Why Keyword Research is Important For Ecommerce Websites?

Ecommerce SEO keyword research is the foundation of any organic growth campaign (SEO). 

It’s how you land your “ideal” customer from any search engine, such as Google. 

But keyword research for online stores can go a million different ways. 

How?

Because keyword research has evolved, well, Google has. 

Google wants brands to focus on customer journeys. And the real secret ingredient of a customer journey is found via keyword research. 

Effective SEO keyword research in 2023 achieves the following:

• A better understanding of your audience

• Strengthening your brand’s content strategy

• Helps you measure your brand’s resource allocation 

• It helps you monitor your competitors

• It leads to improving discoverability and attracting a larger audience

Gone are the days of just attributing a single keyword to a page.

Building a Winning Keyword Strategy

Here’s a step-by-step guide to improving discoverability and attracting a larger audience.

Step 1: Audience Research

Research and plan the strategy for your larger target audience. Use this market research to build out your organic search.

Step 2: Use more than just SEO tools 

SEO tools are great; however, they don’t give you a deeper understanding of your audience. You need to audit multiple data sources; for example,

• Google’s Search Engine Results Page (SERP)
• Ahrefs
• SEMRush 
• Reddit 
• Google Search Console (GSC)
• Google Trends 
• Amazon 

There are many different data sources. 

Step 3: Start to map out your customer funnels

I’ve skipped that deep part for this post, but now it’s time to map out your keyword strategy. This is how you will target a larger audience.

Step 4: Go broad to narrow your audience targeting 

Now, it’s time to test your audience targeting. You can go broad here and work on niche targeting. For example, Lenovo could target “laptops” and go micro, such as “gaming laptops for students”.

This requires expertise and time to strategise a large audience targeting road map. But, it’s “how” the best brands get results with SEO. 

Step 5: Test, test, and test again

Once your strategy is deployed, data will populate for your brand. So what happens now? You have to test audience segment targeting. This is how you will finesse and adapt your strategy to keep attracting your target audience. 

See also;  Topical Clusters For eCommerce Brands: Complete Guide

So, is keyword research important for improving discoverability and attracting a larger audience?

Yes!

Without keyword research, you have no customer journey roadmap. Without the roadmap, your brand is already set up to be eaten by the brands that do. 

Tools for Effective Keyword Research

Effective keyword research is the backbone of a successful digital strategy, and fortunately, there are a couple of tools that can help with that.

Here’s a comprehensive guide to some of the best tools available:

#1 Keyword Research Tools

Google Keyword Planner: This free tool provides insights into keyword search volume, competition, and potential bid estimates for paid advertising.

Semrush: Beyond keyword research, Semrush offers a couple of features. These include competitor analysis, site audit, and backlink tracking. Really, it’s a robust, all-in-one SEO tool.

Ahrefs: It’s known for its backlink analysis. But Ahrefs can also be used for keyword research. It can help you discover relevant keywords, track rankings, and explore content gaps.

#2 Long-Tail Keyword Generators

AnswerThePublic: This tool visualises search questions and queries related to a particular keyword, aiding in the identification of long-tail keywords and content ideas.

Ubersuggest:  Ubersuggest provides keyword suggestions, content ideas, and insights into competitors’ top-performing pages.

#3 Competitor Analysis Tools

SpyFu: Analysing competitors is an important aspect of keyword research. SpyFu allows you to see which keywords your competitors are targeting. This way, you have valuable insights for developing your own strategy.

SEMrush (Competitive Research): SEMrush helps with keyword research and allows you to conduct in-depth competitor analysis. You are able to see their top-performing keywords and backlink strategies.

Want to learn more about Shopify SEO? See our guide!

Best Ecommerce Keyword Research Tools 📈

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Keyword Research

Here are some major mistakes people often make with keyword strategy:

#1 Overlooking Long-Tail Keywords

Sometimes, people tend to focus solely on high-volume, broad keywords and neglect the power of long-tail keywords.

Long-tail keywords may have lower search volume but often indicate more specific user intent, leading to higher conversion rates.

#2 Chasing Search Volume Without Considering Relevance

Don’t prioritise keywords just based on high search volume without assessing their relevance to your content or target audience.

High search volume doesn’t always guarantee success. The chosen keywords must align with your content or attract the right audience.

#3 Ignoring Competitor Analysis

The easiest way to develop keyword strategies and come up with the right content approach is to analyse what your competitors are doing.

Competitor analysis provides valuable insights into successful keywords, content gaps, and opportunities to differentiate your approach.

#4 Keyword Stuffing

Don’t Overload content with keywords in an attempt to manipulate search engine rankings. Keyword stuffing not only compromises the quality of your content but can also lead to penalties from search engines, negatively impacting your rankings.

#5 Neglecting Local Keywords

Most people tend to overlook the importance of local keywords for businesses with a geographical focus. Localised searches are common, and neglecting local keywords can result in missing out on a significant portion of your target audience.

#6 Not Adapting to Evolving Search Trends

Don’t stay with a static keyword strategy without adapting to changing search trends. User behaviour evolves, and staying stagnant in your approach can lead to a decline in visibility and relevance.

#7 Disregarding User Intent

You need to understand the intent behind user searches for chosen keywords. Content that doesn’t align with user intent may attract the wrong audience or result in high bounce rates.

How Understanding User Intent Enhances Content Relevance

Keyword research isn’t just about identifying popular search terms; it’s about deciphering user intent. 

Knowing why someone is searching for a particular keyword allows you to create content that directly addresses their needs. This results in a more meaningful connection with your audience.

For instance, if someone searches for “best budget-friendly smartphones,” their intent is likely to find recommendations for affordable yet high-quality smartphones. 

You can provide comprehensive reviews, comparisons, and guides by incorporating this understanding into your content strategy. 

This way, your content will align with the user’s specific goal, thereby increasing the chances of converting a visitor into a loyal follower or customer.

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