SEO Basics: Getting Started With Keyword Research and Placement

Part 1 of a 3-part series on SEO basics.

You don't have to rely on luck and cross your fingers hoping people discover your content. You can use an SEO strategy to craft and deliver content people are searching for…and make it easy for them to find it. 

Welcome to Part 1 of our 3-part blog series titled SEO Basics. Follow along to learn how you can craft a solid SEO strategy piece by piece and get the traffic you need to create brand awareness and help you grow your business. Let’s get started with keyword research and placement!

It All Begins With Keyword Research

If you want to do something well, you probably commit yourself to researching the subject before attempting it. It should be no different when it comes to implementing your SEO strategy. That’s why the first step in the process is keyword analysis. Keyword analysis involves examining the keywords or phrases that drive traffic to a website. These keywords and phrases can come through both organic and paid search methods.

During your keyword research process, explore these important questions: 

• What queries are your target audience searching for on Google? 
• How popular are these queries? 
• How difficult is it to rank for them, or get them to appear on the search engine results page (SERP)? 

If you take the time to do your research, there’s much to gain!

• You learn more about your audience.
• You can create a more focused content strategy.
• You can track and measure your results.
• Ultimately, you receive more traffic on your website!

Here’s how it works:

First, start by generating a list of words that are relevant to your industry, your company, and your products and services. 

Then, select a keyword analysis tool. At Wild Fig, we love Mangools KW Finder! Explore other helpful keyword research tools in our recent blog post.

Search each word on your list and record the search volume, difficulty score, and the top two easiest competitors, and any other information you find helpful. If you’re not sure how to keep track of all this information, we highly recommend Google Sheets for easy categorization. 

Hot tip: While you’re doing your research, you will see some additional keywords below your seed phrase. Add them to your list if they seem relevant and easy to rank for!

Once you’re done with your keyword research, you’ll have a valuable list of keywords that relate to your products/services, are easy to rank for, and that attract your target audience. If getting found online is like baking a cake, once you do your keyword research, you’ll have most of the ingredients you need to make it. 

Keyword Placement Makes the Magic Happen

Similar to when you’re whipping up your favorite recipe in the kitchen, following ordered steps in your SEO process helps your “recipe” succeed. You can have all the right keywords in hand, but if you don’t know how to work them in, it’s like mixing the baking soda with the eggs. That delicious cake you were dreaming about will be a distant memory the moment you bite into that first bitter baking soda clump! (For any non-bakers, mix your baking soda with your dry ingredients first before adding it to your wet ingredients. You’re welcome! 😆)

On the other hand, when you strategically place your keywords throughout your blog or website, Google and other search engines can index your pages for those keywords. This indexing will help you rank better for your keywords on SERPs. 

Keyword placement can be divided into two categories: on-page placement and off-page placement. 

On-page keyword placement includes:

• words in your page title
• headings 
• first paragraph
• conclusion/CTA
• throughout the body text of your blog post or website

Hot tip: Don’t use your main keyword more than once per 200 words, or Google will see it as keyword stuffing and frown on your content. 

Off-page keyword placement includes:

• words in your URL
• image titles and alt text
• meta description

While your readers may not always see your off-page keywords, they work in the background to help Google and other search engines understand the topics your content covers.

Supporting Keywords Help Your SEO Strategy Too! 

You might be tempted to overuse your main keyword in your blog post or on your website and shoot your SEO strategy in the foot. 

Supporting keywords to the rescue! 

Supporting keywords are keywords related to your main keyword that align with your topic. Use them as substitutes so you don’t sabotage all your hard work and keep people from finding your useful content.

For example, if you’re writing a piece about healthy beverages for athletes and your main keyword is “health benefits of coconut water,” consider supporting your main keyword with “electrolytes in coconut water” and “coconut water for hydration.” Not only will this ensure you don’t overuse your main keyword, but it will signal to Google and other search engines that your research is authoritative and comprehensive, making it more valuable and increasing its relevance. 

A well-researched topic combined with keyword research and placement are a few main ingredients in a successful SEO strategy! Stay tuned for Parts 2 and 3 of our SEO Basics series, where we’ll explore the importance of backlinks and internal links, page layout, and readability. 

Want more help improving your SEO? Schedule an exploratory call to learn how the Wild Fig team can do the heavy lifting for you.