[태그:] en

Marketing is often considered most challenging when it involves a keyword research process that is not too competitive and close to potential customers. To effectively secure actual leads, the keyword must not only be less competitive but also penetrate the wants of potential customers.

Here, a keyword refers to specific words or phrases that describe the core content or topic of a website, article, or advertisement.

Search engines cannot recognize all content on a web page, so they first look at keywords. Based on these keywords, they determine the relevance of a page to a user’s search query.

This article introduces the keyword research process and how to utilize it.

What is Keyword Research?

Definition of Keyword Research

Keyword research is a task performed for SEO (Search Engine Optimization). It involves finding the keywords potential customers use to search for our products or services and using this information to build a keyword strategy.

Without keyword research, you might miss popular keywords that target customers are already searching for or end up competing with large industry giants.

No matter how excellent your strategy is, it will be difficult to achieve good results if you face two major setbacks.

The Importance of Keywords

Keywords are crucial in SEO because they help search engines understand the content of a website. Search engines use complex algorithms to determine which websites are relevant to specific search terms. Therefore, creating content related to keywords improves the site’s ranking in search results.

Research shows that people generally do not look beyond the first page of search results. The more a site is exposed to higher search result rankings, the more traffic it will attract.

Keyword Research Process

Getting Started

Before beginning the keyword research process, we need to collect both our brand’s keywords and competitors’ keywords.

These keywords are the most commonly used when people search for our brand or competitors.

You can find these keywords through brainstorming, Google Keyword Planner, checking competitors websites and social media accounts.

Examples include:

• [Brand] + @
• [Product Name] + @
• [Competitor Brand] + @
• [Competitor Product Name] + @

Initially, start by gathering suggestive and related keywords based on the brand and competitor keywords you have collected.

Practical Application

Using keyword research tools, you can get recommendations for related search terms based on the keywords you search. These keywords are sorted by volume, and you can understand the search intent behind them. Free tools like Naver’s keyword tool and Googles Keyword Planner, or paid tools like Ahrefs and Semrush, can be used.

By analyzing search queries from users searching for specific keywords, brands, or product names, you can gain insights into search intent.

How to Use the Search Suggestions Report

Informational queries are used by search users to gain more knowledge about a topic and often include words like how, what, why, tips, and ideas. Utilizing these informational queries with broad target keywords helps better understand user intent.

Brand Keywords

The second step is to collect non-brand keywords that do not include the brand.

For example, collect category keywords like functional cosmetics, phones with good camera performance, gift recommendations for people in their 20s, and restaurants for first meetings.

Most of the time in keyword research is spent on this task because it involves uncovering actual user wants.

This process helps marketers understand what factors consumers consider important in their purchase decisions.

To find search engine and related keywords, you can use keyword research tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, and SEMrush. You can also use Google suggestions found at the bottom of search results pages.

Grouping and Organizing

After collecting a list of keywords, group them into categories. This helps understand the various types of keywords people use to search for information about brands, products, and industries.

You can group keywords based on the following criteria:

• Search Intent: Informational Keywords, Transactional Keywords, Navigational Keywords
• Topic: Product Keywords, Category Keywords, Industry Keywords
• Competition: Highly Competitive Keywords, Medium Competition Keywords, Low Competition Keywords

After organizing the keywords, analyze them to identify which ones are most important for your business. Check monthly search volume, CPC information, ad competition, top URLs in search results, and format information for each keyword or topic.

Based on the analysis, prioritize keywords and focus on the ones that are most important for your business. You can create different keyword lists for each marketing campaign, such as for SEO, PPC, or social media campaigns.

Campaign Optimization

Marketers must decide whether to address each topic through content and SEO or to enter the competition with search ads. This process is called campaign optimization.

If the content on your operating website is already well-exposed in search results, there may be no need to run ads for that keyword.

Conversely, if you need to start marketing for keywords with high volume and conversion rates, and if your content isnt appearing favorably in search results, you should consider using search ads to compensate for the lack of organic traffic.

This highlights why content marketing and performance marketing are inseparable.

Gaining Target Insights Based on Keyword Research

Now that you understand the keyword research method, lets explore how to gain consumer insights based on it.

Through the keyword research process, we can generate lists of search keywords used by consumers in their purchase decision-making process. Additionally, we can check monthly search volumes, gender ratios, age distributions, and ad competition.

However, this direct information is not all the insights keyword research can reveal.

