How to choose keywords for SEO optimization

Digitalization is a reality that we cannot avoid, the success of a brand or business depends largely on the positioning it achieves in search engines like Google. 

Getting a place in the top search results on Google is one of the goals of any digital marketing strategy, and SEO is the key to achieving it. Although SEO involves many variables and factors, one of the most important has to do with content creation and keyword selection. 

This process is fundamental and requires certain technical skills to optimize results. In this article, we will learn a little more about keywords and how to choose them correctly. Read on.

Table of Contents:

• What are keywords?
• How to choose the right keywords
• Best keyword planners

What are keywords?

Keywords are the terms or phrases used by Internet users to perform their searches on Google or other search engines. Simply put, a keyword is a search on the Internet and can cover any type of topic. 

That is, if you type “how to download YouTube videos” into Google, that becomes a keyword. Following this example, YouTube downloaders who have managed to position themselves at the top of this search are doing so because they have correctly included this keyword in their content (among other factors, of course). They are one of the most important steps for a user to find the site organically.

How to choose the right keywords

Choosing a keyword efficiently will allow you to rank higher in search engines. This translates into organic traffic and success in your SEO strategy. However, choosing a keyword is not as easy as it seems, there are even specialized tools to find them. This short guide will help you understand the process better: 

Perform a preliminary analysis of the website: 

It is important to fully understand the current situation of the site, its position in relation to the competition and its segment. It is indispensable to do a Google review of the rest of the competition and the content related to the segment. 

Define your buyer persona

By correctly defining your ideal audience, it will be much easier to determine the keywords you will use in your content strategy. Remember that a segment (technology, tourism, etc.) is very large and you need to segment your audience as much as possible. 

Choosing the keywords to position

Once you have gone through the previous steps, it is time to plan which keywords you want to position. This process can be done using tools that specialize in defining the metrics of a keyword. 

Eliminate generic keywords and identify long-tail keywords

Some keywords are simply impossible to rank for and devoting time, content and strategies to them is not a good idea. Long tail keywords are much more specific and descriptive. For example, a generic keyword would be “hotel”, while a suitable long tail keyword is much more specific “cheap hotels in CDMX”, to name one.

Creating content

Once you have identified the keywords to use, you just need to start creating attractive and optimized content following SEO parameters. This content must be natural and very easy to read for users.

Best keyword planners

Undoubtedly, using a keyword planner will help us correctly identify the most appropriate keywords. Although there are hundreds of tools of this type, these are the most popular: 

• Google Keyword Planner: The best known and the one that offers the best features for free. It shows the monthly searches for each keyword, by country or language. 
• Google Trends: This tool is much more specific, it allows you to know the trend and evolution over time. 
• Google Search Console: Formerly known as Webmaster Tools, its main function is to provide information about traffic to your website from specific keywords.
• Ubersuggest: It is free and one of the most useful to find long tail keywords.
• Keyword Shitter: It works in the same way as the previous tool, it is another alternative with verifiable results. 

As you may have noticed, determining keywords is much more than just typing in random words. It requires a certain level of knowledge and the help of some tools to optimize the results. From there, creativity in creating the content will be the differentiating factor from the competition. Of course, an SEO agency or a specialist in this field can help you get results more efficiently.