Great content always starts with great ideas. If you are struggling to pinpoint the right keywords and topics that will engage audiences, it is time to overhaul your strategy. Here are a few tips for the New Year.
Search intent, not volume
High-volume search terms are not the be-all and end-all. In fact, you should be wary of using them at all as an indicator for search traffic. During the process of identifying keywords, always focus on search intent first and foremost. This is because “intent” takes the end user into consideration. You need to think about what your target audience is potentially looking for and ask yourself how you can meet their needs through engaging content.
Define intent
Search intent can generally be broken down into four categories: informational, navigational, commercial investigation, and transactional. Each of these will give you a clearer idea of the intent behind every search query. For example, consumers using the terms “how to” and “what” usually want to read, watch or view informational content. Meanwhile, a user entering the word “buy” or “download” has transactional intent.
Improve SERPs with long-tail topics
Long-tail keywords are niche phrases that can be priceless in driving highly valuable traffic to a website. While they often have low individual search volume, the total search demand for a particular group or audience can be considerable. An excellent way to find new long-tail topics is to take an in-depth look at the pages that are generating the most traffic for your competitors. You can research metrics such as top keywords, volume and position by entering a domain name into a tool such as Ahrefs’ Site Explorer.
Added value
SEO has become more challenging during the last few years as Google Keyword Planner is no longer the go-to method for the best words and topics. However, taking the thoughts and actions of consumers into account for new keyword strategies will also help your brand to deliver the timely, personalised and engaging content that modern audiences expect. It will also drive the most meaningful and organic search traffic.
