Choosing the Right Keywords For Your Website

By; Karen Cayamanda

Keyword selection plays a big role in search engine optimization or SEO. From hundreds of terms which are related to a certain topic, knowing which keywords should be added to your site is paramount. This article covers several basic tips in choosing the right keywords for your site: 

• Start with brainstorming. Ask other people what search terms they would use when looking for something online. Make a list of all possible keywords. After that, narrow it down and choose those that are closely related to your website.

• Use keyword research tools online. When you type in a particular term, the keyword research tool will provide a list of different keywords and phrases that people commonly use as well as the number of times each word or phrase is used.

• Avoid using single-word terms. These are usually too popular and highly competitive. It is very likely that thousands or millions of sites are already targeting the same keyword. Opt for key phrases or two- and three-word terms. These are not too popular but are still relevant to your site and can bring decent traffic. Also, there is less competition so it will be easier to climb your way to the top of the list of search engine results pages.

• Do not use keywords that are too broad and too specific. If you use highly competitive keywords, it will be very difficult to get the kind of traffic that you want. The same goes for the use of keywords that are too specific. Very few people actually use those keywords when looking for something online.

The key in keyword selection is finding the keywords that are popular, relevant, and specific. With the right keywords, you will see decent traffic and improvement in site ranking.