When you create your content, it always needs to be strategic so that your content can be found on the web through the search engines. Keywords are those words people use to search for information that you have to offer. Make sure that you have the right keywords on each page of your website as well as embedded in the body of your blog posts. You want to optimize your site for search engine optimization, using keywords that pertain to your niche.
For example, if on your homepage, you use key terms like business coach, social media coach, business strategist, or marketing strategist, these are keyword phrases that you can use to optimize your website, using search engine optimization.
Once you’ve added the keywords necessary to optimize your content on your website, including in your blog posts, you will drive traffic to your site organically, which means users searching those phrases will see your website pop up in their search results from Google. There are many WordPress plugins that you can use, like Yoast SEO, which help make the most of your optimization on your website pages.
How do you choose your keyword phrases? Start by using common sense. How would you search for yourself? Create a list of keyword phrases to use with all your website writing. This list should be fluid so update it every few months with new keyword phrases or by deleting those phrases which aren’t performing for you.
After you create your list with common sense phrases, turn to a keyword research tool, such as SEMrush or Moz to deepen your research. These tools will give you additional keyword phrases you may not have thought of, plus they will analyze how many search a particular phrase receives each month. The higher the number of searches, the better that keyword should perform for you. These are both paid services due to the number of features they give you so certainly do your own research into which keyword tool is best for your needs.
A note about keyword phrases: always write your website copy and blog posts naturally, the way you would speak to someone in a conversation. Certainly, use your keywords but do it naturally or the search engines will penalize you for “keyword stuffing.” This is done to cut down on the number of garbage sites that are built strictly to earn money off of ads rather than to help someone find pertinent information.
And you may hear the term “long tail keyword phrases.” Those are phrases that incorporate 4-5 keywords, sometimes more, that help to drill down to a specific niche or sub-niche. These types of phrases are excellent for doing local SEO or getting very specific. For instance, using the phrase “business coach” is very generic; it will garner millions of searches each month but think about how many other business coaches you’ll compete with. Instead, think of a longer, more specific description for yourself, such as “Los Angeles business coach” or “product launch business coach.” Using those longer keywords offer a better, more specific description of what your clients are looking for so you have a better chance of showing up in the search results.
Download this Simple Worksheet to help you plan your keywords:
Keyword Planning Worksheet
