Visibility in search is really important to attract new leads and keep your business top of mind with existing prospects. After all, getting found online is a big reason why you’re creating content—to generate more leads and sales.
But, search is really competitive.
So, today we’re sharing one tweak you can make to improve your chances of getting noticed online.
TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:
[01:18] About Search Visibility
[03:25] Where to Start with Search Visibility (Keywords)
[04:18] About Keywords: The Non-Technical Version
[06:43] How to Take 10 Minutes to Research Keywords and Boost Your Visibility in Search
[08:10] Four Steps to Simple and Free Keyword and Content Research
[16:46] Key Takeaways about Search Visibility
[18:37] Bloopers
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
Yoast SEO – WordPress plugin
Trello
Evernote
Google Sheets
About Search Visibility
[Meghan] Here’s the deal. Research shows that almost 90% of people start their buying process with an online search.
[Theresa] I definitely research online before I buy! Sometimes I over research.
[Meghan] Me too!
Search is the starting place for research and buying, so getting found in searches gets the attention of buyers, plain and simple.
And, I want you to really think about this. Google isn’t the only platform out there that relies on search algorithms to process data and display it to users.
[Theresa] That’s right! People go to Amazon, Pinterest, YouTube, Alexa, and Siri to do research. Some even search Quora, Facebook, and other sites. People are searching places other than Google.
[Meghan] That said, even if your potential customers searched on Google only, the content on these other platforms shows up in Google searches too. So, that’s an added bonus.
Now, considering how people search online, it’s important to consider how search works if you want to attract people to your business.
In fact, your ability to get found online relies heavily on search algorithms that process your content to understand it better.
Which is why formatting your content for search is key. These platforms are all driven by content.
[Theresa] I knew that somehow we’d end up back at content!
[Meghan] Of course! All roads lead to content with me, what can I say?
A big part of why you do or don’t get discovered in searches has to do with your content.
[Theresa] We control our content, so I love that we can take action to affect positive change. That’s a good thing!
On the flip side, though, there’s just so much to know about optimizing for search. How can we take action if we’re not knowledgeable? It seems like a big burden.
Where to Start with Search Visibility: Optimize Your Content with Targeted, Relevant Keyword Phrases
[Meghan] You’re right. There’s a long list of tasks and tactics that we can all do to improve how visible we are in search results—across the board for any and all platforms.
But there’s one tweak that will drastically help you. And, that is keywords. Using the best, most relevant keyword phrases optimizes your content for search across most platforms.
Spending just ten minutes or so to figure out your content’s keyword will improve your visibility in search and the likelihood that more of your prospective customers will find you.
[Theresa] Ah yes, keywords! They’re not new, but they’re still really confusing.
[Meghan] They are confusing!
So, let’s talk keywords for a few minutes then I’ll give you one quick and free way to research keywords.
[Theresa] One tweak keeps things manageable, so you know I’m all in!
About Keywords – The Non-Technical Version
[Meghan] No kidding! It’s those smaller tweaks that are more sustainable and that can make big differences over time. So, I’ve got you covered.
First off, search algorithms are like matchmakers. Think of the person who’s doing a search on one side. On the other side is a huge amount of content that needs filtered through.
The middlemen are the algorithms. They match up the people searching with the most relevant content.
And keywords are one of many ways that you as a content marketer can raise your hand up and say “look at me, I’m a match!”
[Theresa] That’s an interesting way to look at it!
And, you know, this whole process applies a lot to search engines, but it’s also a factor elsewhere.
I mean, how do you look up information on Pinterest? You use a specific term, then algorithms do the work of sifting through the content to show you what matches.
[Meghan] EXACTLY. You do use a specific term and that’s called a keyword!
Keywords are the words and phrases that your potential customers use to search online. So, think of keywords as the questions and topics that your target market is typing or speaking into Google, Pinterest, Alexa, Siri–or anywhere they go online to find information.
Let me give you a few examples of keywords:
- “How to write a resume”
- “The best pizza in New York City”
- “marketing agencies near me”
- “When did Michael Jackson release Thriller”
[Theresa] To improve your visibility in search, your job is to figure out these keywords and create content around them.
Of course, the keyword terms you incorporate into your content must also align with your brand and what you sell.
Meaning, that you wouldn’t create content talking about “the best salon in Manhattan” when you’re a dry cleaner in Brooklyn.
And, keywords are often questions since people generally use search for information or for how to perform a task.
[Meghan] Yep! Now, keywords can be more complex than this in many ways. But this is a great starting place.
