Search optimisation and keyword research should be at the heart of any strategic content roadmap, says guest blogger Adam Driver. Google doesn’t share its search volume information. As to be expected, it understands the power of data.
However, with an estimated 5.8 billion searches per day (that’s 70,000 searches per second), and organic search being invaluable to user intent, you need to be thinking about search for your content strategy.
Well thought-out and relevant, search-optimised content is imperative when considering what you and your brand, business or organisation talk about externally.
Let’s take it step-by-step.
What is search traffic?
Search traffic is how people find your website(s) via search engines via search terms, also known as keywords or keyword phrases. This traffic is split between paid search (paid-for adverts and placements) and organic search (unpaid listing on the search engine results page). Google is king – 92% of the global search market comes through either Google Search, Google Images or Google Maps. Enough said (sorry, Bing).
What is SEO?
Put simply, Search Engine Optimisation is the process of optimising content on your website to maximise the potential amount of relevant online traffic, based on keywords and phrases that your target audience is searching for. It aims to help a website rank higher in organic search results relevant to your brand, business or activity.
Explaining keyword research
Content on your owned channels, especially your website, needs to consider what potential customers and visitors to your website search for online. Keyword research is the activity of exploring trends and insights to check what people are searching for – keywords or keyword phrases. Top tip, think in terms of the questions they might ask.
Using tools including Moz, Neil Patel’s Ubersuggest and Ahrefs, keyword research helps to formulate your content strategy, by knowing the extent of the search opportunity with certain phrases – i.e. how easy it is to rank higher on Google. From this, you can create content to target these keywords.
Or, to put it another way – ‘fishing where the fish are’.
What to do next?
Audit your website – check the state of play. Ensure your site is efficient (fast loading, not too sprawling, no broken links, no large images), includes metadata (title tags, meta descriptions, alt tags for images) and is being navigated in the right way by users – Google Analytics is a great free tool.
Keyword research – see what keywords you are currently ranking for and what opportunities are out there, looking at your competitors’ sites and learning from changing user trends.
Amend your content strategy – use the information and opportunities gleaned to create a healthy balance between your key messages and tone of voice, and the data of what your potential customers are actively looking for.
For more thoughts on content strategy, read our blog on some simple steps to success
SEO can seem like a minefield, with evolving algorithms and ever-changing trends. However, the first step is always the most important. Don’t delay in engaging in the opportunity, or bringing someone on board who can help as it’s crucial that your content strategy is embedded in research and insight.
Adam Driver is an SEO specialist and MD of digital marketing consultancy Authentic Comms