Are keywords a critical strategy? Imagine your search engine is like a GPS with a quirky sense of humor. You type in 'beach vacation,' and instead of directing you to a sunny shore, it takes you on a detour to a website about 'beach volleyball strategies.' This isn't just a glitch; keywords are the road signs that guide your online journey. If they're not clear or accurate, you might end up lost in cyberspace. In this article, we'll explore why keywords are essential navigation tools for crafting an online presence that leads visitors straight to your digital doorstep.
This can get a little technical, but stick with me. I have some examples that will help put it together and some tools you can use to learn how to do these tasks. Keyword optimization is a crucial aspect of SEO for small businesses. This is where your messaging connects with your clients. A little focus in this area can help small businesses:
- Increase visibility in search engine results
- Attract targeted traffic to their website
- Improve the relevance of their content to user searches
- Compete more effectively in their local market.
1. Search Engines –
- Google: The most widely used search engine, where businesses should track keywords to optimize their website's visibility and ranking.
- Bing, Yahoo: While less popular, these engines still provide valuable traffic and should be monitored for keyword performance.
- LLMs: Large language models like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Microsoft CoPilot, and my personal favorite, Perplexity, are being used more and more instead of search engines. Consider making this a part of your strategy.
- Twitter: Monitor hashtags and keywords related to your brand or industry to engage with customers and stay informed about trends.
- LinkedIn: Track industry-specific keywords to maintain a professional presence and engage with potential clients.
- Facebook: Use keywords to target specific audiences with ads and content.
- Blogs and Websites: Use tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush to monitor keyword performance on your own content and competitors' sites.
- YouTube: Track keywords related to video content to optimize video titles and descriptions.
- Google Reviews: Monitor keywords in customer reviews to understand customer feedback and improve local SEO.
- Yelp: Track keywords related to your business on review platforms to manage your reputation.
- Reddit: Use tools like Notikey or Kwatch to monitor keywords on subreddits related to your industry.
- Quora: Track questions and answers related to your business to provide expert insights and build authority.
- Google My Business: Monitor local keywords to optimize your business listing and attract local traffic.
A fashion brand wants to monitor keywords across these platforms. They use Ahrefs to track keyword performance on their website and competitors' sites. On Twitter, they monitor hashtags like #fashiontrends to engage with customers. On Reddit, they use Notikey to track mentions of their brand in relevant subreddits. This comprehensive approach helps them stay informed about their brand's online presence and adjust their marketing strategy accordingly.
Here's an overview of keyword optimization tools to help small business owners get started:
1. Keyword Generator
Overview: This tool provides up to 150 keyword ideas based on a broad topic and target country. It helps identify popular keywords and their difficulty levels.
Example: A fashion retailer wants to optimize their website for summer dresses. They use the Keyword Generator to find keywords like "summer dresses for women" or "beach summer dresses." This helps them create targeted content and ads to attract relevant traffic.
2. AnswerThePublic
Example: A fashion retailer wants to optimize their website for summer dresses. They use the Keyword Generator to find keywords like "summer dresses for women" or "beach summer dresses." This helps them create targeted content and ads to attract relevant traffic.
Overview: Ideal for discovering question-based keywords, which can help create content that directly addresses customer queries.
Example: A health and wellness blogger uses AnswerThePublic to find questions like "What are the best foods for weight loss?" or "How to maintain a healthy diet?" They create content that answers these questions, improving engagement and SEO.
3. ChatGPT
Example: A health and wellness blogger uses AnswerThePublic to find questions like "What are the best foods for weight loss?" or "How to maintain a healthy diet?" They create content that answers these questions, improving engagement and SEO.
Overview: While not a traditional keyword tool, ChatGPT is useful for brainstorming "seed" keywords and content ideas.
Example: A tech startup asks ChatGPT for terms related to "AI innovations." They receive a list of potential keywords, such as "AI in healthcare" or "AI for customer service," which they can further explore using other tools.
4. Ahrefs Webmaster Tools
Example: A tech startup asks ChatGPT for terms related to "AI innovations." They receive a list of potential keywords, such as "AI in healthcare" or "AI for customer service," which they can further explore using other tools.
Overview: Helps identify "quick win" keywords—those your website is already ranking for but could improve upon.
Example: A marketing agency notices their client's website ranks 11th for "PageRank." They use Ahrefs Webmaster Tools to optimize content for this keyword, aiming to boost it to the first page and increase traffic.
5. Google Keyword Planner
Example: A marketing agency notices their client's website ranks 11th for "PageRank." They use Ahrefs Webmaster Tools to optimize content for this keyword, aiming to boost it to the first page and increase traffic.
Overview: Useful for finding related keywords, especially for PPC campaigns, but also beneficial for SEO.
Example: A travel agency uses Google Keyword Planner to find keywords like "vacation packages" or "travel deals." They use these keywords to create targeted ads and optimize their website content.
6. Google Search Console
Example: A travel agency uses Google Keyword Planner to find keywords like "vacation packages" or "travel deals." They use these keywords to create targeted ads and optimize their website content.
Overview: Helps identify declining keywords that need optimization. You can see how the keywords on your site are performing and change them out.
Example: A content creator notices a drop in traffic for a specific keyword. They use Google Search Console to identify the issue and update their content to match current search trends better, potentially restoring traffic.
7. Google Trends
Example: A content creator notices a drop in traffic for a specific keyword. They use Google Search Console to identify the issue and update their content to match current search trends better, potentially restoring traffic.
Overview: Excellent for discovering breakout new keywords and understanding seasonal trends.
