One of my clients gave me a list of 10 keywords (words, not phrases) he wanted to rank for in search engine optimization (SEO).
At first, I was shocked at the vanilla list, with terms like LLC, S Corp, tax, and bookkeeping.
What’s a keyword?
Before I go down the rabbit hole, let’s first define what a keyword is.
According to Backlinko, “SEO keywords (also known as “keywords” or “key phrases”) are terms added to online content in order to improve search engine rankings for those terms. Most keywords are discovered during the keyword research process and are chosen based on a combination of search volume, competition, and commercial intent.”
When you are thinking about what you want to rank for in search engines, avoid singular terms unless it’s so unique, like a brand name, that you can use it. Rather, focus on phrases, such as most frequently asked questions, top search phrases in keyword research tools, or search queries on your website.
My SEO Success Secrets
Here’s the advice I gave him.
The keyword terms provided were very (too) generic to draw in any substantial SEO traffic. What he should be focusing on is a keyword phrase that is more substantial to drive traffic to the site and impact SEO. In my Down-And-Dirty SEO Checklist, I provide the top areas where the keyword phrase should be placed.
For example, if you visit Answer the Public and enter bookkeeping, there are 695 results. Creating content around one or more topics makes more sense than trying to focus on a singular word, such as:
- Are bookkeeping services taxable?
- Can bookkeeping be done remotely?
- How bookkeeping is different than accounting?
- What bookkeeping software should I choose?
- What can bookkeepers not do?
Once you’ve identified content ideas, you can craft a series of blog posts, video shorts, statistics, lists, and more to help increase awareness for that keyword on the website. But that’s not all. You also need to promote that content to drive visitors to it. That can be done through social media posts, paid advertising, publishing articles on LinkedIn, sending emails with links to the content, and more.
With these basics, you open the door wide for possibilities. Take the time to search for what people want to know. Then craft the content to answer it.