As I’ve mentioned before (e.g. in SEO is an Ongoing Effort ), there are two aspects to search engine optimization (SEO): on-page and off-page. However, before we can perform that optimization, we have to know what keywords and key phrases we’re optimizing for. Therefore, all SEO efforts begin with keyword/phrase research.
Basically, you want to get a list of 100+ key phrases that are relevant to your business ranked by search volume and understand the competition for those phrases. Sounds daunting doesn’t it? Bear with me for a second. There are numerous tools out there, each with their own strengths that can help with the task. My favorites are:
- Google’s keyword tool: https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal
- WordTracker’s free tool: http://freekeywords.wordtracker.com/gtrends/
These can help you drill into what people search for when they are looking for you. That’s important–your goal is to discover what people search for when they are looking for you. Not how you think about looking up your business. Think like your customer and use the tools to come up with at least 10 phrases that people would use to find you. Rank them by search volume. Now you have a foundation to start on.
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