Search engine optimization draws on the relevance of a keyword. Broad definitions for a search term can lead to results that include multiple industries, services and products. A specific keyword will allow users to produce the highest key phrase relevance, but searchers need to know what those words are to achieve these results. When designing a SEO campaign, it is crucial to develop optimal phrasing that will allow users to find websites containing relevant information.
Depending upon the connotation of terms, the user’s intent will establish the focus of a search. Consumers may use terms that denote a general product or a specific brand. Companies will market their brand-name products to dominate the usage of a term so it becomes associated as the main definition. For example, if a person searches for Apple, most consumers will associate this term with the computer company. In the same manner, using apple in a search bar will produce results that pertain to products and services from that brand rather than the fruit. Understanding the key phrase relevance will prevent webmasters from optimizing words that are no longer associated with original terminology.
With certain terms, users will purposefully input additional words to specify their desired subject. Combining complimentary keywords increases the relevance of a search that uses common terms with multiple meanings. Generally, the word nail is associated with either cuticles or construction materials. Since a person will not want to find both terms in a search, he or she will use a complimentary term to focus the results on either fingernails or the metallic fastener. Optimizing commonly used phrases instead of a general term achieves the necessary relevance of a website without accidentally competing with unrelated industries.
Some situations may require the use of a keyword that is already dominated by another industry. When an informational website wishes to detail the biological facts of wild mustangs, it must compete with the car of the same name. Complementing the word mustang with horse may further complicate the term because users may receive results pertaining to Mustang horsepower rather than the animal. Using the plural of horse to focus the key phrase relevance prevents the results from associating horses with horsepower. Optimizing the phrase, mustang horses, will help searchers gain information about the animal instead of the horsepower of the vehicle. It is better to use focused terms that do not compete with a brand name when no other synonyms exist.
Hyper specificity can yield few improvements in web traffic even if the website appears at the top of organic search results. Employee names and the titles of businesses are among the most common terms that will lead to hyper specific keywords. A website owner will seek terms and phrases that are not utilized by other webmasters to achieve top rankings on organic search results. Since it is unlikely that a casual searcher will ever use these highly specific terms, the boosts in relevance will not lead to improvements in web traffic or subsequent revenue. The only time consumers will use these terms is when they already know about the business or website and are searching specifically for that company. Celebrity names are the rare exception to this rule, and news or fan sites will typically dominate the relevance of their names.
A trend in SEO is to combine terms into a single keyword for search results. While this method can allow websites to appear on lists that relate to the root of the keyword, it does not improve web traffic and will result in flawed relevancy. Webmasters will combine popular terms without spaces to form the names of businesses or related websites. With the word computers, search engines will typically direct a user to information regarding the technical specification and industries that provide this product. Campaigns that tack on words to utilize this initial search term to create unintelligible phrases, like computerscheap, seek to use the common root to boost the amount of web traffic. This limits the results for a user to only computers. If someone wanted to find cheap computers, that particular website will not appear relevant since it is only pertaining to a lengthy word that begins with computers. It is better to separate computers from cheap to gain higher relevance and increase web traffic.
Websites that cater to a particular market will have to decide between competing on a general level and specifying their keywords to the targeted audience. Service industries usually seek clients in a given area and are unable to serve consumers outside of this location. Healthcare practices are common industries that should not compete on a global level. Specifying the type of practice with the location reduces the competition with national firms that offer the same care. In most cases, users will have location cookies with search engines that can detect this relevance and allow local businesses to receive higher results than firms in non-relevant districts.
The goal of search engine optimization is to utilize key phrase relevance that targeted consumers will input. Words that are too general or specific will prevent users from finding a website due to high competition or ignorance of the term. By considering the multiple meanings of words, a person can decide which phrases are best for the intended relevance. Using specific terms that targeted demographics use will result in better campaigns. Websites that achieve increased levels of traffic through organic search results do so by choosing keywords that are relevant to the usage of the terms.
About Shane