What is SEO keyword research?
Keyword research is the process by which you research popular search terms people type into search engines like Google, and include them strategically in your content so that your content appears higher on a search engine results page (SERP). Keyword research is a fundamental practice in search engine optimization (SEO).
The keyword research process involves choosing a topic for your content that is focused on a set of targeted keywords that you want your content to rank for.
The importance of keyword research in SEO
Keywords are like a kind of powerful magnet that fetches customers from all corners of the world toward your website. Keyword research is often the first step of any SEO campaign. By researching and selecting the most appropriate target keywords, you create the opportunity to rank well in search engines for that specific topic.
High rankings in search engines drive traffic to your website, and in turn, allow you to promote your products/ services online.
SEO Keyword Research Process
Once you have your defined personas, you need to create a plan for the keywords you already rank for and the keywords you want to rank for.
A good easy structure to follow is the PIE method. It’s something we recommend to our customers at the beginning of our onboarding process.
The term PIE, in this instance, stands, for Protect, Improve, and Expand.
The Protect portion is concerned with keywords that you already rank for and want to keep locked in their position. Quick examples of these would include brand names and keywords that are closely related to your product or service. They are generally late-stage so conversions with these keywords are highly valued.
The Improve portion deals with opportunity keywords where you rank in the second to tenth Google search result pages. These are great “low hanging fruit” keywords that you can increase in authority with tweaks to the pages.
Finally, Expand is for the opportunity terms that do great in PPC but have no visibility in organic. These are keywords that do not rank in the top ten pages on Google. They also include new campaign keywords that you won't add to your arsenal.
Bucketing them in this way, you can prioritize your time based on gaps that you find from this analysis. From there, you can begin your keyword ideation.
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