Have you wondered if keyword research is important?

Here’s the thing…

Keyword research is the foundation of any SEO writing campaign. Researching keywords helps you write content that connects with your target reader and makes your content easier to find in Google.

If you don’t add keywords and phrases to your content, your page won’t position how you want – and it will be invisible in Google.

And who wants to be invisible in Google? That’s why keyword research is so essential!

What’s the difference between a keyword and a keyphrase?

Before I jump in, here are some quick definitions. A keyword is a single search term, like the word [travel]. A keyphrase is a multi-word search phrase, like [best place to travel with kids in Seattle].

Since most people search using multi-word queries, I use the terms “keyword research” and “keyphrase research” interchangeably.

Ready?

Here are five reasons why keyword research is important – and why I recommend you do it before writing a blog post or services page.

 — First, you’ll learn how your readers search – and what you find may surprise you!

A long time ago, a client wanted me to use the keyphrase “multilingual global communication system” because he was sure people searched for it. Nope. People searched for “instant translation chat.”

Don’t let this happen to you! Keyword research helps you ensure the terms you include in your content are terms people actually type into Google.

Plus, understanding how your readers search can help you…

 — Find new content ideas.

Do you need help figuring out what to write about? That’s SO normal. Keyword research helps you peer into your readers’ brains and discover the topics they want to know more about.

For instance, if you were writing blog posts for an accounting firm, the keyphrase, “Do I need an accountant for a small business,” would allow you to share your stories and demonstrate expertise.

Notice I qualified the search term [accounting firm] with the phrase [small business]. If you were writing for an accounting firm that served the construction industry, you could find topics (and keyphrases) focusing on that specific industry.

You’re probably catching on that keyphrase research helps you…

 — Drive highly targeted traffic.

Imagine you’ve created a marketing guide for dentists.

Sure, you could name your guide “Extract more profits from your business.” It’s catchy, but it may make it hard for dentists to find it on Google.

The headline doesn’t clearly state what the guide is about.

But what if you named your guide “100 Dental Marketing Ideas”?

Not only is the title more targeted but [dental marketing ideas] is also a keyphrase! Dentists are looking for marketing ideas.

Of course, the big reason clients think keyword research is important is that they want to…

 — Get a top Google result.

After all, why spend all that time writing a fantastic page if – as we discussed earlier – the page won’t position and will be invisible in Google?

Pages that have gone through the keyphrase research process and have been written by a skilled SEO writer have a better chance of positioning – and converting. Because getting a top Google position is more than the fun buzz of seeing a page you wrote in Google’s top-ten results.

(Although that’s fun, too!)

The main reason keyphrase research is so important is…

 — A better Google position can help you achieve your goals and make money.

Maybe that means you want more writing jobs. Or more prospects are finding your white paper and visiting your B2B site. Or you want to boost your brand to get better jobs and be recognized as a subject matter expert.

Getting a top Google ranking can help bring the right people to your site, which will help you achieve all those things – and more.

Keyword research pays off.

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