In this post we\u2019ll look at the best practice for finding search terms for your industry, including those less competitive ones with a decent search volume.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And, of course, we\u2019ll take a look at the best keyword research tools to help you on your way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What are keywords?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Keywords are the search terms that your potential clients and customers are using to find answers to their online queries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
These are normally entered into a search engine such as Google or Bing<\/a>. But increasingly they are also asked verbally via digital assistants such as Siri and Alexa. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019ll often hear reference to short tail and long tail keywords. <\/p>\n\n\n\n These are normally the core search terms, made up of one to three (or so) words. They\u2019re similar to seed keywords which we\u2019ll come to later, but they\u2019re often differentiated by one or more modifiers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n An example of some popular short tail keywords are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n A long tail keyword is normally a more in-depth query which includes one or more of the short tail search terms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A few examples of long tail keywords might include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is a time and a place for both long tail and short tail keywords and, most likely, in your PPC campaigns you\u2019ll be targeting both. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The benefits of short tail keywords are usually that they have a high search volume and can show up for a variety of searches. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But, a problem with short tail search terms is usually that they are very general and can be extremely competitive. This applies to both organic searches (SEO) and paid searches (PPC),<\/p>\n\n\n\n The benefits of long tail keywords are usually that they target searchers with a specific intent. For example, cheap vacation<\/em> vs best places for a cheap vacation in September<\/em>. One targets a searcher who might just be idly browsing vs a searcher who likely has an intention to book a trip somewhere in September. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course, if you know this intent, you can do things like build landing pages to answer these kinds of specific queries, or display an ad that answers that question to attract clicks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You might think you know your keywords already. After all, if you\u2019re selling jewellery, you already know that people are looking for diamond wedding rings<\/em>, gold necklaces<\/em> and gifts for wife or girlfriend<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But, beyond the obvious keywords, people use search terms in myriad ways that you probably haven\u2019t thought of. <\/p>\n\n\n\n With the rise of personal assistants like Siri, Google Assistant and Alexa, long tail results have become even more important than ever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Often a bit of keyword research will flag up some questions you might not have considered, or even give some insight into the mind of your customers. It can also highlight cheaper and less competitive search terms, or even search subjects that could give you a decent advantage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Basically, a bit of keyword research early on can save you a lot of money in the long run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Keywords can be used to create blog content, pay per click ads and social media posts. Another good reason to understand the keyword research process. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This article is focusing mostly on keyword research for PPC ads, but the findings can be applied across all platforms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In fact, building organic SEO results using your keywords is very wise in the long run. This means regularly creating blogs or thought leadership content with the aim of improving your search engine rankings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For paid search, you\u2019ll be looking for the most cost effective keywords. These will be the words that offer that happy medium of high search volume, low cost and low competition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Whatever your business, you probably have a few core keywords that you already know. For example, if you\u2019re setting up a business selling furniture for offices, you will want to target terms like office chairs<\/em>, reception desks<\/em> and computer workstations<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n These are known as seed keywords<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A seed keyword are the words that usually refer specifcally to your product or service. They might also be the same as your short tail keywords, although short tail keywords may contain a modifier such as \u2018cheap\u2019, \u2018quality\u2019, \u2018online\u2019 or \u2018best\u2019. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Generally, your seed keywords are going to relate to your inventory or service. So, to make a list of seed keywords, look at what you\u2019re offering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sticking with our business furniture example, this will look something like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you have a list of seed keywords, you can start to dig deeper into what people are actually searching for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You might already know that people are looking for brand name desk chair<\/em>, or comfy office chair<\/em>, but these are those high volume, competitive keywords. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You need search terms that people are going to be a magnet for serious buyers, right? <\/p>\n\n\n\n And this is where we turn to our keyword research tools, or software packages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019ll find our list of recommended keyword research tools in our blog post here<\/a>. But, below you’ll find a potted version of that list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes, you can use just free keyword research tools to find your optimum paid search terms. In fact, just the Google tools alone can be very useful. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, we think that one of these plus a paid tool can make all the difference, and save you a lot of work too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Small business owners might feel that expensive subscriptions to digital marketing tools isn\u2019t the wisest investment. In fact, these software packages are all extremely useful for both PPC and SEO, and we strongly recommend signing up for at least one of them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For recommendations, at the very least that Keywords Everywhere should be in your toolkit. For a start, its great value for money at only $10 for 100k searches. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Ubersuggest and KW Finder both offer excellent functionality for a very reasonable price. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But Ahrefs, SEMRush and SpyFu are premium tools for a reason. Even if you do shell out nearly $1000 for the year, if you\u2019re doing any in-depth digital marketing, these tools will be worth it in the long run. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So how do you find your keywords that will encourage clicks and, more importantly, an actual purchase?<\/p>\n\n\n\n The keyword research process is usually a case of assembling your search terms, analysing the most effective by search volume and competition and then trying them on for size. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n First things first, what action do you want your ad clickers to take? Is it purchasing a product? Signing up to your newsletter? Or maybe coming to your store or downloading your software?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Using your seed keywords, you\u2019ll need to keep an eye out for search terms that are focused on these goals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s also worth understanding that customers at different stages of their buyer journey will react to different ads. Which brings us neatly to\u2026 <\/p>\n\n\n\n You probably already know about ToFu, MoFu, and BoFu, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n While researching your keywords, you will most likely want to create lists based on these stages. Being able to create specific campaigns targeting customers at different stages of their buyer journey is key to effective PPC ads. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Some examples of the types of searches or keywords you\u2019re looking for might look like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n ToFu<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n At this stage they have a pain point but are not necessarily brand or product aware. Usually searching for information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n MoFu<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Mid funnel is often weighing up the best options. They are most likely aware of your brand already and might be browsing your offerings and your blog, but probably your competitors too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n BoFu<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This is usually a qualified lead, they may have already accessed some of your information or abandoned a shopping cart. Whatever the product or service, the searcher normally knows what they want and just wants the best option now. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When you understand how the searches work for each stage, you can progress to\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n Get yourself an Excel or Google Docs spreadsheet and collate all the information you need for a killer keyword list. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Some tips to really nail an effective paid search campaign, whatever stage they\u2019re at.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019ve probably heard of A\/B testing before, also known as split testing, as it’s a very popular marketing process. <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"How](\"https:\/\/www.clickcease.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/674-1024x768.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nShort tail keywords<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Long tail keywords<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Short tail vs long tail keywords<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Why do keyword research?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
SEO, PPC and Social<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How to find your keywords<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"An](\"https:\/\/www.clickcease.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Seed-Keywords-1024x576.jpg\")
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Free keyword research tools<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Premium\/paid keyword research tools<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Using your keyword research tools effectively<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Understand your goals<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
2. Keywords for different stages of buyer awareness<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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![\"Understand](\"https:\/\/www.clickcease.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/funnel-1024x891.jpg\")
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3. Build your keyword lists<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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4. A\/B Testing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Split](\"https:\/\/www.clickcease.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/split-testing-1024x1024.jpg\")
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