What is a keyword and how does my small business use it?

If you’re in the process of learning how to build a website or generate content online, you’re likely coming across the term keyword over and over again. While your first question may be, “what is a keyword?” you can only get to that answer if you know the answer to “What is a keyword?” While the dictionary definition or a keyword is, “ an informative word used in an information retrieval system to indicate the content of a document,” there’s a bit more to it than that. The information retrieval form we will be covering in this blog is the Internet, or more specifically, search engines. Search engines seek out specific words that are entered by users to identify helpful results. This is why it is important to use short-tail keywords, mid-tail keywords and long-tail keywords. Let’s look at some examples of each of these types of keywords
Short-tail Keywords
Sometimes referred to as a head keyword, a short-tail keyword is generally a quite broad term that is popular to use in search. This means that they have a lot of competition. In practice, a short-tail keyword is no more than one or two words. While difficult to rank for, they are crucial to use in your relevant content. Example: new roofing
Mid-tail Keywords
To enhance your SEO efforts, you must use keywords that are usually
three to four words in length; these are known as mid-tail keywords
and offer a bit more description regarding the subject of the search.
They remain competitive, but open the doors to more specifics
regardings your goods and services. Example:
new shingle
roofing,
or,
new roofing quotes
Long-tail Keywords
To gain ground in search results, you need to attempt to use
long-tail keywords, which can be 5 or 6 words or more sometimes.
These keywords are much more specific than their shorter
counterparts. With the right long keywords you’ll generally earn a
higher conversion rate. Example: Costs for GAF shingle roofing
installation.
Geo-Targeted Keywords
While Google and other search engines generally take a user's location into account, geo-targeted keywords are critical for local businesses. These are essentially any short, mid or long tail keywords with a location attached to them, ideally one where your potential customers would be seeking your business. Example: new roofing installation in Chicago.
Finding the right keywords can be a time consuming challenge, but it is one that must be undertaken to ensure your business appears in search results. At MORBiZ, we work with small and medium sized businesses to enhance their web presence using a variety of tactics, including keyword research and crafting SEO rich content. To find out how we can help your business grow online and off with expert small business website building and other Internet marketing tools, please give us a call at 855-266-7249 or use this contact form . We look forward to connecting with you and sharing our recipe for successful web marketing.









