Today, everyone brings their blog or business online with the hope of being at the top of Google search. But have you ever wondered why some articles are not on Google Page 1 even after months of being published? The main reason for that is not doing proper Keyword Research.
Today, let's see what Keyword Research is? Why is it important to get to number 1.
What is Keyword Research?
Simply put, a keyword is the words people type into Google when searching for answers to their questions. For example, if you search for "How to learn digital marketing?", that's the keyword.
Finding the right keyword means knowing exactly what your reader wants from you.
Why is this so important?
01. Many people just write an article and give it a nice title. But if no one searches for those words, it won't matter how much you've worked hard for days.
02. Know your reader: Who is reading your article? What are they looking for? You can find out these things through Keyword Research.
03. Beat the competition: Some words have a lot of people writing articles (High Competition). But if you search properly, you can find words that a lot of people are searching for but have few articles (Low Competition).
04. Save time: Instead of just writing 100 articles, you can get more results by writing 10 topics that people are searching for.
How to Do Keyword Research (Step by Step)
Follow these steps just as I scaled my blog:
1. Brainstorm your topic
First, take a piece of paper and write about your blog. For example, if it's "Digital Marketing", write down some related words: SEO, Affiliate Marketing, Social Media, Online Money.
2. Use Keyword Tools
I personally like free tools like Google Keyword Planner. Go there and type in the words you have in mind. Then Google will show you how many people search for those words per month.
3. Focus on Long-tail Keywords
This is the secret! A person who searches for "How to start digital marketing in Sri Lanka for beginners" is more likely to read your article than someone who searches for "Digital Marketing". These words are called long-tail keywords. These are easy to write and easy to rank for.
4. Check the Competition (Keyword Difficulty)
The tools mentioned earlier show how much competition there is for that word. If you are a new blog, always try to choose words with low competition.
Expert Insight: Consistency is key. Every keyword you select should align with the specific needs of your target audience to ensure long-term ranking success.
Things to remember when writing an article
It's not over once you've found the right keyword. You need to use that keyword correctly throughout the article:
Title: Your main keyword should be at the beginning of the title.
First paragraph: Include the keyword within the first few lines of the article.
Subheadings (H2, H3): Use other information related to that keyword in H2, H3.
Write naturally (User Experience): Avoid keyword stuffing. It should feel natural to the reader when reading. Google also likes articles that are easy for a human to read.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
There are a few mistakes that many people make after finding a good keyword. I will tell you about them from my experience:
Keyword Stuffing: Using the same word more than necessary throughout the article. If you get caught, Google can penalize your site. So use the word naturally.
Not understanding the User Intent: Some people search for 'Learning' (Informational), while others think 'Buying a product' (Commercial). See if the article you write matches the reader's purpose.
Ignoring Content Quality: Even after a keyword is ranked, if the information in the article is outdated, the reader will leave the site. So always add new information.
My Personal Experience
When I first started my blog, I thought that if I had a nice title, everything would be fine. But none of my posts ranked. It was only later that I realized that I was not writing what I wanted, but what the reader wanted. I did some keyword research on some of my old posts and changed them. It was only after that that I started getting real traffic to my site. So don't be afraid to give it time.
Finally, Keyword Research is the biggest investment you can make today. It takes a little time, but later on, when your blog gets more organic traffic, you will realize its value.
There is no shortcut to getting to number 1 on Google search, there is only one right path. That path is proper Keyword Research.
So, start today. What keyword will you choose for your next article? Leave a comment below!
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