As we’ve discussed before, keyword research is a central part of any eCommerce SEO campaign. And with Google introducing changes to their algorithm for evaluating backlinks and the incoming update from Penguin 2.0, it’s never been more important to make sure you’re targeting the most relevant keywords for your eCommerce business. In this guide, we’ll cover some of the best methods for finding the keywords that will bring you the most organic search traffic. While this process can be time-consuming, it will ultimately pay off in terms of increased conversions and rankings.
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Evaluating Your Site’s Existing Keyword Rankings
The first thing you should do is to find out what type of results your site is currently getting for the keywords that are most relevant to your business. To do this, just go to Google and search for one of those terms. Then, click on “Searches related to…” at the bottom right of the page, which will show you a list of other phrases that people are also searching for.
You can also use Google’s “Keyword Planner” tool to get more detailed information on your site’s current keyword rankings. This tool is accessible through the AdWords interface, and it will show you how many people are searching for each keyword on a monthly basis. It will also show you the average AdWords bid price for each term, as well as other relevant data.
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Tips for Performing Keyword Research
Now that you know what your site’s current keyword rankings are, it’s time to start brainstorming the terms you’d like to target. To do this, try asking yourself some of the following questions:
– What types of products or services does my business offer?
– What problems do my customers have? How can I solve those problems?
– What types of questions do my customers ask? How can I answer those questions?
– What events, holidays, or other notable dates relate to my business?
By asking yourself these types of questions, you should start coming up with terms that you’d like to be ranking for. Try grouping these terms into categories, and use them to form the foundation of your eCommerce keyword research.
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Tools and Methods for Finding Keywords
Once you’ve come up with a list of potential keywords, it’s time to start finding even more terms that you may not have thought of. There are a number of different tools and methods that you can use for this purpose, but we’ll highlight some of the most useful below.
– Google AdWords Keyword Planner Tool
This is the main keyword research tool for any marketer looking to advertise with Google. It’s also really easy to use since you can just type in your seed keywords and let it show you how many searches there are on a monthly basis. You can also get data on the average AdWords bid price, as well as other relevant metrics.
– Google Trends
Google Trends is a great tool for seeing how interest in a particular keyword has changed over time. You can see how much interest there is for any given keyword, and you can also compare it to related terms.
– Ubersuggest
Ubersuggest is a free tool that will help you come up with more extensive lists of keywords. Just enter one of your seed terms into the text box, and it’ll provide you with hundreds of related suggestions. It’s best to use this tool in conjunction with Google Trends since there are some words that people may be searching for a lot, but that may not have a lot of commercial value.
– SEMrush
SEMrush is a paid tool that offers a wide range of data on your site’s competitor’s keywords. You can see how much traffic each term is generating, as well as the associated AdWords bid prices. This information can be really useful for helping you to determine which terms to target.
– Google SERP Features
Google SERP features are the different types of results that show up in the search engine results pages (SERPs). There are a number of different features, including image and video search, local business listings, and Knowledge Graph panels. You can use these features to get inspiration for new keywords, or even to find out how your competitors are using these features to get traffic.
– Google Correlate
Google Correlate is a really useful free tool that helps you see how search terms are related. You can enter any two main keywords into the tool, and it will show you all of the additional queries that people are typing into Google that are related to those terms.
– Forums and Quora
Forums and Q&A sites, like Quora, can be a great source of keyword data. People often ask questions about specific products or services, and you can use these questions to come up with new ideas for keywords.
– Google Autocomplete
Google Autocomplete is a feature that offers suggested search terms as you type into the Google search bar. You can use these suggestions to get a sense of what people are actually searching for.
By using a combination of these tools, you should be able to come up with a comprehensive list of keywords that you can target.
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Evaluating the competition for your target keywords.
Once you have a list of keywords that you’d like to target, it’s time to start researching your competitors. The main things that you’ll want to look at are their website’s domain authority, AdWords bid prices, and organic click-through rates. These factors will help determine whether or not you can compete with your competitors in the SERPs.
– Domain Authority (DA)
You can use SEOmoz’s free tool to see how competitive your main keywords are. You should aim for a DA that is equal to or slightly higher than the average site in the search results. There are several different factors that affect this, so you may want to research them if your DA is lower than you’d like.
– AdWords Bid Price
The average AdWords bid price can give you a good indication of how competitive a keyword is. You’ll want to target keywords that have a bid price that is lower than the average since this will give you a better chance of ranking higher in the SERPs.
– Organic Click-Through Rate (CTR)
The organic CTR is a measure of how often your site shows up in the search engine results pages for a particular keyword. You’ll want to target keywords that have a high CTR since this means that people are actually clicking on your link when they see it in the SERPs.
You can use this information to determine how competitive a keyword is, and whether or not it’s worth targeting. If your site doesn’t have a high DA, a high CTR, or a high bid price, then you may want to consider targeting other keywords.
Once you’ve done your research, it’s time to start creating content around your target keywords. You’ll want to make sure that your content is high-quality, and you’ll also need to set up some SEO basics like title tags and meta descriptions. You can use the tools mentioned earlier to help you come up with ideas for new content.
Creating high-quality content around your target keywords is essential for ranking in the search engine results pages. By using a combination of the tools and techniques mentioned in this article, you should be able to come up with a list of high-quality keywords that you can target.
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Optimizing your site for high-traffic keywords.
Once you’ve targeted a few high-traffic keywords, it’s time to start optimizing your site for them. This process will involve improving your site’s SEO, and you’ll also need to make sure that your site is well-optimized for mobile devices.
– On-Page Factors
On-page SEO factors include things like the site’s meta tags, title tags, and page descriptions. You should make sure that these elements are written around your targeted keywords, but you’ll also want to make sure that they read naturally since this will make them more effective.
– Technical Factors
Technical SEO factors include things like the site’s loading speed and its ability to be crawled by search engine spiders. You’ll want to make sure that your site is up to par in these areas since they can have a major impact on your ranking potential.
– Mobile Optimization
It’s important to optimize your site for mobile devices since a large percentage of searchers are now using mobile devices to conduct their searches. You’ll want to make sure that your site’s content and layout are compatible with mobile devices, and you may also want to consider using a responsive design.
By optimizing your site for high-traffic keywords, you’ll give yourself a better chance of ranking higher in the search engine results pages. By using a combination of on-page and technical SEO factors, as well as mobile optimization, you’ll be able to improve your ranking potential and attract more traffic to your site.
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Tracking your keyword rankings over time.
Once you’ve started to see a good amount of traffic coming from the search engine results pages, it’s time to start tracking your keyword rankings over time. This will help you stay on top of things as far as ranking potential is concerned, and it can also be a great way to measure success or identify problems.
– Rank Tracking Tools
There are a number of tools you can use to track your keyword rankings, including free tools like Google Search Console and paid tools like SEMrush. You’ll want to choose the best tool for your situation, making sure that it offers the features you need at an affordable rate.
– Ongoing Rankings Tracking
Once you’ve started tracking your rankings, you’ll want to make sure that you continue to do so on an ongoing basis. This will help you keep track of your progress and make sure that your site is still ranking well for its target keywords.
By tracking your keyword rankings over time, you’ll be able to see how well your site is doing in the search engine results pages. You’ll also be able to identify any potential problems that may arise, and you’ll be able to make changes accordingly.
