the most common search engine optimization (SEO) tools that people use is the use of keywords. The idea is that you use these throughout your site in order to rank higher on the Google search page, as these are the words that will specifically be sought out. But here’s the thing, are those keywords that are considered “high-demand” worth targeting and weaving into your content? Do they really make a difference?
Let’s dig a little deeper into what high-demand keywords even are, and if you should be focusing on them.
Understand that Search Result Differ from Person to Person
The first thing you need to understand is the fact that search results are a personalized results page. What this means is that if you were to search for something using certain words, your results would show up different to the next person’s.
Your own personal search history plays a large role in the results that will pop up on Google, so right there you can’t assume that everyone is seeing the same thing you do. Just because your website ranks high on your own search result page, it doesn’t mean it’s true for everyone.
While this may seem frustrating as it makes it more difficult to target the “ideal” keywords, knowing this simple fact can in fact make things a little easier, as you’re more aware of the potential issues you face.
Take a Closer Look at What Appears On the Search Page
Another tip is to actually read what’s on that first page of the search results. What are the common features? Maybe you’ll see select phrases and words repeated on a variety of those sites. Even trends such as whether or not the sites listed are transactional or informative will start to show a pattern. It just gives you more insight.
What Determines If a Keyword is High-Demand?
Then there is the question of how to determine whether a keyword is high demand? It’s actually a whole calculation that you need to look at. In fact, professional search marketers do just that – they examine keywords to figure out how much effort and time it would take for that keyword to rank high on the search results page. It is called keyword competitiveness.
But just as you may imagine, this is a fluid process meaning what is considered a high-demand keyword today may not be the case three, six, or 12 months from now.
As some experts suggest, sometimes the best solution is to just give it your best guess, publish keywords you think will do well, and see how the rankings play out. Unfortunately, this trial by error process results in much slower results overall, which is something not every company has the patience or budget for. When your site is hurting for traffic, the company may not have the luxury of time.
High Ranking Keywords Are the Most Effective Use of Time
So, as you start to delve deeper and deeper into the use of keywords it starts to become clear that targeting these high-demand keywords is actually the best use of your time. Sure, it takes longer to identify them, but the results will be immediate on the search page rather than the wait and see approach as you miss out on potential site visitors and, therefore, sales.
And it’s not just high-ranking keywords you should be targeting. According to many industry experts, it’s about using high volume, low competition keywords. This can be done through long-tail keywords, main topics, and then the sub-topics.
You get results right from the get-go and can start to move up the rankings page much faster.
A Great Way to Compete with Established Websites
Then there is the fact that these high-ranking keywords provide a viable way to actually compete with established websites. If there is a leader in your industry that has been around for years, chances are they have created a high domain rating for their website. This means the content is seen as trusted and reliable, so that helps to boost them in the search rankings.
If you are a smaller business, or perhaps a start-up, you don’t have the luxury of a high domain rating. Right there you start at a disadvantage. Those high-ranking keywords that are low competition can act as your “in”, your way of placing on that first page.
They Don’t Require a Lot of Link Building
These same high-demand keywords that have little competition are also great in that they don’t need a lot of link building, sometimes none at all. Again this comes in handy for start-ups, websites that don’t have an established base and authority, and those that want fast results.
While the typical keywords may take up to a year to start generating results on the search page, high-demand keywords can start bumping the company up the page in as little as three months.
Remember, link building, while important, is yet another step, another job that you may not have the time or budget for at this moment. That’s not to say that it should be ignored, it is more a matter of prioritizing which steps you want to take first, and where you want to focus your efforts in terms of increasing your website traffic.
So, What’s the Final Verdict?
As you read through all the pros of high-demand keywords, it becomes clear that it really can be worth the time to target them. This is especially true if you’re looking for a quick way to get results and you don’t necessarily have the energy to spend doing months’ worth of research and trial and error.