Creating content for target keywords in SEO
Knowing how to create high-quality content is one thing, and knowing how to target keywords for SEO is another. However, creating high-quality content for target keywords ensures high-ranking results on Google and other search engines. Google has clarified the need for this via their recent algorithm update called ‘helpful content update‘, highlighting the need for helping website visitors over ranking tactics.
The better your content and the better you know how to find and target keywords, the more traffic you can expect to your website and the better your organic search results.
Suffice it to say that all your content should target the relevant and most impactful keywords related to your business and your customers’ search habits. Simply producing and publishing ad hoc posts will not result in increased traffic. From the topics to the structure of the blogs themselves, there are a few key items to consider with your content.
What are keywords?
Before we get into why keyword research is important, let’s get into what keywords are themselves.
When your target market searches online–via a search engine such as Google–they will likely type a specific phrase, words or terms to help them find information or businesses. These phrases are referred to as “keywords”.
The more a particular keyword is searched for by your target audience, the more valuable it is to include those phrases in your content and copy. If your website and business ranks highly in the search results for a relevant keyword, a potential customer is more likely to click on your link.
In fact, by some estimates, up to 90% of Google users don’t click past the first page. That’s why knowing how to target keywords for SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is an increasingly important component of any digital marketing strategy.
Why is keyword research important?
Keyword research is a vital component of creating content.
While you might be an expert on the jargon and technical terms used in your industry and market, your customers/clients may not think in the same ‘words’ as you do. If your target market is actually searching for different keywords and typing different phrases into Google, you’ll be wasting a lot of time and money optimising for the wrong searches.
Keyword research ensures you know which terms are the most valuable, the most searched for and the most important to target. Without research how do you decide which keywords you’d like to focus your content on?
Fortunately, many tools and programs are available online for researching target keywords. Even better, when you engage a professional SEO and digital marketing agency, such as GO Creative, they can leverage their custom techniques based on experience and expertise to ensure you’re targeting the right keywords for SEO.
How to target keywords with blog posts?
When it comes to creating content for target keywords, there are two main strategies to consider.
1. Website Copy
The written content on your website is very influential in determining how Google and other search engines rank your site. Knowing how many keywords to target per page, which keywords to target and how to structure your copy in general can enormously impact your organic web traffic.
2. Blogs
Blogs are very useful and important in an SEO strategy. As with your website’s content, blogs offer an opportunity to target keywords effectively and indicate to both Google’s algorithms and your prospective audience that you offer insight, relevance and value.
If you need more assistance with your research, read our top tips for keyword research.
It goes without saying, however, that once you have completed your keyword research, you need to know how to target keywords for your website or blog.
Creating content: how to target keywords
1. Know your audience
The better you know your audience–from their demographics to their interests and preferences–the better position you are in to understand what they are looking for. There’s a vast amount of data out there on people’s searches. The more specific and targeted you can be with your keyword-oriented content, the better the results.
Without knowing your audience, how can you identify which searches and keywords are relevant to you and your business? It’s not just showing up high on the list of organic searches that’s important, you also want to rank highly for the right keyword searches by the right people.
2. Know your sales funnel path
Once you have established who your audience is and how you can then target them through keyword-optimised content, it’s essential that you know your sales funnel/path.
A sales funnel is a widely used tool that helps businesses track how their people progress from potential customers to leads to customers. The more refined, streamlined and effective the funnel, the better and higher your sales.
There are a few ways of compartmentalising a sales funnel. Some prefer the three segments of high, middle and low. Others break it up according to the stages of customer acquisition:
(1) Awareness
(2) Interest
(3) Decision
(4) Action
Regardless of how you conceptualise your particular funnel, all of your content needs to be targeted to customers at some level of this process. Knowing your customer and where they sit along the sales process is key to creating valuable and engaging content. Not to mention, of course, your ability to find and target the right keywords.
3. Choose the right target keywords
Unless you are working with a professional SEO agency, the best way to research and choose which keywords to target is through the use of an online keyword tool. These databases indicate the highest search terms based on any particular keyword or phrase you choose to look up. It can be incredibly enlightening as well as helpful to discover what keywords are actually being typed into Google, and how your customers tend to phrase their queries.
Tools you can use for keyword research
There are many free keyword search tools online, and others offering free and premium functionalities. Some of the most popular options that are worth checking out include:
- Google Search Console
- Google Keyword Planner
- Semrush
- Ahrefs Keyword Generator
- Neilpatel.com
4. Identify the search intent
By this point it should be clear that knowing how to target keywords with blog posts is essential. However, just ranking highly on Google is not enough. You need to know your customers’ search intent.
For example, are they looking for product information or guides for how to find the right service/provider. The more you can identify and understand the intent of the search, the more confident you’ll be in making decisions on creating ideal content that they want to click on.
Keep in mind the following three aspects of content when evaluating their search intent:
1) Type of content – Do they prefer written blog posts? Do they want professionally written articles or more personal, less formal content?
2) Format of content – What length of posts do they like? Are they looking for reviews or list-articles i.e., listicles etc.
3) Angle of the content – Does the content need to be time-specific? Is it oriented towards people with no previous experience in the industry?
5. Plan out the content
With the right keyword research and an understanding of your customers and what they want, you can start creating your content and blog posts. This is where the practical work starts to kick in.
You can choose to target timeless content that isn’t outdated, or make specific content related to current trends and hot topics. Blogs offer the opportunity to produce either of these styles of content. Consider whether you’re focusing on How To Guides or review posts, or something entirely different.
Once you know what you’re writing, you’re ready to start creating the content itself.
6. Create the content
Now’s the time for the rubber to meet the road. You need to create the content. Whether you choose to engage a professional copywriter with experience and understanding of SEO and keywords, or to give it a go yourself, remember to bear in mind the purpose and intent of your copy.
Conduct adequate research, make sure to focus on providing value and try writing the content in a way that is as engaging as possible.
7. Optimise for your target keywords
How do you target keywords in your content? There are a few standard industry methods for you to look out for and consider:
- URL – Including the target keyword in the URL of the blog post is very important.
- Title – Make sure to reference the keyword as well in the title itself.
- Alt Text – Your website will allow you to include ‘alt text’ for images included in the post. Ensure you use your keyword in these descriptions too.
- Meta Titles/Description – This important data helps Google and other search engines to categorise and therefore rank your content/blogs.
- Use Links – Using hyperlinks, especially over the keywords themselves, to relevant internal resources and external websites is a highly favourable practice for SEO.
- In the Content – Remember to use the target keywords in the actual content of the blog or article itself. Of course, it needs to be natural and not “over-optimised” or you’ll find Google actually demoting your post in its rankings.
Need help with content for target keywords?
Learning how to target a keyword in SEO can be a challenging yet rewarding experience.
However, if you need assistance or would like to find out more about how the professionals may be able to help you, feel free to reach out to the friendly team here at GO Creative. We’re even happy to arrange a free custom quote for you. So, contact us today and let’s start creating optimised content for your target keywords.