Combining Keywords

Search keywords consisting of two or more words often include target keywords referring to the products or services a consumer intends to purchase.

Simultaneously, margin keywords can be used to infer the searcher’s interests, goals, and circumstances.

By grouping similar meaning keywords based on these margin keywords, we can understand what consumers are focusing on within an industry.

By reverse analyzing search results for keywords in the main interest topic groups, we can understand what purpose consumers have when searching for that topic.

This leads to understanding consumer search intent, known as Keyword Intent.

Understanding Intent Analysis in SEO

For example, if someone searches for building AI models, it likely indicates a search for professional services. However, if they simply search for artificial intelligence, they may only be seeking information about AI.

Google aims to answer user queries as efficiently as possible, so its likely to rank content that aligns with user intent higher.

By analyzing the top URLs in search results for specific topic group keywords, you can determine which media touchpoints influence consumers the most. You can also gain insights into the content formats consumers prefer.

At this stage, keyword research expands into intent analysis.

Conclusion

In conclusion, through the keyword research process, marketers can gather:

• Lists of consumer search keywords
• Monthly search volume for a year
• Consumer interest topics and intent
• Media touchpoint information for consumers
• Sequence information among search keywords

Marketers can use this data to predict and suggest where to provide content and how to approach consumers with advertising methods.

This allows for the creation of more specific content and campaign strategies.

Understanding the contexts and situations in which consumers search for specific keywords is crucial for business success. Marketers need to connect with consumers through optimal media mixes, delivering content that resonates with them.

If marketers can accurately understand and empathize with personas’ lives and plan content accordingly, they will be able to successfully run campaigns.

This is why Growth Marketing Agency invests so much time in precise target analysis. We focus on analyzing search intent through expanded keyword research processes to understand customer interests. This aims to identify the Contextual Consumer Persona, providing a clearer view of the consumers buying journey.

Keyword strategy is crucial for the success of both organic and paid search campaigns. Deciding which primary keywords to target for advertising and how to optimize for organic search results through SEO are key factors that can determine the success of a campaign.

However, creating a strategy for every possible keyword is nearly impossible. Instead, we need to categorize keywords based on their characteristics, search intent, and search volume, and then develop targeted strategies for each category.

Search engines continuously analyze content across the internet to provide users with the best possible search results. They keep track of nearly all content on every website and webpage in real-time.

What are Primary Keywords and Secondary Keywords?

From an SEO perspective, a primary keyword, also known as a focus keyphrase, is the main term or phrase that a webpage is expected to rank for in search engine results.

In essence, a primary keyword is the main keyword that the page is optimized for. Typically, primary keywords have high search volumes and, if they rank well in the SERPs, can drive significant organic traffic.

On the other hand, secondary keywords add context, value, and depth to the content. These are more closely related to the search intent. Secondary keywords include all keywords that are closely related to the primary keyword being targeted on a page. Synonyms, subtopics, and long-tail keywords can all be considered secondary keywords.

Including secondary keywords in subheaders and body text allows you to cover various aspects of a topic, helping Google better understand the content of the page.

?SEO Case Study: The Power of Keyword Analysis

From a performance marketing perspective, primary keywords are high-volume terms directly connected to your product or service, often with high CPC and intense competition.

In contrast, secondary keywords usually have lower search volumes, are less directly related to your product, or consist of long-tail keywords made up of two or more words. These generally have lower CPCs and face slightly less competition than primary keywords.

Primary Keywords vs. Secondary Keywords

The relationship between primary and secondary keywords

Primary Keywords as the Core of Content Marketing

Primary keywords are the cornerstone of content marketing. For instance, if your company sells yoga clothes, yoga clothes might be your primary keyword. This is the term that best represents your market and is also the most frequently searched term related to your business. Therefore, the most crucial aspect of content marketing is to choose the right primary keyword.

Secondary keywords, while related to the primary keyword, are more specific. For example, secondary keywords for yoga clothes could include womens yoga clothes, short-sleeve yoga clothes, yoga clothes prices, recommended yoga clothes, and yoga clothes brands. These more specific terms are easier to rank for in search engines and often have lower CPCs and less competition in search ads.

Why are Secondary Keywords as Important as Primary Keywords?

Why should you use secondary keywords in content marketing? If you create content targeting high-volume keywords and rank well, you will attract a lot of organic traffic, which seems great for content performance. However, secondary keywords play an equally important role.

