What are the best practices for keyword research and selection?

2 Use a variety of keyword tools

There is no single tool that can provide you with all the keywords you need for your digital strategy and SEO campaign. You need to use a combination of different tools and methods to find and evaluate keywords that are relevant, popular, and profitable for your niche. Some of the most common keyword tools include Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, Moz, Ahrefs, and Ubersuggest. You can also use other sources like competitor analysis, social media, forums, blogs, and customer feedback to generate keyword ideas.

3 Choose keywords based on intent and difficulty

Once you have a list of potential keywords, you need to narrow it down based on two main criteria: intent and difficulty. Intent refers to the goal or purpose of the searcher behind the query, and it can be classified into four types: informational, navigational, transactional, and commercial. You need to choose keywords that match the intent of your content and your audience, as well as the stage of the buyer's journey. Difficulty refers to how hard it is to rank for a keyword, and it depends on factors like competition, search volume, and domain authority. You need to choose keywords that have a high enough search volume to drive traffic, but a low enough difficulty to rank well.

4 Organize keywords into groups and themes

After you have selected your keywords, you need to organize them into groups and themes that reflect the structure and hierarchy of your content and website. This will help you create a coherent and consistent digital strategy and SEO campaign, as well as improve your user experience and relevance. You can use tools like Google Sheets, Excel, or keyword mapping software to create keyword groups and themes based on topics, categories, subcategories, and modifiers.

5 Test and refine your keywords

The final step for keyword research and selection is to test and refine your keywords based on the results and feedback you get from your digital strategy and SEO campaign. You need to monitor and measure how your keywords perform in terms of rankings, traffic, conversions, and engagement. You also need to keep an eye on the changes and trends in the market, the search engines, and the user behavior. You can use tools like Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and SEO software to track and analyze your keyword performance and identify opportunities for improvement.