Keywords in Marketing

Introduction to the World of Keywords: Discover their Power on the Internet!

Keyword is the Spanish translation of the English term “keyword”, and in the context of programming and digital marketing, it is defined as an essential element to facilitate the exchange of information between web pages and users on the Internet. If you’ve made it this far into the article, you’re probably looking for an in-depth understanding of what these keywords really are, right?

Keywords are one of the fundamental pillars of SEO (search engine optimization). They are often mentioned when talking about SEO, and this is due to the choice and strategic use of these terms, which are vital to improve the visibility of a web page in search results.

In simple terms, keywords are the terms and phrases that users type into search engines like Google, Bing or Yahoo when they are looking for information. These words act as a bridge between what people are searching for and the content offered on your website. By using the right keywords in your content, you can ensure that your website appears in search results for users interested in your topics or products.

Keywords not only help improve a page’s search engine ranking, but are also crucial to attracting the right audience. Choosing the right keywords involves researching and understanding what terms people use when searching for information related to your niche. In addition, it is important to use them in a natural and relevant way in your website content to not only attract traffic, but also provide value to your visitors.

What are keywords and why are they crucial on the Internet?

Keyword Definition

Keywords are the main instrument of a research in the field of digital marketing and programming. They are terms made up of one or more words that represent the way a user types their queries into search engines in order to get answers and solve their problems. While the term itself may seem self-explanatory, it’s worth breaking down in detail what they are and what they mean, since this is the question that has brought you here.

Keyword Function

Basically, keywords are the main search tools. Imagine that all searches begin with a word or phrase used to present a concern to the searcher. Keywords can be defined as the terms that users use to get answers and solve their problems. For marketers, keywords are the terms we use to guide the creation of our pages, blogs and websites. By defining a keyword for a specific page, you are telling Google, for example, that your content is about that particular term. If you make the right choice and optimize your content properly, it will appear exactly to the person who searched for that keyword.

Importance of Keywords for Your Business

Why are keywords so important for your business? It is no coincidence that they are called keywords; they are the ones that, when used properly, open the doors of your content to the vast world of the Internet. A company that wants to survive in the era of digital transformation cannot afford to ignore them. For your business, the right use of keywords can mean the difference between being found, read, shared and appreciated, or going completely unnoticed. That’s precisely why keywords are essential tools for content marketing. When it comes to developing your investment plan, one of your company’s main goals should be to increase leads, customers and, consequently, sales.

Competition and Internet Strategy

On the Internet, your content will face fierce competition. Even in the most crowded markets, the boundaries are smaller and search results can include millions of possibilities at users’ fingertips. This means that it’s not enough to just pick a few keywords and sprinkle them throughout your posts. The strategy must be more thoughtful and meticulous for your business to stand out. You should start by asking yourself why you need to use keywords. The answer should be quick and obvious: “because I need to help my audience find me online”. But this answer should not stop there. In digital marketing, we work with conversion funnels that have well-defined stages, which means that there are different types of audiences with different types of questions.

Conversion Funnels and Different Audiences

Those at the beginning of the buying process want basic information about the universe related to your product or service. Those in the middle of the funnel are probably comparing several brands to decide which one offers the best benefits. And those at the end of the funnel are almost ready to buy and need reassurance that they are making the right decision in choosing your company. Each of these groups will use a specific set of keywords in their searches. Therefore, your company must recognize and use these keywords strategically when producing content.

Negative Keywords

Negative keywords are those that inform Google, in an AdWords campaign or ad group, which search terms you do not want to associate with your company. For example, if you sell sporting goods produced only in Brazil, you can include “imported” among your negative keywords so that your ads do not appear in searches containing that word. This helps you invest with more quality, increasing the chance of return by avoiding unnecessary clicks that will not result in leads or sales.

How to Find Keywords

Finding suitable keywords requires the use of tools such as the Google AdWords Keyword Planner, which allows you to identify relevant terms and exclude those that are not. In addition, it is useful to put yourself in the user’s shoes and perform searches with the keywords you have selected, observing what results appear and adjusting your list accordingly.

How to Define Keywords for Your Contents

Keyword Analysis “Seed

Once you have a list of “seed” keywords, it is time to deepen your analysis. The “seed” keywords are basic terms that will represent the starting point for finding more specific and relevant keywords for your business. This additional analysis will help you identify the keywords that will generate the best results for your business.

Elaboration of the Buyer Persona

One of the most important factors to choose the keyword for your content is the adequacy to the needs of your Buyer Persona. The Buyer Persona is a semi-fictional representation of your ideal customer based on real data about your current and potential customers. When creating content, you should always keep in mind that it should answer the doubts and questions of whoever is reading it. For your content to be useful and valuable, you must think about how your Buyer Persona would search the Internet to find the information you offer.