Example: A retailer uses Google Trends to identify rising interest in "sustainable fashion." They create marketing campaigns and content around this trend to capitalize on the increased interest.
8. SERP Checker
Example: A retailer uses Google Trends to identify rising interest in "sustainable fashion." They create marketing campaigns and content around this trend to capitalize on the increased interest.
Overview: Shows the top-ranking pages for a keyword and provides SEO metrics for understanding traffic potential.
Example: A business uses SERP Checker to analyze the traffic potential of keywords like "best bitcoin mining rig." They see that top-ranking pages get more traffic than the keyword's search volume suggests, helping them decide whether to target this keyword.
9. Keyword Difficulty Checker
Example: A business uses SERP Checker to analyze the traffic potential of keywords like "best bitcoin mining rig." They see that top-ranking pages get more traffic than the keyword's search volume suggests, helping them decide whether to target this keyword.
Overview: Estimates how hard it will be to rank in the top 10 for a keyword.
Example: A blogger checks the difficulty of ranking for "bitcoin" and finds it's very hard. They then explore easier alternatives like "gbtc vs bitcoin" to improve their chances of ranking higher.
10. Google Gemini
Example: A blogger checks the difficulty of ranking for "bitcoin" and finds it's very hard. They then explore easier alternatives like "gbtc vs bitcoin" to improve their chances of ranking higher.
Overview: Helps identify search intent by analyzing top search results.
Example: A company uses Google Gemini to understand the intent behind searches for "air purifier." They find that users are looking for reviews and comparisons, so they create content that meets this need, improving their relevance and ranking.
Example: A company uses Google Gemini to understand the intent behind searches for "air purifier." They find that users are looking for reviews and comparisons, so they create content that meets this need, improving their relevance and ranking.
There are a lot of tools out there to help, and this is not an exhaustive list. There are other great tools like SEMrush and Moz, but this is a great start. Ahrefs has an outstanding article that reviews some of the significant tools in more detail.
Now, how does that Translate to real life?
1. Choose Keyword Monitoring Tools
Google Search Console (GSC): Provides insights into how your website appears in search results, including impressions, clicks, and average position for specific keywords.
SEMrush: Offers detailed keyword tracking, competitor analysis, and SEO audits.
Ahrefs: Provides comprehensive keyword tracking, backlink analysis, and content gap analysis.
Google Trends: Helps identify trending keywords and seasonal variations.
2. Set Up Keyword Tracking
SEMrush: Offers detailed keyword tracking, competitor analysis, and SEO audits.
Ahrefs: Provides comprehensive keyword tracking, backlink analysis, and content gap analysis.
Google Trends: Helps identify trending keywords and seasonal variations.
Identify Target Keywords: Determine the most relevant keywords for your business using tools like Google Keyword Planner or Ahrefs Keyword Explorer.
Configure Tools: Set up your chosen tools to track these keywords. For example, in Google Search Console, you can view search queries that drive traffic to your site.
3. Analyze Keyword Performance
Configure Tools: Set up your chosen tools to track these keywords. For example, in Google Search Console, you can view search queries that drive traffic to your site.
Ranking Position: Use tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs to track your website's ranking position for target keywords over time.
Search Volume and Trends: Use Google Trends to understand how search volume changes over time and identify seasonal trends.
Click-Through Rate (CTR): Analyze CTR from Google Search Console to see how often users click on your site when it appears in search results.
Search Volume and Trends: Use Google Trends to understand how search volume changes over time and identify seasonal trends.
Click-Through Rate (CTR): Analyze CTR from Google Search Console to see how often users click on your site when it appears in search results.
4. Optimize Based on Insights
Content Optimization: Adjust your content to match high-performing keywords better or to improve ranking for underperforming ones.
SEO Improvements: Use insights from tools to improve page speed, mobile responsiveness, and other SEO factors that affect keyword performance.
Competitor Analysis: Use tools like Ahrefs to analyze competitors' strategies and identify gaps in the market.
Competitor Analysis: Use tools like Ahrefs to analyze competitors' strategies and identify gaps in the market.
5. Regularly Review and Adjust
Schedule Regular Reviews: Set reminders to review keyword performance and adjust your strategy as needed regularly.
Stay Updated with Algorithm Changes: Keep informed about search engine algorithm updates and adjust your keyword strategy accordingly.
Example Use Case:
A small business owner in the travel industry wants to monitor keywords related to "vacation packages." They use Google Search Console to track impressions and clicks for this keyword and SEMrush to analyze their ranking position and competitor strategies. Based on insights from these tools, they optimize their website content to improve ranking and attract more targeted traffic.
I know this all sounds incredibly technical, but like all things, with a little time, perhaps the use of Chat Gpt or Perplexity, you can find some walk-throughs for how to set up the steps above for your business. Also, keep in mind the Florida SBDC at UWF has got your back with no-cost consulting services. Whether you're just starting or looking to take your business to the next level, feel free to email me for more information about how we can help you with this or any other topic to help you grow your small business.
My Pro Tips.
Start Small – Focus on one area at a time.
Ask Perplexity to find the most relevant YouTube video that explains how to “use Google search console to track impressions and clicks,” for example…. It will narrow the noise and make finding exactly what you want easier.
You can also use tools like Google AI Studio to walk you through setting up the tools. Go to aistudio.google.com and select Stream Realtime.
University of West Florida Emerald Coast
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Jennifer Rohus MBA, SHRM-CP Business Consultant
- March 12, 2025
- (850) 898-3481
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