5 Keyword Research Mistakes to Avoid

Keyword research is more than just an SEO task; it’s the backbone of a good strategy. It helps increase website visibility, brings in the right audience, and can lead to higher conversion rates. When done well, it ensures that your content reaches the people who are genuinely interested. Taking the time to approach keyword research strategically can make a significant difference in your online performance.

This guide aims to underline the importance of keyword research and highlight five common mistakes to avoid. It will allow you to make informed decisions that can benefit your long-term SEO strategy.

Mistake 1: Ignoring Long-tail Keywords

Long-tail keywords are crucial in keyword research for SEO due to their high specificity and low competition. They are usually less popular than head keywords but target a more defined audience, thus capturing relevant traffic, and even improving conversion rates. These keywords make up a significant portion of online searches, with data suggesting that nearly 70% of Google searches are long-tail keywords¹. Ignoring long-tail keywords can lead to missed opportunities in terms of attracting the right audience and optimizing conversion rates. For instance, long-tail keywords tend to have a conversion rate of 36% as opposed to their short-tail counterparts².

Consider a situation where a blog about houseplants overlooks specific search terms like “best indoor plants for low light 2023” and instead just centers around a broad term like “houseplants.” By using the more detailed keyword, you’re more likely to draw readers who are actively seeking advice on low-light plants, making them more engaged and possibly leading to more interactions or purchases.

Mistake 2: Misunderstanding User Intent

Understanding user intent (or search intent), which refers to the goal or reason behind a user’s query on a search engine, is fundamental in keyword research. Ignoring user intent can result in a disconnect between the chosen keywords and what the user is actually searching for, adversely affecting SEO performance.

For example, the term “bat” can refer to an animal, sports equipment, a company, or a cryptocurrency token, demonstrating the ambiguity that often accompanies short phrases or single-word queries. Similarly, a term like “SEO software” can have varying user intents, from seeking information about SEO software to comparing options or looking for a specific brand.

To better align keywords with user intent, take the following approaches:

1. SERP Analysis: Analyze the type and format of content that ranks on page 1 of the Search Engine Results Page (SERP) for your target keywords, and align your content accordingly. For instance, if the SERP consists of ‘How-To’ type blogs, the intent is likely informational.

2. SEO Tools: Use platforms like SEMrush or seoClarity to filter keywords by user intent. This can be helpful when dealing with a large list of keywords.

A quick note, though: In my experience, intent classification by tools is not always accurate. Therefore, I recommend manually reviewing the intent when finalizing keywords.

Mistake 3: Ignoring Competitor Analysis

Understanding the keyword landscape within your niche, especially the keywords for which your competitors are ranking, is a fundamental step in creating a robust content strategy. By conducting competitor analysis, you can uncover a treasure trove of insights into your competitors’ marketing strategies, their target audiences, and the positioning of their products or services. This analysis also helps identify keyword gaps, potentially revealing high-value keywords that your competitors are targeting, but you may have overlooked.

Here’s how to dig deep into competitor keyword analysis and stay ahead in the game:

Step 1: Collect the keywords your competitors are targeting but you are not. You can use tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs for this.

Step 2: Expand the list of keywords further by using the competitor keywords you found as seed keywords. You can use the same tools mentioned earlier for this.

Step 3: Organize them into meaningful clusters based on shared characteristics or search intent.

Step 4: Start creating content with the keyword clusters that have the most traffic potential and the least competition.

Maintaining an ongoing monitoring system for competitor keyword strategies can lead to consistently staying ahead. Remember, SEO is not a one-time task but an ongoing process that requires constant vigilance and adaptation to the ever-evolving market trends and competitor strategies.

Mistake 4: Using the Wrong Metrics

In SEO, data-driven decisions are your best bet for success. However, not all metrics carry the same weight. Some metrics provide a clearer picture of your SEO strategy’s potential effectiveness, while others might lead you down a rabbit hole of irrelevance. Understanding which metrics align with your business goals is the key to unlocking the full potential of your SEO strategy.

