i've got 99 problems and a keyword ain't one!

@WojKwasi #BigDigitalADL

Follow along at:

@WojKwasi #BigDigitalADL

“It all begins with wordstyped into a search box.”

https://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/33511/Answers-to-Your-Top-7-Questions-About-the-State-of-SEO-in-2012.aspx

Search Demand

Overview1. Traditional Keyword Research

(and how to do it in under a minute)

2. The Search Experience

3. SERP Formations Study(Bonus: 9 Key Optimisation Tactics)

* Why re-invent the wheel?

How keyword research works today

IDEATION VALIDATION

IdeationBrainstorm / Generate lists of words

ValidationQuantify terms – incl. volume, competition, difficulty

How can you do thisbetter than anyone else?

Innovate

1. Come up with better ideas

2. Get better insights to find opportunities

Who likes burgers?

Start with the BasicsMake a list of your own keywords

(Gather lists from clients / other resources)

Find SynonymsUse thesaurus.com

Add ModifiersCommercial / Transactional

Local Modifiers

Question Modifiers

We now have our seed list

It’s time to Validate…

Keyword Planner

https://adwords.google.com/ko/KeywordPlanner

Ubersuggest.io

https://ubersuggest.io/

KeywordTool.io

https://keywordtool.io

KWFinder

https://app.kwfinder.com

AHREFs

https://ahrefs.com/keywords-explorer

Answer The Public

http://answerthepublic.com/

Answer The Public: Questions

http://answerthepublic.com/

MozKeyword Explorer

https://moz.com/explorer/

SEM RushCompetitor & Top Sites into Domain Overview / Organic Research

https://www.semrush.com/au/info/empty/domain_organic/

Similar Searches + More

Question…

Keyword Research(in under a minute)

1. Save a SERP to your local machine

e.g. https://www.google.com.au/search?q=burgers+adelaide

2. Rename to <keyword.html>

e.g. burgers-adelaide.htm

3. Upload to ftp server

4. Go to Keyword Planner and enter URL

e.g. http://www.kwasistudios.com/test/burgers-adelaide.html

Keyword Research(in under a minute)

Try it with Bing too…

* It’s all about the user

Next LevelFor better results than anyone else,

you can’t just have better tools and techniques:

You need a better process too.

Understanding IntentThis traditional two-stage keyword research process

misses 2 crucial stages at the beginning & end:

Understand your searchers & understand the

opportunities.

IDEATION VALIDATION

UNDERSTAND SEARCHER

UNDERSTAND OPPORTUNITY

Understanding User Journeys

AWARENESS CONSIDERATION DECISION

Understanding User Journeys

Before you can start brainstorming keywords, you have to

really understand what it is that’s driving your customers to

search at every stage of their user journey.

Do they have an issue they need addressed?

Have they clearly defined the issueand given a name to their need?

ISSUE FIX

Have they decided on the fix andare ready to make a deal?

ISSUE FIX DEAL

Understanding Motivations

You need this to understand their motivations and

understand the terminology they will use at each stage -

these will become the themes/buckets you explore during

the Ideation stage of keyword research.

Keywords themes based on motivations

Stage Motivation Keywords Content Landing Pages

IssueI want food quick

because I’m hungry

places that deliver in adelaide, fast food

delivery

Our Quick & Easy Food Options Delivered

/fast-food-delivery-adelaide

FixI want a burger

delivered

burgers adelaide delivered, burger delivery adelaide

Burger Delivery in Adelaide

/burgers-adelaide-delivered

Deal I want Woj Burgerwoj burgers adelaide, woj burgers delivered

Woj Burgers – Quickest Used Salisbury Steak Delivery in Adelaide

/contact

Alignment = The Search Experience

* Research just in…

Not all SERPs are created equal in 2017

It’s no longer 10 blue links

https://www.slideshare.net/crumplezone/beyond-10-blue-links-the-future-of-ranking

So we studied 2,000 SERPs

http://kwasi.co/serp2017

Why we did the SERP study

We set out to identify the

most probable compositions of Google SERPs

for different keyword types and

to identify key optimisation tactics for each formation.

1. What SERPs are most likely to look like and include for each type of keyword.

2. Best ways to work with the SERPs features to include them in our search strategies.

Method: Identify Keyword TypesCelebrity Name

(as a practice swing: these results were the easiest to verify).

Commercial Keywords + Brand Name

Brand Name(global and very well-known companies)

Commercial Keywords + Transactional modifier(e.g. “buy”)

Brand Name(lesser known companies)

Commercial Keywords + Location

Brand Name + Location Question-Based Longtail Keywords

Commercial Keywords(products or services)

Statement-Based Longtail Keywords

Method: Gather Keywords

10 keyword types

200 per keyword type

2,000 keywords

Method: Deep Dive!Moz’s Keyword Explorer for rough list of feature types

*didn’t tell us the most common “formation” for each keyword type

Lots of manual deep diving!

Celebrity Namese.g. Barrack Obama, Matt Damon, Dwayne Johnson, Caitlyn Jenner, Miley Cyrus

Celebrity NamesTop Stories

Celebrity NamesIn-Depth Articles

Celebrity NamesTweets

Celebrity NamesBig Juicy Knowledge Panel

Big Brands – Little or no newse.g. Louis Vuitton

Big Brands – Little or no newsAdWords (Top)

Big Brands – Little or no newsKnowledge Panel

Big Brands – Little or no newsSite Links

Big Brands - Newsworthye.g. Deutsche Bank - In addition to Knowledge Panel there were Top Stories,

Tweets and In-Depth Articles (no AdWords or Site Links)

Lesser-Known BrandsSimilar to Big brands (little or no news): Knowledge Panel + extra Reviews

Lesser-Known BrandsKnowledge Panel (more local-centric)

Lesser-Known BrandsReviews

Brand Name + Location• 1 location = similar to lesser known brand

• Multiple = local pack

Brand Name + LocationLocal Pack

Commercial: Generic,Branded & Transactional

• e.g. mirrored wardrobe, jag watches, buy socks, cheap flights to bali

• Some Ads Top, Ads (Shopping) Right, Knowledge Panels & Reviews

Shopping

Images

Location ModifiedCommercial Keywords

• E.g. divorce lawyers sydney, diamond rings adelaide, fresh flowers brisbane

• Local Packs & Ads Top, Ads Bottom - Some had Ads (Shopping) Rights

Question-Based Longtail Keywords• E.g. what will happen if trump wins, why does ice float

• AdWords (top/bottom), Featured Snippets + Videos; Some showed Images + In-Depth Articles

Question-Based Longtail KeywordsFeatured Snippet

Question-Based Longtail KeywordsVideos

Statement-Based Longtail Keywordse.g. resume writing template, improve your credit score, christmas tree decorating ideas

AdWords (top and bottom), Featured Snippets and Related Questions

Statement-Based Longtail KeywordsFeatured Snippet

Statement-Based Longtail KeywordsRelated Questions

What this means for your KWR

During your keyword research you need to observe the

SERP formation and consider additional tactics as part of

your SEO strategy

* Pssst... Write this down

1. Insights

2. Ideation

3. Quantify

4. Qualify

Keyword Research Today

INSIGHTS IDEATION QUANTIFY QUALIFY

Understand the

searcher’s

user journey

Come up with

killer keyword

Validate your

ideas - where

are the

opportunities?

Understand the

opportunities in

context of the

search

experience

Now you can get back to yourother 99 problems

@WojKwasi

These slides:

http://kwasi.co/keyword17

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i've got 99 problems and a keyword ain't one!

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