Definition of the Strategy Objective

El objetivo de tu estrategia de contenido debe guiar la elección de keyword. Si tu empresa tiene como objetivo aumentar las ventas, por ejemplo, deberías centrarte en términos que impulsen las compras, como “comprar”, “review”, “ventajas de”, etc. Estas keyword dirigirán a los usuarios a contenidos que los motiven a realizar una compra.

Competition Research

Analyzing your competitors is an effective way to define keywords for your business. Observe how they deal with topics related to your products and services and analyze their content strategies. This will allow you to identify unexplored opportunities and strengthen your weak points. Use tools such as SEMrush to facilitate this analysis, monitoring organic search engine results and paying attention to competitors’ social networks and newsletters.

Topic Clusters: Topic Clustering

The Topic Clusters strategy is fundamental to improve the authority of your content before search engines. It consists of creating content related to a main topic and linking them to each other through link building. For example, if your main keyword is “advertising”, you could create satellite contents such as “abusive advertising”, “advertising planning”, “how an advertising agency works”, etc. These satellite contents strengthen the relevance of the main content, helping to improve its position in search results.

Use of Keyword Search Tools

Tools such as the Google AdWords Keyword Planner are essential for finding suitable keywords. These tools allow you to identify relevant terms and exclude those that are not. By using the Keyword Planner, you can enter a “seed” keyword and get a list of related terms, along with information about their search volume and level of competition.

Keyword Finding Tools

Finding keywords is essential for an effective SEO strategy. Here are several tools that can help you in this task:

SEMrush: It is a powerful tool that not only allows you to search for your main keyword but also to find related terms with a high search volume. In addition, it offers a detailed competitor analysis, helping you identify which keywords they are using and how effective they are. You can use SEMrush to get a full report on trends and recommendations for optimizing your content.

Google Trends: This tool allows you to consult the performance history of keywords over a given period of time and analyze search trends in real time. It is useful to identify emerging keywords and understand how interest in certain topics changes over time.

Google Keyword Planner: Ideal for creating optimized Google AdWords campaigns, this tool allows you to diagnose your keyword strategy, identify what is working and adjust as needed. Data can be exported for further analysis.

Ubersuggest: It is excellent for searching for specific keywords, also known as long tails. Ubersuggest allows you to insert a term, select the language and area of interest, and get a list of related keywords. The suggestions appear in alphabetical order, making the search easier.

Keywordtool.io: This tool analyzes Google’s autocomplete to provide additional keyword ideas, including variations of long tails. You can choose from several languages, countries and search engines, such as Google, YouTube, and Amazon.

KWFinder: Offers a detailed keyword list with information on search volume, cost per click, advertising competition, SEO difficulty and main competitors. It also shows the number of shares on social networks.

Keyword Revealer: Allows you to generate filters by search engine, monthly searches, potential earnings, number of words, and other parameters. It helps to study the competition and analyze backlinks and social actions. However, it requires a fee to perform more than one search.

Keyword Eye: It is a visual tool that displays keywords in a term cloud, differentiating search volumes and competitiveness with different colors and sizes. It is useful to quickly visualize keyword opportunities.

Moz Keyword Explorer: Part of Moz’s SEO tools, it offers similar functions to SEMrush, such as related term suggestions, competition data, search volume and difficulty score for organic positioning.

Keyword Types

Keywords can be classified into several types according to their length and specificity:

Head Tails: These are keywords, generally composed of one or two words. Although they have a high search volume, they are also very competitive and difficult to position. An example would be “sneakers”.

Middle Tails: These keywords are more specific than head tails and are usually composed of two to four words. They have a lower search volume and are easier to rank for. An example would be “running shoes”.

Long Tails: These are long and specific phrases that tend to have a lower search volume, but less competition. They are ideal for capturing users looking for precise answers. An example would be “cheap marathon running shoes”.

These tools and keyword types are essential for a successful SEO strategy, allowing you to optimize your content and achieve higher search engine rankings.

How to Define Keywords in your Marketing Strategy

Defining keywords is a fundamental process in any digital marketing strategy. Keywords are the terms that users enter into search engines to find information. Here is a detailed guide on how to define and use keywords effectively to achieve your marketing goals.

Put Yourself in Your Audience’s Place

The key to choosing the right keywords is to understand your target audience. It’s not enough to be an expert in your product or service; you need to think like your potential customers. This requires a deep understanding of who they are, what they need, and how they seek information.

1. Persona Identification: If you have not yet defined your buyer persona, it is crucial to do so. A buyer persona is a fictional representation of your ideal customer based on real data and analytics. You can learn how to create one here.
2. Search Term Research: Ask your current and potential customers how they would search for your product or service online. Use keyword analysis tools such as Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs or SEMrush to identify terms that are popular with your audience.
3. Competitive Analysis: Look at the keywords your competitors use. This will give you an idea of what terms are important in your industry and help you identify opportunities you may be overlooking.

