The dominant trend in SEO is currently "broad SEO," focused on ensuring the highest possible visibility for the website being developed by an SEO specialist. We've already discussed the number of keywords in SEO contracts here . In that post, we addressed the minimum number of keywords—in our opinion—that a website should be positioned for in order to experience the positive effects of SEO, as well as the relationship between the size of the page, the offer, and the keywords for which a given website is positioned. We also discussed whether "SEO without limits" is possible. Several months after the publication of this article and after discussions with our clients to whom we sent this post, we feel it's worth clarifying a few more issues related to the size of an SEO contract, with particular emphasis on keyword optimization.
Website optimization and keyword optimization
Website optimization differs from keyword optimization . When optimizing a website, we take steps to eliminate errors plaguing the entire website, such as (examples of relatively common problems):
- duplicate website,
- duplicate home page,
- duplicate subpages,
- difficulties in indexing the page (modifications in the robots.txt file, meta robots, canonicals, etc.),
- the sitemap.xml file is missing or the file is present but requires corrections,
- unfriendly subpage addresses,
- incorrect use of Hx headers,
- no nofollow in outgoing links,
- no alt descriptions for graphics on the page.
Problems related to website display speed or mobile version issues also affect the entire website, although they do impact SEO. Website optimization aims to improve its overall "quality score" and can positively impact SEO; however, it is different from optimizing for specific keywords. Of course, this overall website optimization affects the website's visibility – a better website is a way for search engine spiders to visit it more willingly and index it better. However, these activities are not precisely targeted at specific keywords, which are particularly important to our clients and for this reason, they have chosen to include them in their SEO contracts. Activities directly aimed at optimizing a website for specific keywords include (some popular examples):
- meta title optimization on subpages related to keywords,
- meta description optimization on subpages related to keywords,
- introducing optimized and unique content on subpages related to keywords,
- implementing Hx headers using keywords,
- running a blog and posting content related to the categories and offer points that are key for the customer (although proper blogging also strengthens the entire website),
- creating internal linking based on entries published on the blog,
- introducing keywords into the URLs of selected subpages that are thematically related to these keywords (which does not mean making them friendly, because a subpage can have a friendly address without using keywords),
- entering keywords for selected menu items (changing the name),
- creating new subpages dedicated to those items from the offer that are related to keywords,
- Entering the address of the registered office, stationary store, sub-branch, etc. on the website (this is important in the context of positioning for specific locations). Linking to the website can also be targeted more towards strengthening specific subpages and related phrases, or the entire website.
What are the benefits of website optimization?
Its effect is to strengthen the website overall and eliminate errors that hinder the SEO process. This can result in increased website visibility – overall, for all phrases that Google's search engine robots can associate with a specific website. These phrases can include keywords you want to position your website for, related phrases – so-called "long tails," but also, for example, the personal details of company executives, specific phrases frequently appearing in website content, etc. In the case of Verseo, the popular SEM Storm tool associates keywords such as:
(The rest of the article can be found below the form)
Google Search Console – position 37
pr – position 4
Warsaw Pact – position 21 (do we have a side business in history and research? No, it's just a very well-regarded activity by Google Artykuł thanks to which we are higher in Google.pl results for the mentioned keyword than the rp.pl website or the website of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland)
When choosing SEO based solely on your website's optimization (without optimizing for specific keywords), you should be aware that the impressive visibility results your website achieves (e.g., over 4 keywords related to your website in the top 50 – this is the result of verseo.pl) are partially due to its association with such relatively low-sales keywords. However, in the case of such optimization, there are truly no limits – no one sets or rigidly defines the maximum number of keywords that can be associated with a given website.
What does keyword optimization give you?
In this case, we're dealing with activities focused strictly on strengthening specific phrases and those that are closely related to them. To illustrate, if we're positioning our website for the keyword "wooden kitchen furniture Kalisz," and the product and category descriptions frequently include the term "modern" in the context of our offerings, there's a good chance our website will appear quite high in search results for "modern wooden kitchen furniture Kalisz," even though this phrase isn't on the list of keywords for positioning specified in the contract and the SEO specialist doesn't conduct dedicated activities for it. Well-executed SEO can give us visibility for long-tail phrases, ensuring this visibility even before the main phrases from the contract reach the top 10.
So what is worth investing in?
As you might imagine, the best solutions come from combining website optimization with specific keyword optimization. Both types of optimization work well together and deliver the best results. The SEO packages offered by Verseo include information about the number of keywords specified in the contract for which a given website is being positioned (this is the "SEO and keyword monitoring" section). In addition to those specified in the contract, the overall number of keywords that can lead to our website is also increased.
Selecting keywords – how is it done?
