Keyword Research Tutorial: 3-Step Process for All Levels

Summary

In this SEO tutorial, Nathan Gotch from Gotcha SEO Academy outlines a comprehensive keyword research process for SEO campaigns. He explains the importance of targeting long-tail keywords over head and body keywords for clearer intent and less competition. Gotch shares strategies for discovering keyword opportunities, including analyzing existing rankings, using SEMrush's Keyword Magic Tool, and leveraging Google's 'People Also Ask' section. He also discusses the crucial steps of keyword qualification and prioritization, emphasizing the need for relevance, search volume, and low competition to ensure profitable SEO efforts.

Takeaways

• 😀 Nathan Gotch, founder of Gotcha SEO, shares his step-by-step keyword research process for SEO campaigns.
• 🔍 There are three types of keywords: head, body, and long-tail, with long-tail keywords being recommended due to clearer intent and lower competition.
• 🚫 Avoid head keywords as they are often too broad, difficult to rank for, and result in low-quality traffic and conversions.
• 🔑 Long-tail keywords, with four or more words, are preferred for their specificity, lower competition, and higher conversion rates.
• 🛠️ Use SEMrush to identify existing keywords your website is ranking for and categorize them into low hanging fruits, existing, and clustering opportunities.
• 🌟 Prioritize low hanging fruit keywords (ranking 2-15) for immediate action and consider clustering opportunities for pages not ranking in the top 50.
• 🎯 Utilize SEMrush's Keyword Magic Tool to find keyword opportunities by leveraging filters and focusing on low keyword difficulty (KD).
• 📚 Explore Wikipedia for relevant subtopics related to your broad topic to find additional keyword ideas.
• 🤔 Use AlsoAsk.com to discover long-tail keyword phrases from Google's 'People Also Ask' section, which can help build topical relevance.
• ✅ Select a primary keyword for each page based on search volume and intent, ensuring one primary keyword per page for focused targeting.
• 📊 Use keyword qualification factors such as current position, search volume, keyword difficulty, transactional intent, relevance, trend, and CTR potential to filter and prioritize keywords.
• 📈 Estimate the cost of content creation and backlink acquisition to prioritize keywords that offer the most profitable ranking opportunities.

Q & A

What is the main purpose of the video?

The main purpose of the video is to demonstrate a step-by-step keyword research process for SEO, helping viewers find the perfect keywords for their SEO campaigns.

Who is the presenter of the video?

The presenter is Nathan Gotch, the founder of Gotcha SEO, who has led numerous successful SEO campaigns and teaches SEO through his academy.

What are the three types of keywords discussed in the video?

The three types of keywords discussed are head keywords, body keywords, and long-tail keywords, each with different characteristics and uses in SEO.

Why should head keywords generally be avoided in SEO?

Head keywords should be avoided because they often have unclear intent, result in low traffic quality and conversion rates, face high competition, and experience extreme SERP volatility.

What makes body keywords more specific and clearer in intent compared to head keywords?

Body keywords are more specific and clearer in intent because they usually consist of two to three words, which helps narrow down the search query and makes the user's intent more apparent.

Why are long-tail keywords often the best choice for targeting in SEO?

Long-tail keywords are often the best choice because they have a clear intent, are less competitive, and can lead to higher conversion rates and more quality leads.

What is the first phase of keyword selection based on, according to the video?

The first phase of keyword selection should be based 100% on intent, even though search volume is important, the focus should be on finding keywords that align with the user's intent.

How can one find keyword opportunities from their existing keyword profile?

One can find keyword opportunities by analyzing the keywords they are already ranking for, categorizing them into low hanging fruits, existing keywords, and clustering opportunities, and then prioritizing them based on their current position and other factors.

What is SEMrush's Keyword Magic Tool and how can it be used for keyword research?

SEMrush's Keyword Magic Tool is a feature within the SEMrush platform that helps users discover new keyword ideas by using filters to refine and find relevant keywords based on a seed keyword.

What is the significance of the 'People Also Ask' section in Google and how can it be utilized for keyword research?

The 'People Also Ask' section in Google provides real-time keyword validation by showing phrases that are actually searched for on Google. It can be used to find long-tail keyword phrases that build topical relevance and target keywords that may be overlooked by competitors.

How does the video suggest prioritizing keywords for an SEO campaign?

The video suggests prioritizing keywords based on factors such as current position, minimum search volume, keyword difficulty, transactional intent, relevance to core offerings, trend, and potential organic CTR.

What is the next phase of the SEO process discussed in the video?

The next phase of the SEO process discussed in the video is conducting a complete step-by-step SEO audit, which will be the focus of the next video in the series.