Now that you know what keyword research is, it’s vital to learn why it is so important for Search Engine Optimization (SEO).

Your marketing strategy begins here. Keyword research directly affects every other SEO task that your business will perform moving forward. This is why it is the first step in creating any SEO campaign no matter what type of market you’re in.

There are three criteria that the right keywords should meet:

• They need to focus on what people are searching for online that is specific to your business.
• Once people are directing to your website with the right keywords or phrases, their questions about a certain topic need to be answered
• The traffic generated through these keyword searches should fulfill certain goals whether they be marketing outreach or monetary ones

Keyword research should drive every part of your marketing strategy. This includes the following:

• Finding Topics – Discover what is popular amongst your key demographic and find that niche that will lead to profitability
• On-Page SEO – Optimize your webpage’s content to rank higher in online searches and create more traffic to your site
• Email Outreach – Reach your audience and earn more customers through keyword-rich direct emails
• Content Promotion – Distribute online content like blog posts through different channels like advertising, social media, and even influencer outreach

The most important one on this list in terms of SEO strategy is ‘Topics’.

Keyword research informs you on what topics people actually care about and are trending. If you use the right SEO tools you can discover what the popular topics are among the target audience you are trying to reach.

In finding keywords or phrases that received a high volume of searches, you can pinpoint and sort content into topic categories in order to create content about them. After that you can use these topics to inform what keywords or phrases to target in content creation whether they be blogs, press releases, emails, ads, your business website, or even your personal website if you’re a freelancer or independent consultant.

Keyword research and recognizing its intrinsic value in SEO marketing is one of the most vital steps in creating a good marketing strategy for your business.

Without keyword research you cannot drive traffic to your website, create sales, and foster ROI. It is key in bringing potential customers to your website to promote whatever products or services you offer. You can tackle questions that matter most to your audience by researching keywords for their popularity, search value, and general intent. And by doing so you can create a more productive and profitable business plan.

Check out NonStop Marketing’s digital products to help you in creating your own keyword research strategy.