Knowing your customers is the best way to succeed in any business. It’s not always easy to figure out the keyword phrase your customer searches to reach your website. Keyword research can and will equal success!
But how do you find out what your target audience is searching for when your website and your competitors comes up in search results? Let’s have a look at how you can understand your customers in a better way.
Use Google Search: It is Your Friend
Google search has improved by leaps and bounds in recent years and, as a business, you can make use of its powerful features to research relevant keywords. Simply start typing the first word associated with your business area or product to see the auto-complete suggestions provided by Google. These are the same suggestions that your customers will see when they search for these keywords. You can build a relevant keyword strategy for your business based on these phrases and their variations.
Tips for Using the Auto-Complete Feature on Google
- Refine the keywords and phrases offered by auto-complete for better results
- Use synonyms and simple sentences for varied results
- Search with a question that your target customer might ask
- Research location specific keywords depending on your business area
Use Social Media for Keyword Phrases Research
Customers’ extensive use of social media today is highly beneficial for businesses as it is a direct indication of customer habits. You can search for keywords on Facebook and Twitter to see results relevant to your business area. By searching for your business location, you can see what kind of keywords your competitors are ranking for. This can give you a fair idea of how your intended customers search for products or services.
How To Conduct Keyword Research on Social Media
- Search on social media for the business niche that you specialize in
- Look for keyword phrases that are questions you can answer
- Conduct a location based keyword search for the area your business operates in
- Search for relevant hashtags related to your business, such as #electronics
- Snoop on your competitors to see what’s working for them and use it for ideas
Ask for Input from Your Sales Team and Customer Service
The sales team and customer care are two parts of every business that interact directly with the customers. You can check the feedback they get to try and understand the customers’ problems and suggestions. These queries, suggestions and problems can form the basis of keywords that are relevant for your business.
Get the Answers to These Questions
- What is the common problem/query faced by customers
- Which features do customers want to see in your product or service
- What do the customers want to learn about from your business
These are just some of the ways in which you can find out the keywords that your target demographic is searching.
Using advanced keyword and analytical tools for an in-depth look into the search habits of your customers is another important method. Also, get with your webmaster and have them generate a report off from Google Analytics and Google Webmaster Tools to find out what exact keyword phrases your potential customer used to find your website.
Now that you have identified the keywords and keyword phrases that your target audience searches to find you and your competitors, optimize your content with these keywords as part of your overall SEO strategy to bring traffic to your business website through search engine results.
Have you conducted keyword research before? What did you find and how has it helped your business?
Bernadette Coleman
Bernadette Coleman is a SEO, Local Search, Engaging Content Enthusiast & CEO of Advice Interactive Group, an Inc500 Digital Agency.