If you rely on your website to conduct business or generate leads, choosing keywords that work can be the difference between success and failure. If you want to let the hunting dogs loose to track down your target market, you need the keys to the cage — and those keys are the keywords you’re using on your website and in your blog.
Keywords are the search phrases people type into Google, Bing or Yahoo to find what they’re looking for online. You’ve done these searches yourself to find:
- A product or service
- The answer to a question
- Information about a specific topic
- Even directions to the local dog park
Typing in the exact question or search phrase yields the best results in your search. So, keeping this in mind, are you choosing keywords that best fit your business? As a business owner, you have to set up your website with the right keywords to succeed. They’ll help you rank higher on search engines, which makes it easier for customers to find you.
Choosing Keywords
Using a “long tail keyword” has nothing to do with a dog breed. It refers to a longer phrase that more specifically describes your business. For example, if you sell dog cages, you probably think you want to use the keyword “dog cages,” but if your business is local, you’ll do better with the long tail phrase “Asheville indoor dog crates for sale.” It all depends on who you’re trying to attract.
When choosing keywords, keep these two characteristics in mind:
- The word or phrase you choose needs to be one people are searching for every month. In other words, it needs to be a fairly well-known phrase people actually use.
- The keyword should have little competition. So ideally, it’s a phrase your competition isn’t targeting.
Do Your Keyword Research
To find the best keywords for your business — the ones that straddle the line between obvious (e.g., “dog cages”) and specific (e.g., “Asheville indoor dog crates for sale”) — you need to do some online research. The easiest way is to go to your search engine of choice and type in phrases that match your business. See which businesses rank for each search. Ask yourself:
- Do your competitors rank high for any keywords?
- Does your business appear on the first page for any searches?
- Are there descriptive keywords that show potential — ones that your competitors aren’t showing up on?
Once you have an idea of keywords that may work for your business, find a free keyword tool online, such as Google Keyword Tool, to narrow the list. Plug in the term, “dog cage.” The tool responds with the most popular related search terms, including some you may not have considered, such as:
- Dog pens
- Indoor dog cages
- Cheap dog crates
- Dog cages for sale
- Used dog cages
- Heavy duty dog cages
This is even before you add a geographical marker, like “Asheville” — assuming you’re selling to a local market and not nationwide. The keyword tool provides information for each search term, such as its relative effectiveness and your competition if you used it. When choosing keywords, always opt for the more specific ones; they’ll always have less competition and often bring better customers to your website. Better customers mean those more willing to buy your dog cages.
In the world of online marketing, keywords are the keys to the cage. Choosing keywords the right way leads to an increase in sales. If you’re still stumped, contact Barking Dog <https://barkingdogdigital.com/contact/> to unlock your cage.
Remember, if you are not the lead dog, the scenery never changes!