Keywords are an important piece of any content marketing strategy!
Here are some tools and processes we recommend for finding and utilizing the best and most relevant keywords.
Look at What You’re Already Ranking For
Using Google Search Console
To learn about what queries and keywords brought users to the client’s site in the past, look at Google Search Console. If the client has Google Search Console set up, log in and view the top queries from the last year. Also, take a look at the most popular pages and blogs to find out what content has the potential to gain even more traffic with some added keywords or improvements.
Another helpful way to use Google Search Console is to easily view progress and see how your keyword strategy is working. In the Performance tab under “Date” select “Compare” to view two different time periods such as this quarter versus the previous quarter.
Using a Keyword Research Tool
Find your current keyword rankings (in Spyfu, this is under “SEO Keywords,” in SEM Rush it’s under “Positions”) and note the following keywords. From these, focus on keywords that have the lowest keyword difficulty.
- Keywords you are ranking 2-15 on - These should be top priorities for you to work on with the goal of getting to that #1 spot.
- Keywords you are ranking 16-50 on - These keywords are your next priority to improve your ranking on.
- Keywords you are ranking 51-100 on - These should be the last priority but can make a difference in your traffic when grouped with other keywords.
Keyword Research
General Tips
- Make sure that the intent is clear with the keywords you choose.
- Use a keyword research tool, Google’s “also asked” section, AlsoAsked.com, and AnswerthePublic.com for even more keyword ideas.
Types of Keywords
- Head Keywords are usually one word like “therapist.” The intent here is not clear, someone could be searching for training to become a therapist or a physical therapist, etc. There is far to much traffic to get real results with head keywords.
- Body Keywords are typically 2-3 words like “anxiety therapist.”
- Longtail Keywords or Phrases have 4 or more words and are the key to generating the right traffic. An example is “stress management therapist tampa fl.” The searcher’s intent here is much clearer. There are less searches with these terms, but users are more likely to find you because there is less competition.
To find out what keywords we could use to tap into more traffic in the future, perform keyword research via Spyfu (or your preferred keyword research tool.) I start out with the keyword ideas below, but also branch off into other keywords inspired by the popular related keywords.
Types of Keywords to Search for: (Combine these in different ways to see more results)
Location-based
- Surrounding towns, cities, counties
- Abbreviations
- ____ therapist/counselor/addiction services near me
- Online ____ therapist/counselor/addiction services with state
Specialty/Service Type-based
- Therapy format - couples counseling, families, individual, animal-assisted therapy, etc.
- Disorders served - Anxiety, depression, ADHD, etc.
- Type of therapy - IFS, EDMR, etc.
- Age group(s) served - teens, children, etc.
- Gender served and applicable topics
Topics/Questions Someone Seeking Therapy Would Ask
Using Your Keywords
Stick to one primary keyword for every page.
When choosing a keyword, look for:
- Keywords you currently rank high for
- Low keyword difficulty/competition
- Higher search volume
- Relevance and correct intent
