It’s 2014 and even though almighty Google is busy changing algorithms and throwing penguins, pandas and even pirates at marketers everywhere, great emphasis still remains on proper, well thought out keyword development.
While keyword development may be lost in the turmoil that is SEO, as inbound marketers, it is the ground on which we stand for every single campaign. When your keywords are incorrect or impossible to rank for you’re setting yourself up for failure in everything else you do in and around that campaign. And no one wants that!
Let’s dig into some of the tools you can use to further develop your keyword strategy and help make your website a better place for everyone, especially your customers.
Über Suggest
Über Suggest pulls from Google Suggest. You know, when you type a keyword or phrase into google and it tries to guess what you’re typing. Well Über Suggest allows you to extract that list and in the end you have a great list of long tail keywords.
You may be saying to yourself, “why do I need such a long list of keywords?” Good question. We use this long list of keyword ideas for both Content Creation and PPC Campaigns. Find the tool at: http://ubersuggest.org/
WordStream
I bet 4 out of 5 of you reading this blog are familiar with WordStream. So much as even utter the words, “word” or “steam” to a coworker and a bus will drive by wrapped and branded by WordStream (a slight exaggeration, but they are pretty good at retargeting their ads).
Using the free keyword tool that WordStream makes available, you can search their database featuring trillions of unique searches. In many cases, we’ve seen WordStream outperform paid keyword tools. The only catch: you’ll have to pay too once you go over 30 searches. Find the tool at: http://www.wordstream.com/keywords
HubSpot
I’ll come out and admit it… I LOVE the HubSpot keyword tool. Not only does the HubSpot keyword tool help us develop hundreds of great primary and long tail keywords that keep our clients one step ahead of the competition, it also creates a robust SEO dashboard that helps us rank even better.
Talk about a secret weapon. http://www.hubspot.com/products/seo
To quote one SEO expert, “Build a site for a user, not a spider.”
You see, in the end you want your website to be as authentic as possible, meaning your should always keep the user in mind not the search engine spiders that could change your strategy without a moment’s notice. When you stick to a solid, keyword development strategy you’re guaranteed for success.
