I put this blog post together to serve as an example of part of the process we go through in researching keywords for our prospects’ and clients’ websites. Keywords make up the biggest part of the algorithm gthat determines how search engines decide the context and relevance of a website in relation to a searcher’s query. Search engines understand what a website is all about by looking at what keywords are contained on a website – not only that, but also the keywords that are contained within the links that are coming from other websites.
An obvious first action in keyword research is just to check to see what shows up in the search engine results for various terms. Sometimes SEO experts get so hyper-focused they forget about how easy competitive analysis can actually be! When doing a search in Google, for example, you’ll most likely see suggestions that pop down as soon as you begin to type – this is due to “Google Suggest”, a feature of the Google search engine that provides ideas to help you complete your searches faster.
In the screenshot below, you’ll see the suggested keywords for the Milwaukee SEO search query.
Google suggests keywords that might match a searcher's intent.
These suggested keywords help SEO consultants, like those at Orion Group, to determine other keywords that might be related to the niche being researched.
Using the same Milwaukee SEO example, in the screenshot found below, you can see by the keywords found in a filtered Google Analytics profile for one of our own websites, that there is indeed traffic available to be had.
Google Analytics profile data, filtered to show only traffic related to "Milwaukee SEO" keywords.
One other way to find relevant keywords is to use the Google Wonder Wheel. Early on in the keyword research process, it is good get an understanding of how the search engines group certain keywords. In the Google Wonder Wheel screenshot, you can see below that there are other relevant keywords that are synonyms of, or somewhat related to the phrase Milwaukee SEO, such as: milwaukee interactive marketing, wisconsin seo, milwaukee web design, milwaukee search engine optimization, and milwaukee seo company – all great keywords that perfectly describe the keyword of interest.
A screenshot of the Google Wonder Wheel showing keywords that Google believes are related to the words "Milwaukee SEO".
Keyword research is not just for the SEO experts, it is something you can do yourself! So, if you are interested in learning more about the keywords that are most important to your business, you know who to call. You probably understand by now that keywords are an important part of the search engine optimization equation. I hope this gives you a little insight as to where good SEO begins. We look forward to the opportunity of helping you succeed online!
~ Scott