Keyword research and the words’ role by function

Words, words, words, words, and more words. Our life is full of them, and we always analyze them in our unconscious to decode their meanings. Often, we are careful about how we use them. So why don’t we take the same care when it comes to the Internet? For that reason, conduct a keyword research to know how to use them.

There are different keyword groups that, by choosing one or the other, can make you reach your audience better. They show you the path you picked when you set your objectives. They act as a map to follow when you study them. Understand them, use them, and then your audience will find you.

What is a keyword research?

Have you ever heard about keywords or keyword research? If not, and you have a website or blog, you should know about it to apply it to your content.

The keyword is not just a word

I start by explaining the basics: the famous keyword, what is it?

It is the word that best describes the content of your website, and through it you will be found in search engines. That is, the term that you want your website to be ranked for.

When someone makes a Google search and what they type matches your keyword, then your website will appear in the results. Whether it is on the first page, on the second page, or in any relevant position, will depend on more variables.

The keyword does not have to be one, it can be several words or even a phrase. For example: dresses, dresses for women, evening gowns or where to buy evening dresses. Any of these can be a keyword. The difference is in their length, their search volume, and their search intent. I will explain this later.

Keyword research: the art of finding the right words

You already understand what a keyword is. Now you need to know what its research is all about.

A keyword research is a research process to obtain a list of focus and secondary keywords. These are related to the topic of your business, website, blog or online store. Thanks to them, you will be ranked in the search engines.

You may ask yourself, how do you rank for them? The answer is simple, if the words are the right ones, you just must include them in your texts. And how do you know which ones are the right ones? That is the art behind a keyword research.

Relevant factors for keyword research

In keyword research, some words perform better than others for your content. They are better because they reflect how your audience is searching for and the nature of your business. As well as your objectives.

When you evaluate which words are best for your company, you should classify them according to their type. You can categorize them into 3 groups:

Keywords by search intent.
Keywords by length and volume of searches.
Keywords according to their seasonality.

Keywords according to your search intent

They are words that describe the objective of the person when searching. There are 4 types according to their intent:

Informational intent

These are words that the person uses to find information on a specific topic. For example: how to make a chocolate cake, what is a keyword, etc. In this type of search, we usually use keywords such as where, why, examples, tutorials, etc.

Navigational intent

They are used to searching for a specific website, brand, or product. For example, when using brand names, product, or service names such as Nike, Amazon, etc.

Commercial intent

These words are used by people who want to buy something and are researching before doing so. For example, the best cell phones on the market, CRM comparative, etc. Some words used in these searches are: comparative, analysis, the best, etc.

Transactional intent

When people have already done their research and want to make the best purchase or acquisition, they use these words. For example, appliance store, cheap vacuum cleaners, etc. Among the keywords used are: price, buy, discount, cheap, etc.

In your keyword research, you must align the intent of the searcher with the intent of the content. If what you want is to sell, create content using keywords with transactional or commercial intent. If it is to educate, use informational ones.

Words by length and search volume

There are 3 types of keywords in this group, from generic to very specific ones. These are:

Short tail or Head keywords

These are generic words, with a broad meaning and high volume of searches. They may contain one or two words. Most of them have a high level of competition. For example, dresses, shoes, or mobiles.

Mid tail keywords

They are variations of your more generic keyword or Head. Their length is not necessarily longer than the previous ones, but they are more specific. They also have a lower level of competition. Nevertheless, the difficulty to position them is still high. For example: party dresses, high heels, cheap cell phones.

Long tail keywords

Long tail keywords are more specific, less used and with a lower search and competition level. With them, it is easier to rank, and they are usually focused on a niche. People who use these types of terms are closer to converting. In other words, buying your product or leaving their data for a lead magnet. They are often more than 3 words and could be phrases. Some examples of these words are: buy long party dresses, where to buy black stiletto or cheap cell phones under 200 euros.

Do not take literally this classification by number of words. It is better to consider it as a range of words, from short and broad to long and specific.

When you do your keyword research, consider the stage of the funnel your audience is in. For example, if they are closer to conversion, you can use words that are more specific. You should also analyze the capacity of your content to compete with generic words.

Keywords according to their seasonality

These words are defined by their seasonality. In other words, by the period in which they are searched for. We can find 3 types of words in this group:

Fresh Keywords

They are those terms that at some point become popular. Their searches are intense, with high volume, but in a short period of time. They are related to a specific event such as a film, a challenge, etc.

Evergreen Keywords

They are terms that remain relevant over time. Their interest does not decrease, and their search volume is constant. They are used in timeless content, which does not lose importance with the passage of time.

Seasonal Keywords

These are terms that are searched for during certain periods of the year. While fashion terms are searched only once, seasonal terms are searched every year during the same period. In this category are keywords related to back to school, summer vacations or Christmas.

What to consider when analyzing words

The first thing to keep in mind is what is the objective of the study: do you want to sell, inform, or entertain? Based on that, you can research your words.

Then you need to find out the keywords that people use when they search and match them with your objective. You should also analyze them from different perspectives, such as:

Words with high search volume could attract more traffic to your content. However, they also have higher competition. For example, the word “dresses” has many searches, but also a lot of competition.

If you are a small clothing store and you want to use the keyword “dresses”, you should know that you will be competing with companies like Zara. Do you have the capacity to compete with these companies with your content? This is what you should analyze.

In order to find information on keywords and other suggestions, you can use free or paid tools such as:

Ahrefs
SEMrush
Google Keyword Planner
KwFinder
Übersuggest
Google Trends
Google Suggest
AnswerThePublic

Depending on the tool, you will have information on search volume, trends, competition, etc. Others will give you ideas and suggestions for new keywords to evaluate. And others, such as AnswerThePublic, will show you questions associated with your terms.

Researching words: an important step in the content plan

The keyword research is a necessary step in any content plan. It will show you the topics and keywords to include in your posts. Moreover, it will help you to prepare your content calendar. Do not skip this step and use the results in your planning.

Would you like to know how to make a plan for your posts? Read our article about the steps to make a content plan.

Remember, the key is to know your goal and your audience’s needs. You can begin by doing your keyword research and then include it in your content.

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