Keyword research serves as the backbone of your SEO campaign. Doing it may seem simple – you just have to think of terms relevant to your business then check its search volume. However, looking for the right keywords is easier said than done.
This fundamental step involves a lot of considerations to ensure your website ranks high in the search engine results page. To make sure you don’t miss out on valuable SEO opportunities, here are the common keyword mistakes you need to avoid:
1. Using too many broad keywords
Broad keywords work great for reaching a wider audience, but relying on them alone won’t get you anywhere near the top search results, especially if you’re new to SEO. Sure, these keywords boast big numbers in terms of volume, but the competition is tough.
Furthermore, you could be bringing visitors that will only bounce off from your website because what they’re looking for might not be relevant to your product or service. Take “photographer” for instance. If you’re a photographer who only specialises in a particular niche like weddings, then this keyword is more likely to miss than hit. Instead, use “wedding photographer” or “events photographer”.
Always conduct website keyword research before optimising your content. That way, you can find your niche and aim for keywords that yield positive outcomes.
2. Ignoring local
Shop local, eat local, explore local – most consumers live by the “go local” mantra nowadays. That’s why it’s not surprising that local SEO continues to become more significant and popular for small businesses. It helps them get found by the right people at the right time.
People use location-specific keywords like “bars in Port Macquarie” or “dentist near me” when they look for products and services online. This gives them a more detailed list of the businesses in their area. If you’re not using this type of keyword for your SEO, then you’re less likely to show up in the local search results.
3. Not checking whether to target singular or plural
One factor you need to consider is whether to use singular or plural keywords because Google doesn’t show the same search results for these queries. Even if the search engine is smart enough to treat singular and plural version of the keyword as one, there are still some variations in most cases. This can make or break the success of your campaign.
Turns out, there are user intent differences between singular and plural keywords. An example would be “lotion” and “lotions”. In the image above, the singular version provides information, while the plural version shows products that you can compare and buy. That said, think about how your potential customers would conduct their searches.
4. Keyword stuffing
You may have already heard about the dangers of keyword stuffing. It’s basically playing with fire. However, this practice is still prevalent today, so it’s worth mentioning again here.
Cramming your page with every possible keyword that the content appears unnatural has a negative impact on user experience. It doesn’t answer the questions your site visitors have in mind. If you haven’t seen one, here’s an example:
“If you’re looking for discount curtains, we’ve got you covered. We offer a variety of discount curtains that suit your needs and taste. Our discount curtains come in different colours, sizes, and designs. Browse through our range of discount curtains in our discount curtains website.”
Back then, this tactic is used to trick search engines algorithms into giving them high rankings, and it did some wonders. However, it causes poor experience for your audience, which in turn diminishes trust for your brand. It drives your bounce rates up and your potential sales down. Google, Bing, and other search engines are all about quality and relevance, that’s why they started to impose keyword stuffing penalty.
5. Targeting keywords without traffic
Long tail keywords help balance your keyword strategy as they tend to match exactly what people are searching for. While these terms drive less traffic, they provide better chances of converting your visitors into customers. To make sure it gives the results you want, use keywords that actually get traffic. Keywords that are very specific and have zero traffic won’t benefit your SEO at all.
Tracking keyword performance is easier when you take advantage of DigitalMaas’ online marketing platform. You can monitor all the essential metrics such as clicks, impressions, and average position in one place to see which of your keywords are working and which ones need improvement. It provides fresh, comprehensive data so you can take steps to boost website traffic. We also offer keyword research services to build the foundation for your SEO.
Ensure your SEO campaign gets off on the right foot by running a free site audit today. Sign up to our platform for free to get started.
