Why Are Keywords Important in SEO?

When you’re just starting to delve into the world of search engine optimisation, there’s a high chance that you’ll feel a little overwhelmed with the terminologies and jargon that may not be familiar territory for you. This includes technical processes and crucial components in every SEO campaign, including SEO audits, indexing, and building site authority. 

While some of these terms are easy to understand with little context, some might need thorough discussions and in-depth definitions to help you understand their importance in your brand’s SEO campaign. This includes the use of keywords and how comprehensive keyword research can impact your website’s performance on the internet.

To help you understand what keywords are, how keywords work, and why they’re considered a primary foundation in SEO, we’ve compiled the answers to the questions that you might be reeling to ask. 

What Are Keywords?

When someone mentions the term “keywords” in SEO, they’re referring to words or phrases that online searchers use to look for certain topics online. These come in different forms, depending on the searcher’s goal, whether they’re looking for information, navigating to a brand’s website, or searching for products that they’re planning to purchase. For brands and companies that are trying to target specific audiences, keywords work as the connecting line between online searches and your content. The more targeted your keywords are, the more high-quality traffic you can drive into your website.

In SEO’s early days, keywords were the bread and butter of search engine optimisation, with keyword density being used as a key component of a topic’s relevance. However, as search engines become more and more advanced, additional factors are now included in the equation, including a site’s authority and quality. 

Why Are Keywords Essential in SEO?

Keywords are considered one of the building blocks of SEO, and it all boils down to their role in search engine functionality. Keywords work as a marker for search engines to measure your website’s relevance to a specific keyword. The more relevant your content is to the keyword you’re targeting, the higher the chances your website will appear in your target audience’s online search results. The higher your search engine ranking, the higher the chances that readers will click on your website, which can translate to better site performance and customer interactions.

How Do SEO Keywords Work?

Think of SEO keywords as the proof of relevance that your website presents to search engines. With targeted keywords, you can introduce your website as a high-quality source of information, allowing search engines to rank you based on the content that’s already on your website or on your meta data. They also help you find the topics that your target audiences are interested in, giving you a rough idea of the content that you’d want to produce and upload to your website.

Aside from optimizing your search engine ranking, SEO keywords also help you segment your target audience depending on the goal that they have in their queries. If you’re driving traffic to your website by producing knowledge-based content, targeting informational keywords will help you promote your brand to customers who are still in the awareness level of the purchase funnel. 

On the other hand, if you’re promoting products and services for the end goal of driving conversions, you can reach potential customers by using transactional keywords and longtails that are often used by searchers who already have the buying motivation.

Do SEO Keywords Need to be Exact?

Yes and no. Search engines today are equipped with modern smart algorithms that can decipher a user’s search intent using specific keywords, regardless of the word order. This means that when searchers look for specific information online, they get served with results that the search engines have deemed relevant to their query, whether they used keywords in a specific order or included misspellings in their search query.

However, while the algorithms have refined Google’s ability to deliver relevant search engine results, using exact match keywords can help your website get higher impressions for various keyword variations. This implies that you still get certain advantages in driving traffic to your website and optimizing your brand’s reachability when you use exact match keywords.

How Do You Get and Plan Keywords for SEO?

There are numerous software and comprehensive tools online that you can use to find the best keywords to target for your business, including Google’s Keyword Planner and Ahref’s Keyword Generator. While these online tools offer seamless experiences in keyword research, you still need to be familiar with how search engine optimisation works and how these keywords can be utilized through strategized content production, web copy optimisation, or meta data updates.  

Should I Work With an SEO Agency for Keyword Research?

SEO agencies are well-versed in the different facets of effective digital marketing, including keyword research and the creation of action plans and campaigns that are designed to bring your brand to success online. When you partner with an SEO agency for your keyword needs, you’re taking advantage of years of experience and expertise in narrowing down the best keywords for your niche markets.

Not only do you get solid SEO coverage for your brand, but you also eliminate the guesswork in keyword research and possible errors in keyword targeting – allowing you to optimize your content and to reach your target audience seamlessly and effectively.

How Can an SEO Agency’s Keyword Research Services Help Your Brand?

As we’ve mentioned above, keyword research is a crucial component of every SEO campaign’s process. When you sign up for professional keyword research through a leading SEO agency, you get unmatched keyword analysis and research strategies that are tailored to your business goals – whether you’re aiming for brand awareness or for promoting higher conversion rates. 

With an SEO agency, specialists and experts can help you refine your SEO strategy, analyze your competitors’ approach to keyword targeting, and continuously monitor your content performance to pinpoint possible areas of improvement and find better customer targeting opportunities.