close up of man's hand typing keywords on a laptop keyboard

SEO 101: Keyword Basics for SEO Beginners

ArticlesSEO 101: Keyword Basics for SEO Beginners

Twenty-plus years ago, before SEO (search engine optimization) became a nuanced science, keyword tags were used by website developers to help search engines like Google understand the content of a web page.

But the system was ripe for abuse, leading to irrelevant search results and frustrated users. Search engines reviewed their efforts and built more complicated methods to recognize the value of a web page.

Today, in the age of voice search SEO, the term keyword describes the search terms most relevant to your business. With the advent of Google’s local search and zero-click results (like when users ask Google assistant or Siri a question), it has become more critical for website developers to target the right phrases for each business. It’s important to understand how SEO improves your website through the use of keywords.

SEO Keyword Basics

The best keywords for your business are targeted towards your audience. In other words, the phrases searchers are actively using to search. They are:

  • location-specific
  • spelled correctly
  • meaningful to the customer you’re looking to acquire

For instance, a Los Angeles area used car lot doesn’t need to attack an incredibly competitive keyword like “cars.” His or her clientele aren’t searching the internet for “cars,” but for more specific terms like:

  • Los Angeles used cars
  • used cars LA
  • cheap used cars LA
  • LA cheapest used cars
  • used car lots near me

Once you’ve chosen a few valuable search terms for your business, use them throughout your website. Title tags, description tags, and content are all highly rated by search engines when qualifying a page. But know that you do walk a fine line between search engine promotion and search engine “spam.”

Don’t Spam With Your Keywords

In other words, don’t overuse keywords or attempt to hide them. Use them naturally throughout your website content in ways readers would expect to see them.

In tech-speak, spam means unwanted information. It can be in the form of emails, advertising, even keywords in content!

In today’s marketplace, both B2B and B2C buyers have unlimited access to information about your business and your competitors. Be sure your website reflects the keywords you need to reach for SEO purposes, but also that your content is readable and sensible.

If you want to know more about how to start SEO for a website or you are looking for an experienced SEO professional with winning strategies, contact us to start a conversation about your specific SEO needs.

We're excited to help you!

  • Hidden
  • Hidden
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Related Articles