the keyword research checklist
I’m sure you’ve read dozens of articles about keyword research. I’m sure you’ve tested numerous keyword research tools. I’m sure you’ve cranked out countless keyword research reports for all types of businesses to earn their business, and I’d bet the family farm you’re either 1) already a trustworthy, successful SEO who never wants to stop learning about his or her craft or 2) on your way to becoming just that. Why else would you be reading this keyword research checklist blog entry?
What I want to propose is a deeper level of keyword research — a more holistic approach, if you will. I’d like to integrate elements of Agile project management methodology into this holistic approach to keyword research. It’s my goal to devise a keyword research checklist that includes MORE than just your typical steps. This new keyword research checklist begins well before any keyword research does. I’ll explain below.
Develop Your Website’s Elevator Pitch
Before you think about completing a keyword research checklist — before you even think about keywords — you need to think about your website as a whole. What is its purpose? Why does it exist? Here’s where what’s called a “user story” in Agile project management methodology, commonly used in software development, could come into play. Think about this statement, and fill in the blank:
As a business owner, I want my website to _____________.
Go ahead. Take a minute to really think hard about your site. The answer can be (and oftentimes should be!) more than one thing. Here are some typical stories that business owners come up with:
As a business owner, I want my website to showcase my products.
As a business owner, I want my website to provide information to the general public about my company.
As a business owner, I want my website to provide information about my products to current customers.
As a business owner, I want my website to entice potential customers to purchase my product.
Now, I want you to look at your previous statements. If you were looking for a website on the internet that boasts the qualities you have written down, what words would you type into Google to find it?
Take a moment to think about it.
It’s harder to come up with keywords than you thought it would be, isn’t it?
That’s why I want you to focus on thinking like a consumer in the next step of this holistic keyword research checklist. So keep reading!
Think Like a Consumer: Why Would Anyone Want to Visit Your Website?
I’d now like you to remove your business owner hat and put on a consumer hat. Think about your business. What does your business offer consumers? Better yet: how would you search for your business on Google if you were a consumer? Let’s use that Agile story format once again, and let’s say that the business is a coffee shop in Florence, SC.
First, we’ll start with what you, as a consumer, want:
As a consumer, I want to ___________.
Let’s get more specific, keeping that coffee shop in Florence, SC, in mind:
As a consumer, I want to find a coffee shop in Florence, SC.
As a consumer, I want to find a coffee shop near me.
As a consumer, I want to find a coffee shop with free Wi-Fi.
As a consumer, I want to find an independent coffee shop near me.
As a consumer, I want to find an independent coffee shop in Florence, SC.
As a consumer, I want to find the best coffee in Florence, SC.
As a consumer, I want to find cheap coffee in Florence, SC.
As a consumer, I want to find cheap coffee near me.
As a consumer, I want to find good coffee.
As a consumer, I want to find good coffee near me.
As a consumer, I want to find good coffee in Florence, SC.
Now, let’s create another story that will help you with content for your website in addition to helping with keywords for your site:
As a consumer, I want this website to _______________.
You know the drill! Let’s get more specific, keeping that Florence, SC, coffee shop in mind:
As a consumer, I want this website to provide the address of the coffee shop.
As a consumer, I want this website to list this coffee shop’s menu items.
As a consumer, I want this website to show how much each item on the coffee shop’s menu costs.
As a consumer, I want this website to include reviews of the coffee shop.
As a consumer, I want this website to include a history of the coffee shop.
As a consumer, I want this website to include information about who works in the coffee shop.
At the end of this exercise, you should have a good idea of what types of keywords your ideal consumer will be searching for in Google, and you should have started to understand what kinds of content will be most useful to visitors to your website.
Review Each Page of Your Website
Now’s the time to look at each individual page of your website — including your contact page, your service pages, and your blog entries. When reviewing a page, take a hard look at it and ask these questions:
What value will this page hold for a consumer?
Why would a consumer want to visit this particular page?
How can you integrate the ideas uncovered in the previous section into your actual website?
DO NOT FORGET TO TAKE NOTES. For each page, jot down what you think are valid and useful keywords. Each individual page should focus on one idea.
Conduct Your Keyword Research
Once you’ve done all of that work, it’s now time to actually conduct your keyword research! And for the actual act of keyword research? I’ll let the absolute experts show you how. As I was conducting keyword research for this blog entry, I happened upon another article detailing what a keyword research checklist should entail, and I found it very helpful. Here it is: a link to one of the most comprehensive keyword research checklists I’ve ever seen.
A Keyword Research Checklist Conclusion
Yes, conducting keyword research in this manner takes more time than simply pounding out reports that include keywords and keyword phrases somewhat related to a website. But the end results will be much more useful to both you AND your future clients. In the long run, you’ll get more qualified traffic — AND more conversions. After all… isn’t that what keyword research and SEO are all about?