For SEO to deliver the desired results, proper keyword selection is essential. How do you know which keywords should be used on a given website? There are many ways to determine this? First, consider the different types of keywords. Each serves slightly different purposes. It's worth using all of them to attract the right people to your website. We can distinguish:
- general keywords (e.g. furniture, dresses, advertising) – short, consisting of one or two words; they have the highest search volume but usually generate the lowest conversion rate because they do not reveal the user's intent;
- long tail phrases (e.g. glossy white kitchen furniture, online advertising price) – they describe exactly what customers are looking for, so they result in better conversions;
- brand phrases (e.g., black red white furniture, Zara knitted dress) – a type of long-tail phrase in which the name of a brand (manufacturer, brand, store) or a specific product appears; they are worth using, for example, when positioning a store selling products from multiple brands;
- regional phrases (e.g. custom-made furniture Wrocław, billboard advertising Warsaw) – very helpful in positioning local businesses, they may contain the name of the city or e.g. voivodeship;
- phrases describing a question or problem (e.g., how to paint kitchen furniture, how to shorten a dress without sewing) – many people enter such keywords in Google; using them can help attract the user's interest in the offer, provided they find the information they are looking for on the website.
When selecting keywords for SEO, it's worth considering all of the above categories. It's important to consider how internet users might search for a given business. Phrases or questions formulated this way can become a starting point for a more detailed search for relevant keywords.
The best results are achieved by focusing on a single main keyword on each page and supplementing it with thematically related long-tail keywords. It's also a good idea to include lambswool and regional keywords in appropriate places on the page if the company is local. Using a large number of keywords will usually require creating additional subpages. For example, an online clothing store can create multiple sections dedicated to specific keywords, such as mini dresses, maxi dresses, prom dresses, casual dresses, wedding dresses, knit dresses, velvet dresses, etc. This is the best solution if the keyword selection reveals a large number of thematically related queries. Using so many thematically related keywords will also significantly increase the page's ranking for the highly competitive general keyword "dresses."
How to check the search volume for a keyword?
Some keywords are entered very frequently into search engines (usually general phrases). Others, particularly specific or niche, are of interest to only a few people. How can I check the search volume for a keyword? There are at least a few tools that allow me to obtain at least approximate data in this regard. Moreover, some keyword research sites also allow me to see which phrases my competitors are ranking for or which of them are related to the ones I've chosen. Let's take a look at several popular services that allow me to search, analyze, and select keywords.
- Google Keyword Planner is a free tool available in Google Ads. It allows you to search for keywords and monitor their search volume. It also suggests additional phrases related to a given topic. Furthermore, it provides graphs that allow you to see how search volume changes over time.
- Senuto is an increasingly popular tool offering extensive analytical capabilities. Its intuitive design lets you quickly learn how to check a keyword's search volume and simultaneously explore related keywords, revealing what Google users are actually searching for. Furthermore, the app allows you to check the current keywords on your website. This allows you to analyze how and for which phrases your website is ranking, and compare this data with your competitors.
- Semstorm is another type of website where you can check the keywords your competitors are ranking for, which can be very helpful in the selection process. The tool also allows for more advanced competitive analysis and suggests ways to gain an advantage over them.
- Ubersuggest allows you to search for keywords for which any website is positioning. It also provides a level of difficulty in positioning for a given word or phrase. Therefore, it can help you decide whether to target specific keywords. It's a simpler tool than Semstorm and Senuto, but unlike them, it's free.
All of the above tools are useful both at the beginning of the SEO process and throughout its duration. Some of them, in particular, allow you to monitor progress and verify whether your actions are producing the desired results. They allow you to see how many keywords your website is positioning for and what positions it holds for specific phrases. Presenting data in graphs facilitates analysis.
Optimal number of keywords
As you can see from this article, the number of keywords for which a contract has been signed with an SEO specialist will certainly not equal the number of keywords shown in reports generated by Ubersuggest, Senuto, and similar tools. This is because SEO is synergetic. This is particularly evident in the example of long-tail keywords, which can create a virtually infinite number of combinations. Google's algorithms carefully scan the website's content and, based on this, prioritize keywords that don't appear on the website in their exact form. An example of this can be found above, in the section "What are the benefits of optimizing for specific keywords?" Therefore, adding a large number of keywords to a single subpage doesn't make much sense. A good SEO specialist will ensure that, in addition to the main keyword, synonyms or thematically related words appear on the page. This will give the keyword a much broader visibility. At the same time, if a separate subpage can be created for a specific keyword, it should be done. "Cramming" many phrases describing, for example, different products in one place will do more harm than good.
It's also worth knowing that achieving the top spot in Google search results isn't easy for just one phrase, let alone several. This is especially noticeable for the most popular keywords, meaning those most frequently searched for. In this case, most websites only manage to achieve the top spot for that one phrase. Ranking in the top spot for five or more moderately popular keywords is also very rare.
However, with the right approach to broad-tail SEO, you can achieve good visibility for a wide range of keywords. It's worth striving to rank in the top 10 for as many of them as possible, those that are related to the website's content and theme. This is achieved by using the previously mentioned long-tail keywords. Finding them isn't difficult thanks to the tools mentioned above. The only question is how to use them appropriately and combine SEO activities for specific keywords with overall website optimization. Sounds complicated? Indeed, broad-tail SEO requires considerable knowledge, time, and a significant amount of work. Furthermore, the results are gradual, and the activities must be carried out continuously, while constantly analyzing the market, trends, and competitors' actions. This is why SEO should be entrusted to specialists.
Summary
The above article covers the following topics:
- Differences between on-page optimization and keyword optimization
- Benefits of keyword optimization
