Since the release of Google’s “Hummingbird” algorithm the use of unique keyword phrases has become more important than ever for brands. While Google AdWords remains a great resource to find the right topics for your content you will need to drill down more for better exposure online.
Should you still use basic keywords?
In the past brands have been able to include focused keywords for their target market and topic. The problem is that these have become very widely used, and search queries have become more conversational.
The goal of today’s brand is to find keyword phrases that are not too competitive. The needs and desires of your readers are now the new focus for content. There are a few steps you can take to hone in on key phrases that stand out in search and to your readers.
- Social media search. Since search engines are now influenced by what users are looking for on social media this is a good place to begin to learn about your brand’s latest conversations. This can include questions, trending hashtags, and feedback to you or your competitor. Take advantage of tools that allow you to monitor activity on your networks, which will provide new keyword phrases based on the tweets and posts.
- Find out what’s trending in your market. Track the content and keywords your competition is using on influencer websites like LinkedIn, Klout, Topsy, and paper.li. This can provide information on the most important subjects, and help your brand come up with keyword phrases that take on a new spin.
- Take notes from education websites. Online courses are very popular these days, and offer a variety of topics to choose from. Chances are is that your brand can gather a lot of ideas in your target market based on the course offerings and descriptions. Many of these listings will have the phrases labelled in bold type, which makes finding the right combination of keywords easy.
- Learn what questions are being asked. Q&A websites are a great resource to not only find new topic ideas, but gain insights into the pain points of your brand’s niche. Not only can you gather new keyword phrases, but your brand can also benefit from this free target market research method.
Finding the right keyword phrases with these simple methods can provide ideas you can use to help your brand stand out in search, which will attract more leads to your website. Keep track of your findings on a spreadsheet and check in each month on the latest hashtags, questions, and conversations as these can change quickly in the online arena.