The traditional go-to metrics for keyword selection have been Volume and Keyword Difficulty. ‘Volume’ refers to the average number of times a keyword is searched within a particular time frame, giving us an idea of the keyword’s popularity and potential traffic. And ‘Keyword Difficulty’ is a metric to gauge how challenging it would be to rank higher on SERPs for a given term. Often, most SEOs and marketers make decisions based on these two metrics alone. While there’s nothing wrong with using these metrics, they are insufficient to make informed decisions. There are other useful metrics we can consider alongside them to help us pick the right keywords.

Here are some metrics that can offer valuable insights:

1. Estimated Traffic of Pages Ranking: Offers a glimpse into the potential traffic our page can generate if it were to rank for the target keyword. Keep in mind that the third party tools tend to overestimate or underestimate this number.

2. Type of Pages Ranking: Understanding the type of pages (e.g., blog posts, product pages, forums) that rank for your target keywords can provide insights into user intent and competition.

3. SERP Features: Evaluating the presence of additional features like featured snippets, local packs, or image packs in the SERP can provide valuable insights. For instance, if you see a local map pack in the SERP, the keyword may likely require localized content.

4. Domain Authority: Indicates the site’s overall authoritative strength and its likelihood to rank well in SERPs. It’s important to note that Domain Authority is a third-party metric, and Google doesn’t use it to rank pages. However, it can be valuable for assessing keyword competitiveness when combined with other metrics.

Each of these metrics can provide a different lens to view your keywords, aiding in a more nuanced and effective keyword selection process. By broadening your focus beyond just Volume and Keyword Difficulty, you open the door to a more robust and effective keyword strategy.

Mistake 5: Failing to Update Content and Keywords

SEO is not a one-and-done deal; it’s a marathon, not a sprint. As such, the upkeep of your content and the keywords therein is important. Let me explain why:

1. Ranking Retention and Improvement: Updating content and keywords is a cornerstone for sustaining and improving your rankings on search. Content that remains fresh and relevant stands a better chance at clinching those coveted top spots on Google.

2. Traffic and Engagement: Refreshing content with the right keywords can significantly improve traffic and keep your audience engaged. It’s about meeting the evolving needs and queries of your audience, thus potentially leading to better website traffic.

3. Competitive Edge: In SEO, standing still is similar to moving backward. Refreshing content helps maintain a competitive edge in your niche.

4. Combat Content Decay: Over time, content can experience decay, leading to a gradual drop in traffic. Regular updates can mitigate this decay, ensuring your content remains a valuable asset.

5. Intent Change: In some cases, the intent of keywords can change, making existing content less relevant and useful. Updating or creating new content can help mitigate this.

Here are some tips to keep your content and keywords up-to-date:

1. Schedule Regular Reviews: Establish a routine for reviewing and updating content, giving priority to pages that underperform or hold significant value for your website. Conducting a quarterly or bi-annual review should suffice.

2. Leverage Tools: Employ tools like Google Search Console to review current keyword performance and identify areas for improvement. Look for pages that have lost traffic and declined in ranking over time.

3. Explore New Keywords: When traffic to certain keywords has plateaued, it’s time to expand your keyword list. Use Google Search Console to find new queries that you rank for in page 2 and beyond. If the queries are relevant and your content doesn’t cover them, it is time to update the content.

4. Re-Analyze Intent: When traffic to specific keywords has declined, it may be a signal of changed intent. Analyze the SERP for the keyword to determine if this is the case. If the intent has indeed changed, consider either adjusting your existing content to align with the new intent or creating new content if the former is insufficient.

5 Analyze Competitor Content: Keep an eye on competitors’ content and keyword strategies to glean insights on potential updates for your own content.

By incorporating a habit of regular review and updating of content and keywords, you dodge the pitfall of stagnation and ensure your content continues to resonate with your target audience and performs well in search.

Keyword research is crucial for a robust SEO strategy. Investing time and resources in meticulous keyword research, despite the challenges, will enable you to outperform your competitors, drive traffic to your site throughout the entire sales funnel, and generate conversions.