Organic marketing is still vital for many businesses. 87 percent of shoppers begin product searches online using resources like Google. They input queries, and Google displays the best results.
Improving your keyword performance puts you in front of more leads. Your web pages will rank above the competition and drive residual traffic to your site.
Organic marketing acts as a reliable companion for PPC campaigns. Paid advertising provides immediate traffic while SEO takes a long-term approach.
Before we master keyword analysis, we must first understand the important keyword metrics. You don’t want to focus on the wrong metrics and put your efforts in the wrong areas.
We’ll discuss five important SEO metrics to know when determining keyword performance.
1. Search Volume
Search volume reveals a keyword’s demand. You can see how many people search for the keyword in a given month.
You can find some of the top keywords by focusing on search volume. Search volume helps you identify the most popular keywords. Ranking well for high-volume keywords can change your brand’s trajectory.
Picking obscure keywords limits your chances to rank well on Google. You should aim for keywords with at least 1,000 searches per month.
2. Keyword Difficulty
Keyword difficulty measures the likelihood of ranking high for a keyword. A higher keyword difficulty score indicates a higher barrier to entry.
Keywords with over 100,000 monthly searches attract many competitors. You can search for less popular keywords and become a small fish in a big pond.
Marketers should assess search volume and keyword difficulty. High search volume and considerable difficulty present a significant uphill battle. Low volume and low difficulty may not be worth the effort.
Look for a keyword with respectable search volume and a low keyword difficulty score.
3. CPC
Some marketers skip the line and use paid advertising instead of SEO. A higher cost-per-click raises the barrier for smaller companies.
High CPCs suggest greater difficulty in entering the space. Google prioritizes ads because the company wants to make money. Higher CPCs will further encourage Google to push the ads instead of organic content.
4. Trends
Remember when Bitcoin was all the rage in 2017? Not only did Bitcoin’s price go parabolic, but it became one of Google’s most popular keywords.
Google Trends indicates Bitcoin reached peak popularity in December 2017. While this resource is a cool feature for any search term, it also helps with SEO.
You can monitor keyword performance over time and see the rise and fall of popularity. You can spot keywords gaining momentum and incorporate them into your strategy.
Trends reveal many insights such as popularity by region, interest over time, and more.
5. Keyword Intent
A keyword’s intent plays a vital role in sales. Commercial keywords appeal to prospects looking for a product or service. These people search for comparisons or look for features.
Other keywords increase your brand’s awareness. Rather than convert visitors into customers, awareness keywords introduce people to your brand. After enough nurturing, some leads become clients.
Mixing awareness and commercial intents will help you attract various customer avatars.
Optimize Keyword Performance
Reviewing data will help you optimize keyword performance. You can make adjustments in the moment and experiment with new content.
The content you publish today can drive new traffic for many years. Keyword optimization goes a long way in fulfilling that vision.
Want to learn more about improving keyword performance? Continue reading this blog for additional insights.
