It doesn’t matter if your site is brand new or has been around for years, targeting these 3 Types of Keywords will get your content found.
What are SEO Keywords
SEO Keywords are simply the ideas and topics that define what your site is about. They are what you want to be found for.
Neil Patel, defines “SEO keyword” as a word or phrase that someone enters into Google.This makes total sense from a user perspective, right? I mean on average people Google a minimum of 3 times a day. So we know how this works, we Google something like “pizza nearby” and Google shows us pizzerias that are near to our current location. You ask for something, Google gives it to you. It’s pretty straightforward.
In an ideal world, Google will show results that match with what the user is looking for.
Things get a bit trickier when you think of SEO Keywords from a website owner’s perspective. Knowing what you want to be found for, can be overwhelming and hard to know where to start.
Most clients that we work with at Clapping Dog Media are just starting to track their site performance and don’t know where to start when it comes to keywords.
For clients who are just starting to focus on their organic search we suggest they begin with Who, What, Where keywords.
We tell our clients to focus on SEO keywords that:
- Are Branded (who you are)
- Show Your Expertise (what you do)
- Include Your Location (where you are)
Branded Keywords tell users WHO you are
These are keywords and phrases that are directly associated with your brand, products and services.
These words include (not surprisingly) your brand name. So for us, our branded keywords include:
Clapping Dog Media
Nick Psaros
Meg Clarke
It is crucial that your site is found for branded keywords.
People search with branded keywords when they know who you are and that your business exists, but may not know the exact URL of your site.
People who already know that you exist are more likely to buy, subscribe and engage with your site – this is why it is absolutely essential to include branded keywords in your SEO keyword strategy.
Expertise Keywords tell users WHAT you do
These are the second type of keywords that we encourage clients to focus on.
These keywords are for users who don’t know that you and your business exists but they need the service you offer.
Expertise keywords are the words that describe the value you provide – what you are really great at doing. Some of the expertise keywords that we focus on at Clapping Dog Media are:
Google Analytics expert
SEO for small businesses
Content Marketing
It is very important to be found for what you do because it will enable you to grow your organic traffic. Most people don’t know you exist but know they need the specific service, this is why expertise keywords are essential for expanding your reach online.
Location Keywords tell users WHERE you are
Whether your work is completely virtual or you only work with clients in your town, location keywords are a very important part of your keyword strategy. These keywords (not surprisingly) are for users who is looking for a business or service in a particular location. If you need a 24-hour plumber they certainly can’t be 2 states away. Along the same lines, you may want to work with a coach but virtually not online.
Location keywords can include city, state, nearby, near me, region, online and virtual. Here are some examples,
- Digital Marketing Kansas City
- Pediatrician NY, NY
- Wedding Photographer nearby
- Birth Doula Bay Area
- SEO Services online
- Virtual Financial Services
Users search for keywords using location words so be sure to include them in your titles, headlines and content. If you need a refresher on where and how to incorporate these keywords, check out this article about How to Optimize a Blog Post.
