You’ve heard of SEO, but have you done anything to implement some SEO strategy in your own business? If not, you’re missing out on amazing, FREE traffic! The nerd in me really starts to come out when it gets to these behind the scenes strategies to grow your business. Social media is great, but improving your SEO can get you more traffic CONSISTENTLY, not just when you share something new on Instagram.

Before you read on, make sure you save your spot in my free SEO training so you can learn from me how to optimize your website for SEO without wasting countless hours of your life trying to figure it out on your own.

I was talking with my dad the other day about where his business, a men’s retail store in Dallas, gets new customers. He said right now, almost everyone is finding us on Google. He hired a company to do their SEO and it’s very clear that it’s paying off. Just one real world example of how beneficial it really is for your business.

So, you’re ready to dive in, but where exactly do you find keywords? How many should you use? How does it all work?! I’m breaking it all down for you in today’s post!

How to Find Good Keywords for your Website or Blog Posts

Do Keyword Research

Sounds easy, but where do you actually do this? One tool I really love, is UberSuggest. Is a wonderful free tool for searching keywords, it does limit your amount of daily searches to 3, which isn’t much, so I recommend signing up for a 7-day free trial and eventually subscribing (plans start at $29/month).

If you’re a blogger or someone creating content on a regular basis, I think this is a very worth investment for you. The site has tons of help and content on improving traffic, so if it’s a goal of yours, I think you’ll be happy with it.

Use Long-Tail Keyword

Keywords don’t necessarily mean a single word, in fact, it’s highly unlikely that you will rank for a keyword that is a single word, instead, you want to use long-tail keywords. That means keyword phrases, so instead of “coats” think “womens wool winter coat”. Make sense? It allows you to get more specific and helps Google or another search engine (are there others?!) to deliver content that’s more specific to people searching for it.

Check Keyword Search Volume

When browsing for keywords, how do you know which ones are worth using? One thing you must check is keyword search volume. This refers to the number of times each month that keyword is being searched. Your first instinct might be, the higher, the better, but according to Demand Jump, what you want to look for is a keyword or a long-tail keyword that has around 100-1000 searches per month.

If it’s less than that, that means people are not searching for that keyword and you’re less likely to get new traffic to your site via search engines, simply because people aren’t searching for that.

Competitive, but Not Too Competitive

It’s a balance though, while you want there to be a good amount of searches for your keywords each month, you don’t want there to be too many! Your first instinct might be, “why? Isn’t more, better?” Not necessarily. If a particular search is getting thousands of searches each month, it’s going to be really difficult to rank for that keyword, especially if you’re competing against large, well-known brands.

For example, let’s say you run a women’s shoe store. If you use the keyword “women’s shoes” you’re competing with ALL the other huge shoe brands and department stores out there. But, if you change your keyword to “womens suede mules” you’re cutting through the noise and actually have a shot at ranking for what you want. Plus, users are finding exactly what they need! It’s a win-win!

Use Related Keywords

Not every keyword has to do with your product. Consider the people who buy your product and their lifestyle, and how you can work in other keywords that fit your audience and brand lifestyle. These types of keywords can make it easier to get more keywords into a page in a very natural way.

How Many Keywords Should I Use?

A good rule of thumb is at least two-three focus keywords according to SEO Chatter. But consider how long your content is. It’s easier to get more keywords into a long-form blog post and have it sound natural than squeeze them into a mini article.

Don’t Keyword Stuff

While it’s tempting to get as many keywords on a page as possible, it’s not a great idea. First off, the content usually doesn’t come off sounding natural, and Google doesn’t like it when you keyword stuff. Avoid list of keywords separate by commas too!

Have Some Patience

SEO doesn’t magically improve overnight, it’s a process—Google takes into consideration how often you’re adding or updating content, as well as how long your site has been around. Spend an hour each week on your site’s SEO and overtime you will start ranking for different keywords and your traffic will grow—just be patient and consistent!

Don’t forget to save your spot in my free SEO training!

BTW, how to use header tags in your blog posts to improve SEO, and 5 real reasons to start a side hustle.