Keyword list is a very valuable tool in a digital marketer’s arsenal. However, like most tools, it is most effective if maintained regularly. Unfortunately, far too many people create their keyword list only once and never deviate from it. As a top digital marketing company, we would like to explain why this is not the best method and why you should check your keyword list regularly.
The importance of a keyword list
What does a keyword list do for you? Ideally, keyword research is used to gain an understanding of what people are looking for online. Terms are analyzed based on usage to better understand the meaning behind it. Effective keyword research will generate a strong keyword list based on actual user behavior.
This is important because we have entered a critical state of “call and response” when it comes to SEO. Users ask for specific information and a company should have a well-tuned response if they expect Google or other search engines to recommend that response. A company’s ability to reflect the language and intent of potential customers is critical to success. The internet just got too noisy and busy; you have to be extremely precise.
Why you should check your keyword list regularly
Checking a keyword list is just as important as checking other business activities – for efficiency. Things always change over time. When it comes to keywords, there are shifts in usage and intent. The most obvious example currently exists in our current environment. There is a shift from short keywords to long-tail keywords and natural language keywords as voice searches increase in usage and popularity.
If you want to have the most effective and highest ROI of your digital marketing efforts, you should check your keyword list regularly.
Audit a keyword list
A good check of an existing keyword list is quite similar to standard keyword research with the added benefit of an existing glossary:
Analyze Current Rankings – Use your keyword management tool to see how your current list is ranked. Dive deep and view historical data versus current performance. If your tool offers the opportunity, compare keyword usage to your top competitors. Take a look at the main competitor keywords you don’t use and add them to consider moving forward. Also mark the underperforming keywords as removal options.
Rearrange Your List – Take your relevant keywords and rearrange the list, taking into account difficulty and search volume. Some words are more difficult to rank and may not be worth compared to simpler words or terms with high search volume.
Brainstorm – Start by sitting down with team members and thinking about ideas and themes based on products and services. This should be a very general overview to start with, rather than trying to focus on specific issues. Think about how people specifically view the products and services that your company provides in general versus your company. Categorize areas into general themes.
Create a list – From the themes, start building keyword lists. Take the time to include your current keyword list. From this point, branch out the lists
based on how people can search based on needs. For example, if your company were skateboards, you would go to various terms around skate, skateboard and skateboards such as shoes, wheels, shorts, helmets, etc.
Analyze and rearrange – Basically you repeat the initial process, looking at both new words and existing keywords for difficulty and volume. The ideal mix will contain the best keywords that are already in use and the best keywords that you are not using. A simple formula to remember is keyword relevance + low difficulty rank + higher search volume. Those are the best keywords you can focus on in your current list. When adding new words, make sure to trim the fat of the underperforming ones words. However, keep them on a list to consider in the next audit. You never know what will come back in style and you have existing historical data compare to.
Search for patterns – This is an important step. Google uses a large amount of data in the analysis. The search algorithm may reflect a preference based on the historical relevance that your company has created in an area. Patterns can help a company better understand how Google (and other engines) view your company. Which can help you better understand why some keywords excel and others yield little results.
The Bottom Line
The bottom line is that our world changes regularly. When it comes to marketing, we need to keep up with those changes to maximize our return on investment. You should Check your keyword list regularly to ensure that your keywords match current user behavior and intent. That way, your efforts will generate more traffic that you can lead to more conversions. While it takes a lot of work, the benefits are worth it.
