Simple Starter Guide To Keywords
Keywords are important for any business, and they don’t have to be the minefield you may think they are. Read my straightforward ultimate guide to keywords to help improve your search rankings, whether that be on Google, Instagram or in your advertising.
What is a keyword 
Keywords are words or phases that people type into search engines to find information on a particular topic. Anything that is typed into a search engine whether it be a single word or a whole sentence is considered to be a keyword. This includes social media platforms which are a form of search engine.
Types of keywords
Short-tail keywords – single well known, popular words which are highly competitive with high search volumes. An example would be “marketing”
Mid-tail keywords – Also known as chunky keywords made up of two or three words and is moderately competitive. An example of this would be “brand marketing guide”
Long-tail keywords – These are more specific phases or sentences which are targeted and have lower search volumes, such as “marketing tips for small businesses”
As you have no doubt figured out from the above the main qualities of a keyword are the word count, how popular and competitive it is and the search volume.
How to choose your keywords
Firstly, gather a list of different key words related to your:
-
Location
-
Industry
-
Niche
-
Target Audience
-
Content
-
What you offer
Next, review what keywords your competitors are using and lastly narrow these down to compile your keyword list. Use these keywords across all materials and ad copy you have for your business from your Instagram bio and website to all your content.
Top keyword tips
-
Use mid and long term keywords for your website and ad copy whereas short keywords work best on your social media.
-
Speak to your customers to understand what their common questions are as it is likely they will be typing these into Google.
-
Make your keyword list part of your brand language so it feels natural, and you use them regularly but authentically.
-
There are free online tools to help you find your best keywords such as Semrush, Google Ads and Thesaurus.
If you're feeling overwhelmed with your brand and marketing or just want some help with your keywords research then get in touch today.