Alright, so hopefully keywords are more understandable. But, how are you going to know which keywords to use?
Let’s talk about one quick and free way to research keywords.
How to Take 10 Minutes to Research Keywords and Boost Your Visibility in Search
When you sit down to create content, you probably have an idea in your head. You may have an inkling of the topic you want to discuss with your audience.
What happens next is that most people go with their hunch. They create their content without any research or strategy. They shoot from the hip thinking that they know best.
[Theresa] And we don’t doubt that you know what generates interest within your existing community.
But, we’re focused here on increasing your chances of getting seen online (aka search visibility). So, doing research is the first step before you create content.
You’re researching what phrases people use to search, how much competition there is for those phrases, who you’re competing against, and which words really make sense based on your goals. You’re not going to know these things without a little research first!
[Meghan] A little research will point you in a more effective direction. You’ll prevent wasting time creating content that doesn’t interest your target market.
Plus, if you’re not using the terms your target market uses, search algorithms will have a hard time playing matchmaker!
So, I’m giving you ten minutes of research to do. This is a simple four step process, and it will enlighten you quite a bit about your content before you invest too much time in it.
[Theresa] You know I love a step-by-step process! Let’s do this!
Step 1: Type Your Title or Main Topic/Phrase into Google
[Meghan] Me too! Frameworks and processes are so great!
Okay, the first step is to type your content title, idea, or main topic into Google.com.
So, let’s say you’re a real estate agent and you want to do a blog post about getting a house ready to sell. You’d type “getting a house ready to sell” into Google.
[Theresa] Basically, you’d search for existing content on the topic you’re thinking about.
[Meghan] Correct. This is a quick way to research your topic. You’re going to get a ton of info just by doing this one task.
Step 2: Analyze the Search Results
So, step two is to analyze the results that come up on the first page of Google.
Pay close attention to:
- The titles/topics of the results – is this the genre/niche you intended?
- Total search results – how many results are you competing with?
- Your competition – what websites are ranking at the top and what’s their content like…because that’s you have to beat
Let’s keep with the real estate example and go through this analysis real quick.
When I search for that keyword phrase “getting a house ready to sell,” I see topics like:
- “Do These 11 Things Before Putting Your House on the Market”
- “How to Get Your House Ready to Sell”
- “10 Best-Kept Secrets for Selling Your Home”
So, yes, this keyword phrase is in the right genre or niche.
[Theresa] Sometimes you may come up with a keyword phrase that has other meanings. And, you don’t want to attract the wrong audience. So, that’s why you’re checking that your topic aligns with your industry.
[Meghan] Yes!
So for the term “getting a house ready to sell,” Google is showing that there are 1.5 billion (1,500,000,000) results in search for this term.
[Theresa] Whoa! That’s a TON of competition!
[Meghan] Yep, there’s an epic amount of content around this topic. So, you want to factor that in, especially with the next point of analysis and that’s who you’re competing with. And in this case the competition is:
- Moving.com
- Soldnest
- HGTV
- Zillow, and
- RedFin.
Those are some tough competitors. Click on their content and browse their articles to see if you can create something comparable—or preferably better—to outrank them. It probably will be tough.
[Theresa] At this point, you’re wondering if this topic is the right one. It’s probably a great topic for your local audience of potential clients. But how will your content stand out online against the competition?
[Meghan] You bring up a really good point. So, is there value in publishing content around this topic even if the topic is oversaturated? Maybe there is.
Perhaps you have an email list of 1,000 people or you have a solid networking group, and this is content that will benefit you even if it won’t rank high in search. Then maybe you still want to consider it.
Or maybe you want to improve your odds, so you go more niche with your keyword.
You could add a location, a year, or a specific target market to your keyword, like “getting a house ready to sell in Arizona” or “getting a house ready to sell in 2021.”
So, this research could help you modify your keyword to be more competitive. At this point, you’d go back and do a search on that modified keyword term.
[Theresa] But, what if you’re thinking that maybe it’s just not the best keyword to use?
Step 3: Browse the “Related” Suggestions and Modify As Needed
[Meghan] That leads me to step number three. Before you make any decisions, take a look at Google’s search results page. Because most likely, it will offer related keyword terms. And these keywords could offer better opportunities.
You’ll see these other keywords listed under sections such as:
- People also ask
- People also search for
- Related searches (at the very bottom)
Review these suggestions because these often make good keywords and topics to cover in your content. Then, go back to Step 1 to figure out if any of these ideas are better options.
