Researching and targeting keywords is the second step in building an effective SEO campaign after developing an online strategy, so what is the value of brand messaging within targeted keywords?
azure, beryl, cerulean, cobalt, indigo, navy, royal, sapphire, teal, turquoise, ultramarine
All of these words are synonyms for “blue”
blue bag
web search – 289,000 results
image search – 26,900 results
indigo bag
web search – 2,380 results
images search – 155 results
It might be easy to understand that it will probably be easier to rank for all of these synonyms for “blue” than for blue by itself, right?
So, what does this have to do with brand terms?
A seasoned marketing professional will be able to quickly realize that ranking organically for this group of synonyms might bring the same number of visitors and/or conversions as the root keywords, but what has a tendency to be missed is that branded terms, like “gucci” or “louis vuitton” are almost impossible to overtake in SERPs unless you are Gucci or Louis Vuitton and the idea that these branded terms must be reinforced through organic optimization. The way to impact the search volume for branded terms is more difficult and can only be accomplished through a branding campaign (online or offline).
IMHO, stop focusing on what you want to be found for (namely your brand) and start focusing on what your potential visitors are looking for!
As a consultant, it is my job to make sure that my client understands the difference and what opportunities there are in SEO. So, when it comes to organic, holistic or just plain SEO (what every you call it), what does brand have to do with it?
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- User-Centered Design (UCD)
{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
It is easier when the site optimized is yours. What if a clients wants a specific keyword optimized?
@web
Thanks for the comment. I think of the “cobbler’s shoes” when it comes to website optimization, it is easy to miss something with regards to optimizing your own site. For this reason, I see and understand the value of having an outside opinion when it come to the optimization of your website. Client initiated keyword selection should be handled with care, especially if it may not be the most relevant (i.e. vanity keywords like “hotel” for a hotel’s website).
This post is right on. I often have clients who don’t understand what expand beyond the “keyword” into an area like synonyms of the “keyword” can do for them. They are amazed at the ROI of focusing on these different terms. Great post!
Keywords are very important and should be taken special care while drafting contents copy of a website.
This article can be further useful.
Seven Effective Website Copy Writing Tips
What are the best tools to ‘find out what the users are looking for’?
Thanks!
Valerie
Interesting information, I’ve never really realized the importance of selecting the proper keywords. Definitely helps to read this article before coming up with a name for you website. I’ve also noticed that alliterative websites and business names help customers remember them better.
What are the best tools to ‘find out what the users are looking for’?
Thanks!
Valerie
We also find that customers have a tendancy to invent their own jargon to describe their goods and services rather than using the specific terminology that describes what they do – this cheats them even out of getting much from longtail traffic.
@Valerie
Thanks for the comment. There are a number of tools available to “find out what the users are looking for,” some you have to pay for and some are free. Look for suggestion tools like Google AdWords Keyword Tool (free) and Keyword Discovery (pay) and you can find other keyword ideas by looking at your keyword referrals in your analytics package, trending data from Google Trends and such. I also like using Thesaurus.com to look for synonyms of words.
@SEO Guy
Thanks for the comment. Understanding user intent is an interesting challenge. I know that through the ’80’s and ’90’s a lot of marketers used interesting words to describe their products, but within the age of the Internet, it is less about describing a product in a unique way and more about speaking directly to the potential customer. This means we have to know what the user is looking for, target it and all before they start their search. This will always leave opportunities for online marketers, having to keep up with the Jones’ as it were in relation to keyword selection. This highlights the importance of reviewing and adjusting as needed due to market changes in syntax.
Great post. Sometimes it’s crazy how people find our blogs. We research what people are searching for then keep that in mind when we develop our content. Still, people find us from very specific search phrases that we weren’t even targeting. Then, when we target those search terms, our traffic always increases. I think a good strategy is target the best you can then optimize for the highest key phrases people find you on.
Yes, when I look at my logs and some people have come through Google with keywords that I have never thought of, you really have to think like the Googler and put the keywords. Google traffic is the best traffic than advertising.
Great post, Stephen!
I put clients through the following exercise to get them thinking…
First I tell them to come up with a list of keyword phrases they want to be found by. After that list is created, I ask them to then create a list of keyword phrases that they believe their target market actually uses to find the product/service they offer (after doing some due diligence with some of the free keyword tools I make them aware of) .
To their surprise they quickly begin to realize that these are two distinctly different lists of terms! This exercise then puts them in a right frame of mind to know how to better craft their content to cater to what their site visitors are actually looking for — not what they originally “thought” they wanted to be found by.
Keep up the great work!
Judith
Hey, very nice post. I have been using services such as Google’s Keyword Tool (https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal) to determine what keywords to use for any given site.
Haha
Thanks for that! I get visitors the most from Google, and I think most of us do get visitors from google too
Nice post!