SEO: How To Keyword Research and What Tools are Good To Use (Part II)

Note: You can continue reading this part alone, but I recommend you check Part I here

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How Do I Choose Keywords Carefully?

Choosing the right keywords is crucial for SEO and content creation. Here are some steps to help you choose the right keywords:

1. Create a keyword list: Start by creating a list of keywords that are relevant to your business. You can use tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, and Moz Keyword Explorer to generate a list of keywords.
2. Consider your audience: Think about what your target audience is searching for and what keywords they might use. This will help you identify the right keywords to target.
3. Analyze your competition: Analyze your competitors’ websites to see what keywords they are targeting. This can help you identify gaps in your keyword strategy.
4. Choose long-tail keywords: Long-tail keywords are more specific and less competitive than short-tail keywords. They can help you rank higher in search results and attract more qualified traffic.
5. Use keyword research tools: Use keyword research tools to help you identify the right keywords to target. Some popular tools include Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, SEMrush, and Moz Keyword Explorer.
6. Track your progress: Track your keyword rankings and adjust your strategy as needed. This will help you stay on top of your SEO game.

For more detailed information on how to choose keywords, I recommend checking out the resources provided by Backlinko, SEORadar, Ahrefs, and WordStream below in the resources section.

What is MSV(monthly search volume)?

Monthly Search Volume (MSV) is a metric that measures how many times a particular search query or keyword is entered into search engines each month ¹. It is an important element of analyzing internet activity, particularly for search engine optimization (SEO) ¹. MSV is especially important when a large part of your traffic is driven by organic searches, or searches not motivated by advertiser site promotion ¹. To find the MSV of a particular keyword, you can use a keyword research tool ¹. Some keyword planners can be found for free online, but others may require paid subscriptions ¹. These research tools can help you look up the popularity of particular keywords and see the context in which they’re used ¹. Incorporating relevant keywords into your content can improve your site traffic and help you generate more business ¹.

It’s a data point typically expressed as average monthly searches or monthly search volume (MSV). This number is an estimate, since Google doesn’t make exact keyword search volume data public. Google search volume reflects the total number of searches a keyword receives, not the number of unique users.

But what to do in case of MSV high or low? In the case of high MSV with your keywords it means you will get high organic results and visitors on your page. You should always use high MSV keywords when composing your page to ensure a good return or income in money or reputation and monthly visits to your page. Low MSV words are not so bad for your page and maybe will become important someday.

The Effect of High MSV on Keyword Research Strategy

Monthly Search Volume (MSV) is an important metric for analyzing internet activity, particularly for search engine optimization (SEO) ¹. It measures how many times a particular search query or keyword is entered into search engines each month ¹. 

That being said, incorporating relevant high-MSV keywords into your content can improve your site traffic and help you generate more business ¹². To find the MSV of a particular keyword, you can use a keyword research tool ¹. Some keyword planners can be found for free online, but others may require paid subscriptions ¹. These research tools can help you look up the popularity of particular keywords and see the context in which they’re used ¹.

A good number is between 100 & 1000 searches per month as some sources say. There may exist a high MSV with low competition if you look hard enough, but usually it is impossible to see around here these days, maybe longtails keywords will be.

Long-tail keywords are highly specific search terms made up of about three to five words with relatively low search volumes ¹. Although there’s no official search volume threshold, long-tail keywords generally have monthly search volumes (MSV) of less than 1,000 ¹. However, it’s important to note that a high-MSV keyword may not necessarily bring in more traffic than a lower-MSV keyword ¹. Other factors such as competition, relevance, and user intent should also be considered when evaluating keywords.

Why Look on Competitors Keywords Too?

Keyword research competitor analysis is the process of discovering the keywords your competitors are ranking highly for, with the goal of using that information to create content that outranks them in search results ¹. To do a competitor keyword analysis, you need to follow these steps:

1. Find your competitors: Identify your business competitors and search competitors.
2. Research the competition: Analyze your competitors’ websites and content.
3. Gather competitor keywords: Use a keyword research tool to find the keywords your competitors are ranking for.
4. Export keywords: Export the list of keywords you have gathered.
5. Organize your results: Group the keywords into categories.
6. Use a content gap tool: Identify gaps in your content and create new content to fill those gaps. 
7. Look for valuable topics: Find topics that your competitors are not covering and create content around those topics.
8. Assess ranking difficulty: Determine how difficult it will be to rank for the keywords you have identified.

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A content gap is a void of missing content when users search for information. These areas don’t have adequate answers to searchers’ questions, deliver outdated information, or don’t clearly present the information. To identify content gaps, you can use a content gap tool that helps you find the topics that your competitors are not covering and create content around those topics.

Looking for competitors can become a very easy job if you use the right tools. Besides the competitors search section in the common tools listed before in Part I, there are more tools to use like these:

1. SimilarWeb: SimilarWeb is a tool that provides information about your competitors’ website traffic, including the sources of their traffic, the countries where their traffic is coming from, and more.
2. Siteliner: Siteliner is a free tool that allows you to analyze your competitors’ websites for duplicate content, broken links, and other issues that could be affecting their search ranking.
3. Buzzsumo: Buzzsumo is a tool that allows you to see how your competitors’ content is performing on social media. You can use this information to identify popular topics and see what types of content are resonating with your target audience.
4. Crayon Intel: Crayon Intel is a tool that provides information about your competitors’ marketing strategies, including their advertising campaigns, social media activity, and more.

