If you didn’t already know, keywords help search engines find your website. To your average website user, keywords are what you type into Google to find a website that you’re looking for. To a digital marketer, keywords are what you weave into the content on your website so that it can be found. It goes without saying that the commonly searched keywords are very competitive.

“How are they used?”

Years ago, people started stuffing keywords into their content as many times as they could in order to get higher search results. That technique for high SEO worked for a little while, but not anymore. Google has outsmarted the all the keyword-stuffers out there. Is this to say you should abandon your keyword strategy? Not at all. You still need to target keywords to drive traffic to your site, but now you have to weave them into your content naturally. So now you might be thinking…

“How do I choose the right keywords?”

Be specific. The keyword “mechanic” is on millions of sites and you won’t get any extra visitors by targeting it. Consumers realize that too. Instead of merely searching for “mechanic,” Google searchers are now searching for a nearby shop owner who does specific services. In other words, if you want to be found, you’ve got to cater your keywords specifically to your shop.

A good way to see relevant keywords for your shop by using the Google Adwords Keyword tool. They offer a free keyword generator tool which could help you identify those more precise keywords that are usually less expensive anyway. Trust us, it’s worth it to put time and thought into your target keywords.

“How can I tell if my current keywords are bringing enough traffic?”

It’s a good idea to see how your keywords are performing before you start changing your targeting technique. Our free website diagnostic is a great starting point to see how you’re doing, and how you can improve. We’ll give you a full 15-page report on your website’s performance. To get started, click here.