The importance of SEO

What are keywords and what do websites need to do to rank higher in Google?

The ‘Key’ to Success

Using keywords can be exceptionally confusing. Especially when the majority of SEO related articles are written with a marketer or IT consultant in mind. Undoubtedly Google rankings are important to your business. But how important can keywords be to getting that ranking for your website?

Check out our top three tips for using and understanding how keywords work online:

Understanding keywords

Keywords are one of the first pieces of knowledge to equip your Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) toolbox. Let’s use this exact blog as an example, we are writing about ‘keywords’. One would expect to find the phrase ‘keyword’ and possibly other, related, terms such as ‘Google’, ‘website’ and ‘rank’.

Search engines such as Google will rank the content that comes up according to its relevance. Although the algorithms used by the search engine are becoming more complex. They are still looking for the most relevant content to the topics being searched for.

Therefore, if a website article has keywords highly relevant to the search being requested. It is more likely that they will move up the Google ranking.

Relevant keywords

Finding keywords that are relevant to your website is exceptionally important. Especially if you wish to gain greater ranking visibility on Google. However, the search engine is developing and becoming smarter than ever: it now takes a host of factors into consideration when ranking your search, such as the security status of your website; the quality of information given; the number of links, shares and more.

Hence your keywords should be relevant to what your customers will be searching for and be informative for your reader. For example, if ‘Bob’s DIY store’ on the High Street were to begin a blog series, they might naturally choose their most popular products to blog about, or perhaps the most commonly asked questions in store.

In much the same way, Google’s algorithms are trying to make reader’s web search experiences more useful and relevant. Your website should therefore be relevant to your market, offering useful content and information to rank highly.

Own your keywords

SEO aside, you want to provide a website experience that is relevant and helpful to your customers. By carefully considering the content you wish to offer to your readership, you are innately discerning what keywords will be used.

The thought process behind keyword use is a useful step in deciding what you want your article focuses to be and what information will be important to offer your customers. Once a topic has been picked, keywords are a useful means by which to keep your article ‘on topic’ and relevant to what your target audience are looking for.

Using keywords doesn’t have to be intimidating, in fact, if you regard them as a tool by which to make your content more relevant, more informative and more readable; they will positively affect your website and Google ranking also in with the bargain.

Rak Design (UK) Ltd are a creative graphic design & web design agency, based in Northamptonshire, delivering website design and development, digital marketing and corporate branding services that drive tangible and measurable results for your business. If you have would like to discuss SEO & how to integrate keywords into your website, call the team on 01933 678 522 or complete our online contact form and we’d be happy to help.