Outranking The Competitors of My Keywords

To outrank your competitors in search results, you need to create content that is better than theirs and targets the same keywords. Using some of the tools mentioned above can help you with keyword research and competitor analysis.

Once you have identified your competitors and gathered information about their SEO strategies, you can use a content gap tool to identify gaps in your content and create new content to fill those gaps. By following these steps, you can improve your content and search rankings, and outrank your competitors in search results.

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How to Plan a Good Keyword Research?

Keyword research is a crucial step in any successful SEO strategy. Here are some steps to help you plan a good keyword research:

1. Define your goals: Determine what you want to achieve with your keyword research. This could be to increase traffic, improve rankings, or generate leads.
2. Identify your target audience: Understand your target audience and their search behavior. This will help you identify the keywords they are searching for.
3. Brainstorm keywords: Use tools like Google Keyword Planner to generate a list of potential keywords. You can also use Google Trends to see how popular these keywords are.
4. Analyze your competitors: Identify your competitors and analyze their keyword research and content strategies. This will help you identify gaps in the market and opportunities to improve your own content.
5. Refine your list: Refine your list of keywords based on relevance, search volume, and competition. Focus on long-tail keywords that are more specific to your business.
6. Create content: Use your list of keywords to create high–quality content that is optimized for search engines. Make sure your content is relevant, informative, and engaging.
7. Track your progress: Monitor your keyword rankings and track your progress over time. This will help you identify what is working and what needs improvement.

Understanding the Intent of a Keyword

Keyword intent refers to the reason behind a user’s search query. Understanding keyword intent is crucial for creating engaging content that meets users’ expectations and drives traffic to your website. There are three basic types of search queries: informational, commercial, and transactional ¹.

Informational queries are performed to answer questions or learn something. Commercial queries are performed to prepare for a transaction, while transactional queries are performed to buy something ¹.

High intent keywords are those that signify a strong intent on the part of the searcher to conduct a transaction, whether it be to buy something, inquire about a service, or another type of action that has a strong possibility of leading to a later sale ¹. Examples of high commercial intent keywords include “buy now” keywords and “product” keywords ¹.

Optimizing your content for keyword intent means tailoring your content to speak directly to what users want. This can help you attract more qualified prospects, drive more sales, and generate more leads ¹. For more information on how to determine keyword search intent, check out this article by AgencyAnalytics ². I hope this helps!

What is The CPC of Keywords?

CPC stands for Cost Per Click. It is the amount of money that an advertiser pays to a search engine every time a user clicks on their advertisement. The cost per click varies depending on the keyword, competition, and other factors.

There are several tools available to help you determine the CPC of keywords. One such tool is WordStream’s Free Keyword Tool. This tool provides accurate keyword volume and CPC data to help you find the right keywords to target and maximize your marketing budget ¹. Another tool is SEO Tools Den, which provides a list of high CPC keywords updated monthly ².

It’s important to note that CPC is just one factor to consider when selecting keywords for your SEO strategy. Other factors such as search volume, competition, and relevance should also be taken into account. I hope this helps!

CPC or Cost Per Click is the amount of money that an advertiser pays to a search engine every time a user clicks on their advertisement. The cost per click varies depending on several factors, including the maximum bid, Quality Score, and ad rank of other advertisers bidding for the same keyword ¹².

For example, with Google Adwords, the cost per click depends on the ad text, keywords, landing page, and maximum bid to rank the ad based on accuracy and user-experience ¹. Every time a query is searched, all ads that have bid on that keyword go to “auction” to try and rank higher than the other competitors. However, the highest bidder doesn’t always win. Google takes into account how specific the ad and landing page are to the keyword queried ¹.

Other factors that affect CPC include seasonality, high consumer traffic holidays, and competition among marketers ¹.

To determine the CPC of keywords, you can use tools like WordStream’s Free Keyword Tool or SEO Tools Den ¹². Keep in mind that CPC is just one factor to consider when selecting keywords for your SEO strategy. Other factors such as search volume, competition, and relevance should also be taken into account ².

Keyword Variations & Clusters

Keyword variations refer to different ways of phrasing the same keyword. For example, “running shoes” and “jogging shoes” are variations of the same keyword. Keyword clusters, on the other hand, are groups of keywords that target the same search intent ¹.

Keyword variations are important because they help you target a wider range of search queries and increase your chances of ranking for those queries. By using variations of your target keyword, you can create more relevant content that meets the needs of your target audience ².

Keyword clusters are important because they help you organize your content around specific topics and improve your chances of ranking for multiple keywords. By grouping related keywords together, you can create a more comprehensive and authoritative piece of content that satisfies the search intent of your target audience ¹.

Using keyword variations and clusters can help you improve your SEO strategy by targeting a wider range of search queries, creating more relevant content, and improving your chances of ranking for multiple keywords.

More Resources

• Search Volume: How to Find Monthly Search Volume – 2023 – MasterClass 
• what is msv in seo – Li Creative 
• Long-Tail Keywords: What They Are & How to Use Them | WordStream
• Long-Tail Keywords Strategy for Ecommerce SEO 
• Content Gaps: What They Are, How to Identify, & How to Fix 
• What Is Content Gap in SEO? [All You Need to Know in 2023] – Starter 
• Keyword Research [Beginner’s Guide to SEO] – Moz 
• How to Do Keyword Research for SEO: A Beginner’s Guide
• How to Get Started with Keyword Research for SEO
• How To Determine Keyword Search Intent – AgencyAnalytics