These suggestions are also fantastic for giving you new ideas, either to replace your original idea or for future content. So, this is a gold mine when you’re searching for content ideas.
Here’s a pro tip too. At the top of Google, you can select “Videos” which filters the results to show video content. So, if you’re looking to create video content, use that filter in this process.
[Theresa] Depending on what you learn, you could scrap your initial topic and go in a different direction.
Or, you could modify your content’s direction so that it’s more user-friendly and more search-friendly, right? Because you may discover that the phrases and words you think you should use aren’t quite what people actually use in search.
So, you may do some tweaking if that’s what you learn from the research.
Remember, there could still be value in creating content around a topic even if you figure out that you won’t rank super high in search.
[Meghan] These steps are for improving your topic so that more people find you and so that you create content that appeals to your target market. These steps also help you better target your words and phrases if necessary.
In fact, researching your keywords and ideas helps you create more targeted, more relevant content across the board—whether that’s for online search, for a social media post, or even for an email, you know?
We just happen to be focused on search visibility.
It’s taking me awhile to talk about this, but once you do these steps a few times, it goes faster than it seems here. I always do this process before I create content, and I’m super speedy now!
[Theresa] Once you incorporate these steps into your process, it absolutely should get faster. And I encourage you to capture your ideas someplace where you can access them in the future. Sort of like a repository of content ideas.
PRO TIP: Capture your content ideas and research for future use with an app like Trello or Evernote.
So, if you discover a bunch of content ideas during your keyword research, don’t let that distract you from the task at hand. Have Trello, Evernote, or Google Sheets open so that you can capture content ideas and anything else that comes to mind during this process.
I think we’ve got one more step. Is that right, Meghan?
Step 4: Identify Your Keyword and Use it in Your Content
[Meghan] Right, we’re on the last step. After all of the analysis you’ve done, it’s time to identify your keyword phrase and use it in your content. It doesn’t matter if that’s a blog post, a podcast, or a video.
If you don’t use your keyword, search algorithms will have a harder time understanding your content. The only way this tweak works is to actually use your keyword in your content.
[Theresa] You’ve got to use it multiple times in longer content like blog posts and videos. You don’t want to overuse it though. There is a line where it becomes spammy. And you definitely don’t want to do that!
So, incorporate it naturally throughout your content. A plugin like Yoast SEO is helpful if you have a WordPress website and need help with managing your keyword usage.
And, always include your keyword in your title! Don’t forget about that.
[Meghan] The title is especially important. Algorithms are complicated. But know this, your title explains what your content is about. So, it’s important for algorithms AND for people.
[Theresa] Can you get creative with your title? I like to mix things up! Sometimes, I prefer to be a bit clever.
[Meghan] I’m all for creativity. But, don’t prioritize creativity over clarity. I highly recommend including your keyword or a variation of it in your title, especially if you’re in a crowded niche.
Think about it, is the title “Throwing It All Away” self-explanatory for an article about self-sabotage? Not really. That may attract people who are organizers looking to get rid of junk or maybe even baseball players. You don’t know!
A title like “How to Stop Self Sabotage When You’re a Perfectionist” isn’t as creative, but it’s clear what the topic is about and it’s more likely to attract the right target market.
There are times to get creative though! A mix of both is ideal.
[Theresa] That makes sense.
[Meghan] By the way, you can perform more research by using similar tactics on Pinterest and other platforms if you want. You can go beyond Google, but this is the best place to start.
Key Takeaways about Search Visibility
[Theresa] Overall, that process was very doable! But look, it may be a bit challenging when you’re just starting. The first few times with any new process or task goes slowly. Don’t get discouraged.
Adding keywords into your content is a totally worthwhile effort, and Meghan has shown you one way you can move forward with doing this.
Okay Meghan – any final thoughts?
[Meghan] Three things I want to emphasize before you go.
- Search extends beyond Google. And, keywords are an effective way to maximize your content across multiple platforms—not just Google—to help prospective customers find you.
- Research! Adding just a bit of research into your content creation process will help make your content more relevant, targeted, and competitive. This will make your content more effective.
- Keywords are part of a bigger content strategy. The best keywords are relevant to your audience and your business. Your business goals influence the content you create. So be sure to check out episode 30 about content strategy if you missed it.
By the way, if all of this talk about search engines isn’t your thing, there are plenty of good alternatives to SEO for lead generation. So, don’t feel like search visibility is your only option.
[Theresa] Alright, that’s it for this episode.
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