Basic SEO Will Increase Targeted Traffic
Many of us know that using keywords to increase traffic is desirable because it can get you more targeted free traffic than any other SEO method.
The traffic is more targeted because the searcher is looking for the content that you are providing, and the longer the keyword phrase, the more targeted the search.
But keyword research is often overlooked, due to the demands on our time and the efforts to create content along with our other business activities.
Yet if we just take a little more time up front for some keyword research, we would find our investment pays off with increased targeted traffic, and as a result, a decreased bounce rate and increased conversions.
This will be both due to your increased page rank in search engine results, as well as in getting targeted traffic.
Guidelines for Keyword Selection to Increase Targeted Traffic
- Do some brainstorming to come up with search terms that your target audience would use to find your information. Thesaurus.com is a great tool to help you come up with LSI words and other synonyms that you might need help remembering.
- The keyword should have relevance for your site and your target audience. Come up with several that might work (we’ll get to that later). Also, the keyword should have enough traffic, and you’ll want to target the one with the highest number of searches. At least 100 searches per day is ok.
- You want a keyword phrase,which has as little competition (results) as possible. A general rule of thumb is to find one that has no more than 30,000 results for at least a hundred searches per day. Too few searches indicates a low interest and too many results indicates more competition for first page results.
- Use a long-tail keyword phrase, at least 3 but the best is 4 words, is how you will get a more targeted search. The longer phrase you use, the higher the likelihood that it would be more targeted, and at the same time have less competition. And you’ll increase targeted traffic more than you would with the short ones, with a better chance of reaching the first page due to a smaller number of results.
- Also, use related keywords or LSI keywords throughout the post. You can read more about this in Using LSI Keywords to Boost Your SEO.
- Another key is to consider the price per click in places like Google Adwords for the phrase, and similar phrases. Similar keyword search terms may differ widely in price because the higher priced keywords have a higher conversion rate!
Use Keywords Analysis Tools to Increase Targeted Traffic
Use keyword tools like the Google Keyword External and the Google Wonder Wheel to do your keyword research will help you in coming up with relevant keywords. Here is a step-by-step on using the Google Wonder Wheel, and a 5 minute video showing you how to use the Google Keyword Tool. And extensive keyword research tool, Market Samurai is an easy to use and yet advanced tool for helping you with keyword research (and it comes with some great video trainings).
Wordtracker and Wordstream are two paid tools that you may want to consider if you are using Adwords and your ROI is crucial.
Once you come up with the phrases you are going to use, how do you use them? Well, here are a few keys which should help you to increase the amount of highly targeted, free traffic!
Use On Page SEO to Increase Targeted Traffic
Once you have selected your target keyword and have a list of all of your related terms you’ll want to optimize your page to ensure you have used it in the META tage, TITLE and DESCRIPTION, in all of the IMG tags alternate text, in the first and last sentence of your post, and at least enough to attain a 1.5% to 2.75% keyword density.
By far the easiest and most effective tool I have ever used to leverage my keyword use ON PAGE is a powerful SEO companion, the SEOPressor, a WordPress plugin that acts like an SEO coach sitting within your editing session giving you crucial pointers.
Also,
- Use your keyword phrase in the first part of the title if possible.
- Use the keyword as the names of images (IncreaseTargetedTraffic.jpg isn’t what I named my images here however
- Be careful not to overpopulate your post with this keyword phrase, as this becomes counter productive in that Google will determine your falsely stuffing your article with keywords.
- If you are designing a website, try and use the keyword phrase in your URL.
- Use your LSI keywords throughout the remainder of the post.
- Study the top competitors on the page one results so that you can see how you can beat them.
These are just the basics to increase targeted traffic! To do even more more to increase targeted traffic, read Using Social Bookmarking to Improve Your SEO.
But using keywords to increase targeted traffic is one of the smartest things you can do, because that is FREE targeted traffic!
Hi Vicki! Keywords are truly beneficial to your blog success. I have been utilizing, researching my keywords for every post I place. Very big but simple thing to understand!
Thanks for the step by step instructions on this… definitely sharing this one! Great stuff girl!!! HUGS!
.-= Jennifer May´s last blog ..My Top 5 Tips On Overcoming Any Fear How I Overcame My Own Fear Of Video Marketing =-.
Thanks Jennifer!
It’s funny, I know how to do this but favor just writing so much that I fail to do it diligently enough myself! So this is sort of a reminder to me as well that it IS so easy as you pointed out, I definitely should do it for every post!
Great to see you as always!
Wishing You Brilliant Success,
Hi Vicki,
You hit the nail on the head… I been dabbling in website design for about 5 years now, so I am familiar with keyword research, and I think you did an informative post about them.
To be honest, I don’t use the Google keyword research tool as often as I should, and your article was a reminder to me how important the research is to being ranked highly on search engines.
Thank You,
John Engle
.-= John Engle´s last blog ..10 Indispensable SEO Content Writing Tips- =-.
Thanks John!
I know, I have the most fun just writing and designing. I’m glad it’s not just me!
Thanks for stopping by, always great to see you!
Wishing You Brilliant Success,
Vicki, Your information is very timely! It seems that I’m always searching for just the right keywords.
Thank you and continued success.
Ellene Breedlove Davis
Thank You Ellene!
I’m glad you found this helpful, it’s something we should all be aware of and be using to our advantage, even if we love to write from the heart sometimes!
Wishing You Fabulous Success,
Another point to remember about using keywords, is Google likes it when you select a keyword phrase and use it throughout your content but mix it up a bit.
For example, if you selected the keywords “attraction marketing” later in your content you mix up the key words and use them in a sentence as follows:
“Effective marketing creates an attraction that is irresistible and funnels thousands of leads.”
The keywords do not need to appear together for them to be effective. They can be spread throughout your content making it easier t read by both visitors to your site and search engines.
Vicki your suggestions on how to properly research keywords are great and will help many. Thanks for sharing.
To Your Success,
Sean Smith
Sean Smith´s last [type] ..How to Succeed at Network Marketing Online VIDEO
Thanks for the added value Sean!
You make an important point, the words don’t necessarily have to be juxtapositional to be recognized as keyword related by Google! This ties closely with the latent semantic index words as well, related keywords or phrases to your primary keyword give weight to your relevancy.
Thanks again for stopping by!
Wishing You Brilliant Success,
You are site is very informative and helpful to many people who are in the field of internet marketing.
Jenny@Russian women´s last [type] ..Google Translate – Can it replace a live Interpreter?
This blog is really helpful and yet so useful for a beginner like me. I really appreciate your effort for making this very great blog.
Thanks for sharing this to us. I hope to read more of your quality blogs.
Susanette Marion´s last [type] ..How Subliminal Messaging CDs Work by Sanjay Agrawal
Hi Vicki,
You’ve laid out some very good points. Using regular keywords and long tail keywords properly can help boost our traffic. While some people say that long tail keywords don’t bring as much traffic as regular keywords, it does its job well by bringing in high quality traffic to our sites. Traffic coming from long tail keywords are more likely to stay and convert than the traffic coming from regular keywords.