Skip to main content

SEO - Keyword Overview

TLDR: Start with broad "head terms," analyze metrics (volume, difficulty, CPC, clicks), verify commercial relevance by checking Google results, watch for cross-industry traps, identify parent terms that need dedicated pages, and build a logical sitemap hierarchy as you research.

Start with a "Head Term"​

  • This is a broad term associated with the business or a core product/service

Check Relevant Keyword Metrics​

  • Search Volume

    • Anything above 10/mo+ is relevant
    • Volume is not the most important metric

  • Keyword Difficulty

    • Based on backlinks, guidelines only

  • CPC

    • High CPC often means it is more commercially relevant

  • Volume Trend

    • Used to determine seasonality

  • Clicks

    • Avg number of clicks on search results
    • Paid clicks = ads vs organic
      • Worth noting for PPC
    • Without clicks - high without clicks number means it isn't relevant to target

  • Parent Topic

    • Tries to pair terms to parents
    • Is not always accurate, use common sense

  • SERP Position History

    • Shows the volatility of the top 5 results
    • More volatility is often better, as it means google is not 100% satisfied with the results

  • SERP Top 10 Results

    • Low traffic is a red flag

    • Referring domains holds more weight than backlinks

Commercial Relevance​

  • A keyword is relevant when the intent of a searcher is clearly understood and it has a meaningful engagement or is important for topical authority
  • The easiest way to determine relevance is to Google the term
    • Ads a good sign
    • Map packs are a good sign and means there is local relevance and intent
    • What type of results do you see? You'll want to mimic these types
      • Lists, services, articles

Look Out For Traps​

  • Beware of Cross Industry Terms
  • Add more Specificity
  • Always think "Who typed this", and avoid one that are not likely customers

Relationships​

  • Long-tail terms are more specific and often need their own pages.
  • Search for "matching terms" in research software
  • Often only "parent terms" need their own pages
  • If the parent is the same, then it is a great page to build and target

Identifying the Real Parent Terms of Your Head Term​

  • Brainstorm or begin with category-level searches

The Hierarchy Should Be and Feel Logical​

  • Build your sitemap as you do keyword research
  • Add content terms on one side, and service terms on the other

Show your client the informational search terms​

  • Articles published for them will rank and generate leads and traffic
  • Teaches google you're an expert in your industry and topic
  • Makes the site more robust, and helps with internal linking
  • Helps services rank more
  • Rich get Richer when it comes to SEO