Keywords Are More Than Just Words in SEO

We know this might be going out on a limb here, but we think Shakespeare might have been wrong. “What’s in a name? A rose by any other name would smell as sweet,” declared Juliet from the balcony as she pined for her star-crossed lover, Romeo. But when it comes to SEO and keywords, a rose by any other name might smell like, well, let’s just say, not sweet.

Keywords are more than simple words and phrases. To achieve true search engine optimization and get the people looking for roses to your website, your keywords must accurately and concisely pinpoint your unique offerings.

What’s in a Keyword?

Juliet’s question wasn’t bad. Names, or in this case keywords, carry a lot of weight when it comes to SEO. They’re the building blocks. Your keywords become the representation of you on the Internet, the roadmap for customers to find you amid the noise and competing content online. Find the right keywords and achieve SEO, leading your customers safely to their destination — you. Choose the wrong keywords and fail to achieve SEO and customers blindly roam the Internet wastelands searching.

Keywords & Analytics

So if your keywords, or more accurately your key phrases, matters so much for SEO, then how do you know exactly what to choose?

Most companies have an idea of the keywords they want to use and believe will work best for them. Marketing professionals usually call these “vanity” words because they’re the keywords you wish you could have to yourself such as “marketing” or “social media.” But unless you are the gorilla in the business, these keywords won’t work for you. They are too broad and used by too many others and no longer hold any SEO value.

Analytical tools like the tools offered through Google can help you find more specific keywords and phrases that are more likely to achieve SEO success for your business. These tools can also help you generate lists of keywords to use highlighting your unique services and products to cycle and use depending on your current campaigns.

Keywords & the Algorithm

Banks of keywords and phrases will help you negotiate another tricky aspect of SEO — the search engine algorithm. The search engine algorithm is the complex, dense and confusing equation search engines like Google use to match keywords users type into the search field with websites. And really, mastering the algorithm is what SEO is all about anyway. It is an acronym for search engine optimization, after all.

The algorithm changes regularly in response to several factors and each search engine develops its own algorithm. But first and foremost, algorithms consider the keywords in your content, the placement of those keywords and their overall relevancy. Effective keywords raise your search engine rankings organically within the algorithm and help the customers who need to find you, actually find you.

The right keywords in the right places will optimize your content for search engines and make your website among the top search returns. Customers looking for your services will find you and customers who didn’t know they needed your services may find you as well.

So what are keywords then, exactly, if they are more than just words in the great marketing equation known as SEO? They are your calling card, your searchlight and your bullhorn on the Internet. They cut through the noise of the overwhelming online content to make your voice heard above all they others. They answer Juliet’s question. What’s in a name? Everything.