Keywords are the words and phrases that people on the internet type into a search engine, such as Google, Yahoo and Bing, to find websites that match what they are looking for.

To say that keywords are crucial to your small business is an understatement. Keywords drive targeted web traffic to your business, which can result in increased sales. However, keywords have to be strategic and have meaning; i.e., you can’t just throw words around and hope they resonate.  It is important that your website is optimized for search engines and contains relevant keywords to your industry both within the source code and in the webpages text.  Not only should you focus on your website, but don’t forget to include your keywords in any content you are creating, including press releases and blogs.

Researching the right keywords can be a daunting task for some people. It is imperative that you find keywords that complement your business while being geared toward your target audience. To appear in search results, your keywords must be specific as well as relevant. Ascertain which keywords will help you by doing keyword research for your small business. Begin by choosing keywords that represent the heart of your product or service.

The key to keywords is using “long-tail” keywords. Long-tail keywords is more of a phrase as opposed to a single keyword. For example, if you are a Realtor, you want to say more than just “Realtor,” as there are likely dozens of Realtors in your area and that single word will not make you stand out. Instead, use long-tail keywords. If you’re located in Denver, say, for example, “Denver Metro Realtor specializing in first-time buyers,” or whatever it is you specialize in/the area(s) you service.  

Keep in mind, however, that keyword stuffing does not work in the long-term. Keyword stuffing means loading a webpage with keywords or numbers in an attempt to manipulate a site’s ranking in Google search results. Examples of keyword stuffing include blocks of text listing cities and states a webpage is trying to rank for and repeating the same words or phrases so often that it sounds unnatural.

Before you get crazy with too many keywords, remember that you can also be penalized by search engines for keyword stuffing. In fact, your page could be demoted in rankings, or possibly even removed.

With help finding keywords for your business, please visit “The 9 Best Keyword Research Tools to find the Right Keywords for SEO” at https://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/22842/4-helpful-tools-for-identifying-the-right-keywords.aspx.