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SEO Keyword Research for Small Businesses - Mazloy LLC

Written by Christopher Mazurk | Nov 6, 2024

Keyword research forms the foundation of SEO, helping you understand your audience and create content that ranks well. This guide covers everything you need to know, including how to identify your target audience, which tools to use, and how to analyze key metrics. Let’s dive into each step to ensure your keyword research efforts drive quality traffic to your site.

For our purposes the term "keyword" can denote either a single word or a complete phrase.

Understand Your Audience

Effective keyword research begins with a clear understanding of your target audience. Knowing who you’re targeting and what they’re interested in allows you to tailor content to meet their specific needs. For example, if your target audience is property managers, your approach should center on their unique challenges and information needs.

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Clarify your audience's needs and intentions. By putting yourself in your audience's shoes, you can better understand what they might search for. Think like a property manager, rather than someone selling to them. This shift in perspective helps you identify their daily pain points and areas where they need information, enabling you to develop content that speaks directly to their concerns.

How to Define Your Audience

Get to know your audience's demographics and the challenges your business can help solve. Think of these challenges in three categories: external (the obvious stuff), internal (the emotional side), and philosophical (their values and beliefs). Create a plan they would want that shows how your solutions can make a difference, and don't forget to include things they’ll appreciate, like testimonials, awards, case studies, and success stories. Keep in mind the promises they expect from you, like "returning all calls within 1 business day." Understand what success looks like for them if they choose to work with you—and what missing out might mean. Lastly, make sure you have a compelling and timely Call to Action ready to go!

Conduct Prep Work and Deepen Your Audience Insights

Once you have a firm grasp of your audience, the next step is gathering deeper insights into their search behaviors. This step requires creativity. Instead of just looking at data analytics, immerse yourself in their world by exploring the types of questions they might ask online. Consider browsing forums, checking industry-related social media groups, or even examining popular blogs in your niche.

If, for example, you’re focused on property managers, avoid viewing their questions only from a sales perspective. Instead, try to consider their informational needs without the influence of sales-related objectives. By keeping your focus on pure information needs, you gain a clearer picture of what potential clients are genuinely interested in and what might motivate their searches.

Practical Ways to Learn About Your Audience

  • Explore relevant industry job listings to understand their responsibilities
  • Conduct online research with common industry queries
  • Reach out to individuals within the target field for firsthand insights

Study SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages)

Understanding SERPs is critical in keyword research. Google prioritizes content similar to what’s already ranking. Thus, you need to assess what is currently ranking for your target keywords to ensure your content aligns with search intent.

For instance, if you’re trying to rank for “pie chart” in a baking context, you may find that the SERPs prioritize data visualization results rather than baked goods. In this case, Google would likely not rank your content highly, as it doesn’t align with the search intent. Checking SERPs before creating content saves time and helps you avoid targeting keywords unlikely to succeed.

Determine Domain Authority

Domain Authority (DA) measures the strength of a website’s backlink profile, among other factors, and indicates how well a site might rank in search results. Websites with higher DA scores tend to perform better in search engine rankings. To check DA, you can use free tools like the MozBar Chrome extension, which allows you to see DA directly on SERPs.

Alternatively, you can go straight to the source and use Moz's Domain Authority Checker.

A general rule of thumb is to target keywords with difficulty scores no more than 15 points above your site’s DA. For example, if your DA is 20, avoid keywords with a difficulty score exceeding 35. Keeping within a feasible range helps you rank more effectively while preventing wasted effort on highly competitive terms.

Factors Affecting Domain Authority

  • Backlinks: The quantity and quality of links pointing to your site
  • Engagement: The amount of time users spend on your pages
  • Reputation: Links from trustworthy sources positively impact DA

Utilize Keyword Research Tools

Keyword research tools can streamline the process and provide deeper insights. Below are two popular options that offer a variety of features:

  • Ubersuggest: A free tool that offers essential keyword insights. Though it has some limitations in data speed and features, it’s a solid choice for basic research. Just be sure to manually refresh your results to ensure they're up-to-date.
  • KWFinder: A paid tool that allows for detailed analysis and organization. KWFinder provides options to filter by location and language, making it ideal for geographically specific targeting. It also allows you to save keywords in lists for easy tracking.

Choose a tool that fits your needs, budget, and the level of detail you want. Both Ubersuggest and KWFinder are easy to use, and each offers unique strengths that can enhance your keyword research process.

If you want to go directly to the source, consider using Google Keyword Planner. This is the source of information that drives Ubersuggest and KWFinder (and other related tools). It might not be the easiest to use, but it's still a fantastic tool!

Analyze Key Metrics

When analyzing potential keywords, focus on the following key metrics:

Trend Analysis

Start by examining the trend line for your keywords. Keywords with stable or rising trends suggest ongoing interest, making them more reliable targets. Avoid keywords with a steep downward trend, as they may lose relevance over time.

Search Volume

Search volume measures the monthly search frequency for a given keyword. For niche industries, a minimum search volume of 100 per month can still be effective. For broader topics, aim for 1,000 or more. The ideal search volume varies by industry, so tailor this to your specific niche.

SEO Difficulty

SEO Difficulty measures the competitive landscape for a keyword. Lower scores indicate easier competition, while higher scores suggest more challenging targets. As mentioned, try to stay within a difficulty range no more than 15 points above your site’s DA for the best chances of ranking.

Cost per Click (CPC)

While CPC is primarily for paid advertising, it also indicates keyword value. A CPC of $1 or more suggests that businesses find the keyword valuable enough to invest in, which can indicate buyer intent and signal that it’s worth targeting in your organic efforts. High CPC keywords often have higher conversion potential.

Use Questions to Capture Long-Tail Traffic

Long-tail keywords can attract more specific, intent-driven traffic. Including common questions related to your main keyword can capture this traffic effectively. KWFinder’s questions feature allows you to see what people are asking about a given topic.

For instance, if you’re researching “key fob systems,” you may find questions like “How much does a key fob system cost?” Including these questions in your content improves your chances of ranking for both the primary and related queries.

Ubersuggest also lists related questions when you search for a keyword.

Another way to find these questions is to type the keyword into Google and review the list of questions that comes up on the SERP.

Prioritize Short Keywords While Incorporating Long-Tail Queries

When performing keyword research, start with short keywords and add long-tail versions as subtopics. For example, targeting “key fob system” as your primary keyword still enables your content to rank for longer phrases containing this term.

While long-tail keywords can be highly specific, keeping your primary focus on shorter terms makes your content more versatile and helps capture a broader audience. Use questions and subtopics to incorporate longer terms without diluting your core focus.

Avoid Over-Reliance on Auto-Complete Suggestions

Some SEO practitioners use Google’s auto-complete feature for keyword ideas. However, auto-complete results can be too broad or sometimes even irrelevant. Definitely keep them in mind, but try to rely on verified keyword tools to ensure accuracy and avoid filler content that may not bring valuable traffic to your site.

Conclusion

SEO keyword research is essential for building a successful SEO strategy. By understanding your audience, using effective tools, and analyzing key metrics, you can identify high-value keywords that attract relevant traffic to your site. Remember to balance short and long-tail keywords, check SERPs, and use tools like KWFinder and Ubersuggest to streamline your process.

With a strategic approach to keyword research, you’ll be well-positioned to create content that resonates with your audience, ranks well, and drives sustainable traffic over time.

Now that you've got the hang of keyword research, you're likely excited to dive into using AI tools to create engaging blog content! Download Mazloy’s AI Blog Prompts to discover easy-to-follow tips for using tools like ChatGPT to elevate your blog posts.