KeyWord research for SEO: Search Engine Optimization guide 101

As we all know content is king and hopefully will remain king throughout the changes in the search engine algorithms. What makes keyword research difficult is changing a particular article around and or writing it correctly from the start in order for your “keywords” to be optimized. There are two areas that basically go hand in hand; Competition and Google key word rankings and there evaluation of competition and PPC.

First and foremost I tend to believe if you want to make it to the top of Google in the sense of keywords (SEO involves oh..a never ending study…yay) one must understand their competition. Remember there is a lot more to SEO than just key words such as back links and meta tagging. Competition in the sense of the content of your competitors is what one should focus on for half the battle with keywords. What are their key words? How well written is it? Where do they rank on Google? Etc. Hypothetically if someone is ranked top on Google and one of their key words is “car” then maybe one who wants to compete should consider using “vehicle” more than the word “car”. Utilizing both words would still be a good idea because once traffic is generated and the site is out of its infancy stage then the keyword “car” would become more powerful in your site.

You also want your website to be richer in content. If your competitors rant on about useless information then it will only hurt them and there is your chance to improve upon it. Content is only king when it delivers the message it was intended too in a knowledgeable fashion.

Okay, so after figuring out your competition and how they utilize their key words it is time to check the Google tool for your key words and their monthly searches and strength competition according to Google. On Google’s tool for checking such competition you should get an idea of what would be easier to rank higher. Google’s tool is quite easy to use; just type in the word or phrase you plan on using most and judge if it is worthy or not by the results.

Lastly, tagging your key words a.k.a creating the correct meta tags and backlinks should be done. Along with the tags please be sure to use your key words throughout your article but in a fashion in which it is not redundant or sloppy. Too much usage of key words can be detrimental especially if it kills your content and flow. Be sure to use your top key words in the headers, titles, body, and tags! It is almost like connecting the dots! If one of the key words is “vehicle” and the title is “Amazing Car Talk” it would not be as optimized as “Amazing Vehicle Talk” (as corny as it sounds!).

Remember, Keyword research in regards to Google’s ranking on competition and your actual competitors via other websites combined with proper placement and tagging of key words should make an excellent article.