The next step in SEO steps series by Ducktoes SEO Calgary is keyword research. Keyword research is a crucial step in optimizing your website for search engines and attracting relevant organic traffic. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to conduct keyword research for your website:

1. Understand Your Niche and Audience:

Clearly define your website’s niche, industry, or topic.

Identify your target audience and their preferences.

2. Brainstorm Seed Keywords:

Come up with a list of general keywords related to your niche.

These are your starting point and will be used to expand your keyword list.

3. Use Keyword Research Tools:

There are various keyword research tools available that can help you find relevant keywords and gather data about search volume, competition, and more. Some popular tools include:

Google Keyword Planner: This free tool from Google provides insights into search volume and competition for keywords. It’s especially useful if you’re running Google Ads.

Ahrefs: Offers comprehensive keyword data including search volume, keyword difficulty, and more.

Semrush: Provides competitive analysis, keyword suggestions, and other insights.

Ubersuggest: Offers keyword ideas and data on search volume, CPC, and competition.

KeywordTool.io: Generates keyword ideas from various sources, including Google Autocomplete.

4. Expand Your Keyword List:

Enter your seed keywords into the keyword research tool to generate additional keyword ideas.

Look for long-tail keywords (more specific phrases with lower search volume but often higher conversion potential).

Focus on keywords that are relevant to your content and have a good balance between search volume and competition.

5. Analyze Search Intent:

Consider the intent behind each keyword: informational, navigational, transactional, or commercial.

Align your content with the user’s intent behind the keyword.

6. Assess Keyword Difficulty:

Some tools provide a metric for keyword difficulty, indicating how hard it might be to rank for a particular keyword.

Aim for a mix of low- to medium-difficulty keywords to start with, as highly competitive keywords might be harder to rank for initially.

7. Prioritize and Group Keywords:

Organize your keywords into groups based on topics or themes.

Prioritize keywords that align well with your content strategy and are likely to bring in valuable traffic.

8. Check Competition and SERPs:

Manually search for some of the keywords on Google to see what kind of content is ranking on the first page (SERPs).

Analyze your competitors’ content and identify gaps or opportunities.

9. Create High-Quality Content:

Once you’ve identified your target keywords, create high-quality, valuable content around them.

Use the keywords naturally in your content, including headings, subheadings, and throughout the body.

10. Monitor and Adjust:

Continuously monitor your website’s performance in search results for the targeted keywords.

Use analytics tools to track rankings, organic traffic, and conversions.

Refine your strategy based on the data you gather.

The Ducktoes SEO package includes ongoing keyword research so that we can keep your business ahead of the competition. We regularly review and update your keyword strategy to adapt to changing trends, user behavior, and search engine algorithms.

Ducktoes SEO is a locally owned and operated SEO firm located in Calgary. We value community, giving back, and providing friendly and prompt service to our clients. Let us help you succeed! Give us a call today: 403-483-0105.