Four Keyword Research Rules To Remember

Last week we gave you a general guide on keyword research, as well as why it’s important.

Today we are diving a bit deeper with rules to follow when conducting keyword research.

Keyword Research Rules

1) Long-tail vs. short-tail

The first keyword research rule concerns the lenth of keywords you should be targeting.

Short-tail keywords are 1-3 words, while long-tail are anything longer.

Because of how general they are, short-tail keywords are usually both more profitable and competitive. Longer phrases, though (which is increasingly the way people use search engines), are easier to rank for.

Keep that in mind.

2) Difficulty

Directly related to this first point is the overall difficulty of ranking for a term in the first place.

Check out your domain authority first. Once you know it, compare it to the domain authorities of the sites that rank for your target term. Are you in the general range?

If yes, go for it.

If no, you might want to make the keyword more specific for less competition.

3) Volume

Just because you can rank for a search term doesn’t mean you should try. If there are only a few searches per month, you are likely not going to be able to generate too much profit from it. 

While more volume is usually better, keep in mind the search context.

An example might be the phrase “buy an iphone.” This is a highly commercial phrase, so 10 searches per month for this is probably more valuable to rank for than 1,000 searches for “when was the iPhone invented.”

4) Relation to your own product or service

This last thing you should keep in mind is your own business.

Let’s take Lúgh Studio as an example. We help companies and non-profits make amazing websites. 

Even if we could rank for a keyword like “buy basketball hoops” (a highly valuable phrase) it wouldn’t make any sense for us. It’s just not related to what we do.

Make sure your keywords mesh well with pitching your service!

Are you looking for help growing your online business or nonprofit? Give us a shout! We provide a free consultation. Email us at info@lughstudio.com!