Consider the Sales Funnel Stage

The keywords you choose should reflect the stage of the sales funnel your audience is in. The sales funnel is typically divided into three stages: awareness, consideration and decision.

1. Awareness: At this stage, users are looking for general information about a problem or need. Keywords should focus on educational and informative terms. For example, if you sell project management software, an awareness stage keyword might be “What is project management?”.
2. Consideration: Here, users are comparing different solutions to their problem. Keywords should highlight the features and benefits of your product or service. For example, “best project management tools” or “comparative project management software”.
3. Decision: At this stage, users are ready to make a purchase decision. Keywords should focus on the value proposition and differentiators of your offer. Examples include “buy project management software” or “success stories with project management software”.

The Role of Keywords in SEO

Keywords are essential for search engine optimization (SEO). Using them strategically in various elements of your content will improve your visibility and position in search results.

1. Meta descriptions: Meta descriptions are short summaries that appear below the title in Google search results. They should be direct and persuasive, and include the main keyword. For example, “Discover project management best practices with our leading software”.
2. URL: Friendly and short URLs not only improve the user experience, but are also important for SEO. Include the keyword in the URL to make it relevant and easy to understand. For example, “yoursite.com/project-management”.
3. SEO Title: El título SEO es el título que se muestra en los resultados de búsqueda. Debe incluir la palabra clave y ser atractivo para los usuarios. Un buen título SEO podría ser “Mejor Software de Gestión de Proyectos: Comparativa y Opiniones”.
4. Title Tag: El title tag es el título principal de tu artículo y a menudo coincide con el H1. Debe contener la palabra clave y ser lo suficientemente atractivo para mantener a los lectores en tu página. Por ejemplo, “Guía Completa de Software de Gestión de Proyectos”.

Content Keyword Exploration

The proper use of keywords in your content is crucial to attract and retain your audience. Here’s how to do it:

1. Focus on Problem Solving: Make sure your content answers your audience’s questions and solves their problems. Keywords should be integrated naturally into the text. Avoid excessive repetition, which can result in a poor reader experience and search engine penalties.
2. Strategic Use in Text: Use keywords in titles, headings, throughout the article and in image descriptions. Keep the content natural and fluid. For example, if your keyword is “project management software”, use it in phrases such as “Our project management software will help you organize your team and tasks efficiently”.
3. Relevant Content Production: Focus on creating valuable content that answers your users’ questions and problems. Google rewards content that adds value and solves real problems. By writing for your readers first, you will also be optimizing for search engines.

Strategic Keyword Usage Evaluation

SEO is constantly evolving, with frequent changes in search algorithms, especially from Google. It is important to stay updated and adapt your strategy accordingly.

1. Algorithm Updates: Google updates its algorithm regularly, with significant changes such as semantic analysis and the introduction of RankBrain, an artificial intelligence that interprets user intent. Keep up with these updates to fine-tune your keyword strategy.
2. Performance Analysis: Use analytics tools such as Google Analytics and Search Console to monitor the performance of your keywords. Adjust your strategies based on the data and trends observed.

Keywords for Paid Ads

Choosing keywords for paid ads requires additional consideration of factors such as cost and competition.

1. Cost and Competition: Use tools such as Google AdWords to identify terms with low competition and reasonable costs. Initially, focus on low-cost, low-competition keywords to maximize your ad exposure within your budget.
2. Payment strategies: Configure your Google AdWords account to choose between cost per click (CPC), cost per thousand impressions (CPM) or cost per acquisition (CPA). This will help you control your budget and optimize the performance of your ads.

Use of Keywords in Social Networks

Social networks are not only excellent platforms to promote your content, but also to define and use keywords.

1. Communicating with the Public: Analyze how your audience communicates on social networks and use this knowledge to adjust your keywords and messages. Actively participate in conversations and use relevant hashtags to increase the visibility of your posts.
2. Use of Hashtags: Hashtags act as hyperlinks that group all related posts under a single term. Use relevant and popular hashtags, but make sure they are directly related to your content. Avoid using hashtags just for their popularity, as this can alienate your audience.
3. Community Building: Create and promote institutional hashtags that reflect your company’s values and culture. This will not only help you improve the indexing of your content, but will also foster a community of loyal followers.

Final Evaluation of the Keyword Strategy

Defining and using effective keywords is an ongoing task that requires constant analysis and adjustment. Be sure to keep up to date with trends and changes in search algorithms to adapt your strategy. Utiliza herramientas de análisis para evaluar el rendimiento de tus palabras clave y realiza ajustes según sea necesario.