When people think of keyword research, they usually think of search marketing – either organic search engine optimization (SEO) or pay per click (PPC) search advertising. However, keyword research also plays a vital role in a content marketing program.
Content marketing involves providing the information your targeted prospects crave – usually for free. By providing expertise, you build trust over time. When your prospects reach the point where they are ready to do business, they come to you and not to your competitors. Content marketing is all about pulling your prospects in and building trust.
It stands to reason that your prospects need to find the content you provide. One effective way to help prospects find your content is through an organic SEO campaign. But content marketing isn’t just about driving traffic to your website. It’s about drawing highly targeted prospects to your content and then delivering the information they seek. And professional keyword research can help you do just that.
Keywords, Your Prospects and Your Content
Developing an understanding of your ideal prospects means you need to know everything you can about them, including, but not limited to, which keyword phrases they use when conducting a search. Armed with this information, you’ll have a better understanding of the types of problems they face and hope to solve.
In a content marketing program, you’re not just looking for keywords with the most volume and least competition (or lowest cost-per-click rate for paid advertising) as you might in a search marketing program.
While that information is useful, you also need to know which specific keyword phrases coincide with the information assets you can provide now or develop in the near future. Once you identify those keyword phrases and integrate them into your program, you will attract the right prospects. Even better, once they arrive, they will better relate to – and value – your message because it “speaks their language.”
Keywords, Locations and Trends
If you operate within one or more specific regional areas, data developed from keyword research needs to be refined further to discover the exact phrases and variations that prospects in your geographic area(s) of operation are most likely to use. Professional keyword research can provide you with that information. In some cases, down to the city level.
Another aspect of keyword research considers trends.
Because content marketing programs take time to pay off, include related keyword phrases trending upward in popularity – even though those phrases may be less popular at the moment than an alternate phrase that’s in decline.
This strategy helps assure that, while developing your content assets, you will continue to attract prospects and extend the longevity of your content marketing efforts.
The Keyword Research Process – And Its Value
The keyword research process is one of discovery. It’s a filtering, drill-down approach, much like an inverted pyramid that progresses from the obvious to the “Aha! I hadn’t considered that, but it makes perfect sense.”
Professional keyword research offers high value returns for any type of online marketing campaign. In fact, the results can often suggest new product lines or service offerings.
In content marketing, keyword research can help uncover problems for which your prospects are desperately seeking solutions: problems you may not have considered. Addressing those problems and offering solutions then becomes the basis for developing your content. Your content takes on a sharper focus, provides greater value (or, at the very least, the perception of providing greater value), builds a stronger degree of trust over time and, as a result, improves the overall effectiveness of your program and its return on investment.
Do you use keyword research to drive your online marketing strategy? If so, what results have you seen?
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Thanks for the great overview of keyword research!
Sometimes what keyword research doesn’t tell you is just as important as what it does tell you — especially if you combine your keyword research with good old fashioned person-to-person market research.
For example, one niche I’m focusing on right now for my copywriting business is the outdoors industry (hunting, fishing, camping, watersports, etc.). The obvious keywords that marketing directors for outdoors companies might use are along the lines of “outdoors copywriter.” And, if you put those words into Google … there I am on page 1, rank 3-7.
But I’ve discovered that those either aren’t the right keywords or (more likely) a Google search isn’t the main method that marketing directors for these types of companies use to find copywriters.
After getting on the horn with the people who work with my contacts, I learned better strategies for connecting with the kinds of people I want to work for.
Connections with the outdoors-industry press and trade shows are probably faster routes to the kind of clients that I’m looking for in that niche, but I’m still working the SEO angle, too, with articles, blogging, and a new YouTube video project.
There may still be some not-so obvious AHA keywords out there for me, but until I find them, I’m not waiting around for the search engines to help my business grow.
Rich:
Thanks for your comment.
Search engines are just one source of business – and, as you point out, not always the best primary source, depending on the business. It’s good to see that you are finding alternate outlets that will work better for you.
I’m curious to know how you arrived at the conclusion that
Maybe, but if you actually research that phrase you’ll find that it gets less than one search per month. Actual research suggests the type of copywriter – such as ‘website copywriter’ or ‘seo copywriter’, for example, or the location of the copywriter – ‘atlanta copywriter’ – for example, are used far more frequently in search.
Admittedly, narrow niche markets aren’t going to show a lot of search volume. If you had arrived at your conclusion based on what prospects or clients told you – at trade shows, on the phone, etc. – then I would enthusiastically agree.
Keyword research is an essential foundation for ‘working the SEO angle.’ My advice would be to make the time to do it right (or pay to have it done right) before wasting time and effort on trying to do anything SEO-related for the wrong keywords.
Your phone and in-person contacts have great potential for finding those keywords – and for finding out if your prospects use search to find providers like you.
Randy