In the world of SEO and Digital Marketing, the significance of keyword research cannot be undermined. People might not realize it, but proper keyword research and optimization can be the catalyst in launching your website higher up the search index. If you know a little bit about SEO, you may have come across this term. So, what is a keyword? For those who are unaware, whenever you are feeling bored, you open up Google and search for stuff like ‘coffee shop near me’ or your favourite show ‘The Simpsons’. Well, guess what? Those words or phrases you type in the search box are the keywords.

What Is Keyword Research and Why Is It Important?

Keyword research is the process of mastering the language of your customers that you can target while writing content. Keyword research identifies keywords that you can focus upon in your article or blog to drive more traffic to your website. Keywords act as a bridge between your website and the audience. When you line up your article or content optimized with keywords, you have a better chance of appearing in the top results on the search engines in relevant topics and queries. Keyword optimization lets your search engine know what your content is all about. In that way, it can find your webpage easily when someone searches for a similar query. 

Take a look at some of the guidelines you can follow to make your content stand out! These guidelines would help you target the right areas to boost your content on the web for your author website or blog if you have one.

1. Research, Research & Research!

A thoroughly researched and optimized blog can rank your website higher on the search index. Keyword research can tell you what the readers are searching for. You need to make sure you’re not creating website content that no one pays heed to. You can do keyword research to find the best keywords for your blog. There are plenty of tools available online you can take help from.

Every keyword research tool has its pros and cons. Here are some of the most popular tools you can use:

• SEMRush
• Google Keyword Planner                                                                                                                                                                                                 
• KWFinder
• Moz Keyword Explorer
• Majestic

If you’ve done your research, you’ll know which keywords are trending, and then you can make your website content accordingly. Identifying and using the right keywords in your content can attract traffic and help to propel your site much higher on the index.

2. Incorporate Keywords Naturally 

When writing content, you may be enticed to fill every sentence with a keyword. Incorporate keywords naturally wherever necessary, without overdoing them. Don’t stuff keywords unnecessarily into your content. It looks unnatural and forced. It also makes your content look unattractive and won’t pull traffic to your website., try looking up synonyms that you can use instead of your keywords.

3. Use keywords in the Introduction and Conclusion of Your Blog​

It would be a good idea to use your keywords within the first 100 to 200 words of your content. Most readers only continue reading beyond the introduction if they find your content interesting. So, make proper use of the keywords over there. Similarly, the conclusion builds the shell of your content. When writing a blog, it’s better to include a call-to-action at the end such as a link to buy your book at bookstores or your social media depending on your content.

4. Insert Keywords in Your SEO Title and Headlines

For those of you who are unaware of SEO or Search Engine Optimization, it is the process of tweaking the content and code of a website in a way that increases viewership and generates revenue. Although it might sound basic, inserting keywords in your title and headlines is vital. Adding them to the SEO title will be the biggest selling point of your website. If the title contains a keyword matching the query of the person, your site will surely get a click. Also, be sure to avoid making your SEO title monotonous. Make it in such a way that catches the attention of the readers. You can use software tools such as Google Keyword Planner for estimating the traffic and checking the search volume for a keyword. This would filter out ineffectual words that people don’t search for on the internet.

5. Keep Tabs on Your Competitors

You should keep a close view of what your competitors are doing with their campaigns. Be ready to compile a long list of keywords. Make a list of keywords having a high search volume and are unranked by your competitors. Many bloggers and book authors monitor their competitors on social media. It gives them updates and sneak-peaks before they post something. You can also see how they interact with their fans and followers. Many authors subscribe to newsletters and offer from their competitors. Receiving mails from your competitors can help you see things from the reader's eye. Knowing what your competitors are up to can prove beneficial for your campaigns. You could also focus on keywords that your competitors are aiming to imply as an aggressive strategy to go head-to-head with them. It could be a bold but much-needed move to bolster your rank high up the search engine.

We hope these tips and tricks about keyword research would benefit you in writing content for your author website or blog. If you are planning to launch your website, we wish you the best of luck. Happy blogging!

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