For example, imagine that a company writes a high-quality blog article on IT technology, including explanations of technical terms and real-life examples. However, upon analyzing the incoming audience, they find that the article attracted as many students studying the subject as it did industry decision-makers and engineers. While it succeeded in ranking well for a high-volume primary keyword, it also attracted traffic from students who were primarily interested in learning, not buying.

Although organic traffic is generally beneficial, its more valuable when it leads to conversions. This relates to search intent. When people search for solutions to problems, they use more specific terms. Returning to the yoga clothes example, someone searching for yoga clothes might just be curious about their appearance, but someone searching for short-sleeve yoga clothes prices likely has a clear purchasing intent.

Thus, if you only focus on a primary keyword strategy, you may miss out on potential customers with a higher likelihood of conversion. By effectively utilizing secondary keywords, you can attract a more diverse audience, which can significantly improve performance.

Lastly, primary and secondary keywords are closely linked and essential components of your strategy. Primary keywords represent the core of your market, while secondary keywords help capture search intent and attract a broader range of users. By effectively setting and using primary and secondary keywords in content marketing, you can build a more successful marketing strategy.

How to Choose Effective Primary Keywords

When selecting primary keywords, consider four key factors:

Search Volume

High search volume keywords can generate more traffic for your website. Monthly search volume indicates how often users search for a term, showing the popularity of that topic.

Properly ranking your webpage for a keyword can increase its visibility. Low search volume keywords might have less competition, but they also offer fewer opportunities to appear in search results. Finding a balance is essential.

Keyword Difficulty

Choosing a primary keyword with an acceptable level of difficulty maximizes your chances of appearing in search results. Keyword difficulty is often assessed based on the quality of content already ranking for that keyword and the number and quality of backlinks pointing to those pages and domains.

For example, let’s examine the keyword SEO using Ahrefs Keyword Explorer.

The keyword has a monthly search volume of 119,000 with 56,000 clicks, especially in markets like the U.S., where Google dominates. This high volume explains why English-language documents often rank high even on Korean Google for SEO. The keyword difficulty is also very high due to intense competition.

Relevance to Your Target

To use keywords correctly, they must be highly relevant to your business. Well-chosen keywords help your website or blog rank high in search engines and reach more potential customers. If your primary or secondary keywords aren’t relevant to your business, its difficult to achieve high rankings. Keywords used in your website or blog posts must align with the content. If they dont, visitors might leave disappointed, reducing your site traffic.

Regularly reviewing and updating your keywords to match the latest trends is also crucial. As the business environment constantly changes, consistent review is needed to select the right keywords. Additionally, leveraging emerging keywords can help reach more customers.

Search Intent (SERP)

When creating content that includes a primary keyword, first ensure it matches the searcher’s intent and expectations. SERP (Search Engine Results Page) refers to the page displayed when users enter a keyword into a search engine. It lists various websites that help users find the information they seek.

Understanding search intent is vital for both content marketing and SEO. It helps in creating better SEO strategies and producing more relevant content that attracts more visitors. Its not enough to aim for high rankings; content must also align with the specific keywords users are searching for.

For instance, a search for travel destination recommendations might show top-ranking travel websites, but changing the search to overseas travel recommendations could yield different results. Understanding and selecting keywords based on search intent is a crucial aspect of SEO and content marketing.

How to Find Secondary Keywords

Autocomplete Suggestions

Even if secondary keywords have lower search volumes than primary keywords, they can be highly effective in targeting specific audiences.

For example, when searching for B2B marketing, autocomplete suggestions reveal related secondary keywords. If B2B marketing is the primary keyword, suggestions like [B2B marketing strategy], [B2B marketing trends 2024], and [B2B marketing meaning] become secondary keywords.

Related and Additional Searches

Secondary keywords can also be identified through related and additional searches displayed on Google.

Synonym Searches

inding synonyms or related terms for your primary keyword involves strategic thinking, research tools, and an understanding of the keyword’s context.

To discover related secondary keywords, follow these steps:

1. Clearly define your primary keyword.Understand its core meaning and context.
2. Consider variations and potential synonyms.
3. Use a dictionary to find alternative terms.
4. Identify long-tail keywords that are specific variations, often including synonyms.
5. Pay attention to language nuances and regional differences.
6. Explore forums, social media, and user-generated content related to your niche to understand the language and terms your audience uses.
7. Read industry publications and authoritative content to identify commonly used keywords and synonyms.
8. Gather feedback from your audience through surveys or reviews to identify additional keywords and synonyms.

Tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, Ahrefs, or Ubersuggest can be useful for finding synonyms, variations, and commonly used terms.

How to Optimize Content with Primary Keywords and Secondary Keywords (On-page SEO)

Even if you find the perfect primary keyword, it wont rank well unless its integrated effectively into your content. To gain organic traffic, you need to create content based on search intent.

In this section, well explain how to optimize content using Technical SEO or On-page SEO:

• Title Tags: Include the primary keyword in the title to make the topic clear to both users and search engines. Aim to place the keyword at the beginning of the title.
• First 100 Words: Use the primary keyword at least once in the first 100 words of your content to clarify the topic.
• H1, H2, H3 Tags: Include primary keywords in various headers to structure your content and build a hierarchy.
• Meta Description: Use primary keywords in the meta description to encourage users to click on your page when it appears in SERPs.
• Alt Text: Include primary keywords in the alt text of images to improve accessibility and rank higher in image search results.
• Video Content: Add the primary keyword to the video title, description, and tags to improve visibility on video search platforms.

Conclusion: Primary Keywords and Secondary Keywords are Key Elements in Marketing Strategy

In conclusion, appropriately using primary and secondary keywords is crucial for content marketing, SEO, performance marketing, and expanding website traffic. This requires careful and step-by-step planning.

First, choose the appropriate primary keyword and then find relevant secondary keywords based on it. Create high-quality content based on these keywords and incorporate them into your marketing strategy.

By doing this, you can achieve higher rankings in search engines, allowing more people to access your website. Therefore, continuous analysis and proactive management, including keeping up with the latest trends, are necessary.

Ultimately, the effective use of primary and secondary keywords is an essential requirement for successful online business operations.

The SEO keyword analysis process forms the cornerstone of effective search engine optimization. It plays a crucial role in shaping a websites visibility, traffic, and overall online success.

Through meticulous keyword research, businesses can identify the exact words and phrases that users input into search engines.

By strategically integrating these keywords into content, the likelihood of appearing in search results increases.

Understanding user intent is equally important. By targeting keywords that align with what users are seeking, a website can drive more organic traffic.

Relevant traffic not only increases the number of visitors but also enhances the likelihood of converting them into customers.

In this article, well explore a case where Warner Bros. failed in SEO, leading to a missed box office opportunity.

Warner Bros. and the Failure of SEO Keyword Research

Warner Bros. is an American film studio involved in both film production and distribution. Under the Warner name, the company has influenced sectors like American TV dramas, animations, games, and music.

It’s one of the major six Hollywood studios that achieved consecutive box office hits in the 2000s, including well-known titles like Superman, The Dark Knight, The Lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter.

Warner Bros. produced a new film based on Harley Quinn, the notorious girlfriend of the Joker and one of the popular DC characters.

However, despite the strong character, the movie delivered disappointing results.

The Reason for Failure?

The movie was originally titled Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn.

Despite Harley Quinn being the main character, Warner Bros. did not include her name at the beginning of the movie title.

It wasnt until later that Warner Bros. realized Harley Quinn was a crucial keyword, leading them to change the movie title to Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey. Unfortunately, by then, it was too late.

Without Harley Quinns name at the start of the title, audiences had difficulty realizing that she was the main character of the film.

The movie was expected to gross $60 million, but it only achieved $33 million.

All of This Stemmed from Ignoring the Importance of Keywords

People searching for the movie were likely interested in Harley Quinn. Although the title was eventually changed, it was criticized as being too late.

Warner Bros. was also criticized for neglecting competitor research. It was essential to understand what keywords and content moviegoers were interested in at the time.

Analyzing the Search Engine Result Pages (SERP) to understand search intent is one of the most important considerations when building SEO.  

Conclusion from the SEO Keyword Analysis Failure

The lesson Warner Bros. learned from this case is that an SEO perspective is essential when choosing content titles.

Like other companies launching new services or product lines, Warner Bros. should have involved SEO experts in this process. Had they done so, Birds of Prey might have performed better at the box office.

Keyword research serves as a guide for content creation, highlighting topics important to the target audience. This not only optimizes content for search engines but, more importantly, provides significant value to potential customers.

Ultimately, SEO keyword research is not a one-time task. It requires continuous activity, allowing companies to adapt to evolving user preferences and industry environments.