Write down a list of your main competitors and check out their websites. Look to see what keywords and key phrases they target in their content. It’s important to check their title tags, meta descriptions, and more to find keywords. 

When you look to your competitors, it could point out the keywords you forgot about or had yet to consider. Most likely, they’re targeting those phrases for a reason, so this is a great way to broaden your list of ideas.

Utilize Keyword Research Tools and SEO Tools 

When you want to use Google Ads or programmatic advertising, you can use a keyword tool to look for potential winners. With these tools and platforms like SEMRush or SEO Quake, you can gather data to analyze. They’ll show you how competitive different phrases are, which can help you find where to focus your efforts. 

Analyze Your Data 

Once you have a keyword list, monitor them, and analyze your results. Oftentimes, different keywords trend at different times. You never know when a new one will start trending, so it’s important to pay close attention to the numbers. 

Remember to use your keywords wherever possible. Your main keywords should appear across your site as well as in social media posts, blog posts, and meta tags. The more you use them, the easier it will be for your target audience to reach you. 

Keyword Tactics from SEO Experts 

Whether you have experience in keyword research or not, it’s always okay to ask questions. As Houston SEO experts, we believe that search engine optimization can be the great equalizer for small businesses. With the right tools and a good understanding of SEO, anyone can reach their target audience. In turn, they connect with and build a community, developing a growing network of support. 

When you have questions about keywords, SEO, digital marketing, or anything related, feel free to reach out to us! Our team is always happy to chat about SEO marketing strategies with business owners in Houston and across the country.