When it comes to Search Engine Optimization or Pay-Per-Click ads, it all starts with one simple thing “Keyword Research“. It can be called as the foundation of SEO. Not only SEO professionals or PPC experts, it can also help content marketers or bloggers can figure out what topics their readers are interested in.
Now if you are reading this, you surely know what keyword research is? But if you are a beginner in this field, Wikipedia makes it simple for you:
Keyword research is a practice used by search engine optimization professionals to find and research actual search terms people enter into the search engines when conducting a search.
Do you think that keyword research has changed since it’s initiation? Surely, it did.
Earlier keyword research was coming up with some keywords, throw them into Google Keyword Planner (GKP) and choose keywords based on search volume.
But today all that changes.
If you are looking for new keyword ideas, don’t go with GKP or formerly known as Google Keyword Research Tool, it is not that good at finding keyword ideas.
Brian Dean from Backlinko points out with an example “basketball”, GKP won’t be able to come up with the following related keyword ideas.
So don’t rely solely on Google Keyword Planner, focus on other ways to find good keywords. And if are looking forward to increase traffic to your blog, then you should try different keyword research tactics to come up with new keyword ideas.
Here are 3 lesser known tactics you can use to find good keywords and outrank your competitors.
1. Steal Competitor’s Keywords
Do you know you can find the keywords your competitors are ranking for? There is a simplest way to secretly find out your competitor’s high ranking keywords.
All you have to do is THIS.
Step 1: Go to Google Keyword Planner
Step 2: Under “Find New Keywords” hit the section “Search for new keywords using a phrase, website or category” there you will find a field called “Your landing page”. Put your competitor’s landing page over there and click “Get Ideas”.
You can also filter the ideas based on you location and also search volume and competition.
Here you will get some new keyword ideas from your competitor’s website.
Filter those keywords and figure out some good keywords with good search volume and medium / low competition.
2. Use Wikipedia
If you are creating a new website from scratch in a competitive niche, keyword research can be challenging. So you have to come up with new keyword ideas.
One of the best way to find related keyword ideas is : Wikipedia
Step 1: Go to google and type “site:wikipedia.org [your keyword]”
Step 2: When you visit the page, take a closer look for the “contents” section of the page.
You will find bunch of new keywords for your website or blog.
3. Try Amazon
This will not going to work for every niche, you can use this method if you can find a physical product in Amazon.
Step 1: Go to amazon.com or amazon.in / amazon.com and search for the product.
Here you can also find some new keyword to look into.
Step 2: Closely look into the search suggestions, you will find a couple related keywords.
Step 3: Once you hit search, locate keywords in the places listed below.
- “Show results for” menu
- Main header
- Text underneath main header
- “Product Description”
- Breadcrumb
- Items listed
Conclusion
Make sure that you re-evaluate your keywords from time to time, even you can do it more frequently. As soon as your website gains authority, you will eventually rank for more keywords, but you have to keep you current rankings and grow on top of that.
What other keyword research techniques do you follow? Share your valuablr tips in the comments section below.