Keyword Research Mistakes that can Mess Up Your SEO Strategy

Most business marketers generate their keywords by focusing on what their businesses are doing and what it is they want to be visible for. While this is certainly a good approach, one problem with it is that it lacks the searchers perspective. A good keyword should not just glow in the eyes of the business marketer, but also before the targeted customer.

The intention of the search is the definitive reason behind keywords. Unfortunately, marketers cannot tell beforehand the exact words searchers will use when looking for products and services. This is where foresight and creativity comes in. Below are mistakes you should never make when picking your keywords.

Going for Single Keyword Phrases

If you want to rank for certain keywords in your industry, choosing single word phrases is a no-no. This is because such phrases will bring lots of traffic, but the conversions will be few. The reason behind this is that most of the traffic is untargeted.

Most searchers who type in single keywords often go back to refine their searches by adding other words before or after their first phrase. This is why you should consider both ROI in addition to the keyword traffic generated.

Targeting Broad Phrases

While single keyword phrases are a conversion killer, broad phrases can completely sink your SEO Leicester strategy. Broad phrases tend to be clouded with vagueness thus making it unclear what your business is ranking for. You should first analyze what your phrase means and what exactly your targeted customers are looking for.

The two best approaches to crack through this is by conducting a keyword research and looking at what Google is saying by putting your keyword on search space and looking at the suggested terms.

Going for Highly Competitive Phrases

Keyword research is not an adrenaline rush competition. Most business marketers are attracted to the fact that competitive phrases are recording super high search numbers. The disadvantage with these phrases is that they require a very high budget and chances of ranking and not as high because of the cutthroat competition.

To get the best results, incorporate some competitive phrases in your keyword strategy, but the main focus should be on the low hanging fruits. You can get some really good keywords which are not as competitive, but for which you can rank well.

Inappropriate Geo-Targeted Phrases

If your business has a special focus on a certain geographical area, then it makes a lot of sense to pick keywords relevant to those areas. Optimizing for non-geo-targeted phrases is a total waste of time because no customer will come knocking at your door.

For instance, if you install carpets within your city, stop bothering about statewide keywords because they will not help you in getting to your customers.

Using Competitor Brand Names

Using your resources to optimize for competitor phrases can be counterproductive. This is because customers are interested in the brands you carry and not that of your competitor. Start by building an authoritative page and cast your brand in the right light. This will give you better returns on your investment.

Keyword research is therefore an important step in the SEO process. Pick the right keywords that will resonate well with your audience.