What to Do After Keyword Research?

No matter if you're a business owner looking to attract more customers, a blogger hoping to get more readers, or someone just starting out in SEO, understanding what to do after keyword research is essential. As it’s not just about collecting words that people search for. It's about knowing how to use them to boost your online visibility. Think of keyword research as step one, and everything you do after is where the magic happens. With the right moves, you can turn those keywords into a powerful tool that brings more traffic and success to your website.

Step 1: Understanding the Intent Behind the Keywords

Once you have a list of keywords, it’s crucial to understand the intent behind each keyword. Keyword intent refers to the reason a user is searching for a particular term. Are they looking for information, trying to buy something, or just browsing?

For instance, if someone searches for “best running shoes,” they’re likely at the research stage of a purchase. On the other hand, “buy running shoes online” clearly indicates a desire to make a purchase. Understanding this intent will help you create content that answers your audience’s specific needs, which in turn will boost your SEO efforts and conversion rates.

By learning about keyword intent, you can decide what type of content - blog post, product page, landing page - best fits each keyword. Always aim to meet your audience's needs by aligning your content with their search intent.

Step 2: Organize and Categorize Your Keywords

Now that you’ve researched keywords and understood their intent, it’s time to organize them. Without proper organization, your keyword list can become overwhelming and difficult to manage. Grouping keywords into categories makes it easier to implement them effectively.

Start by segmenting your keywords into different groups based on:

• Topics: What general themes or areas do the keywords fall under?

• Search Intent: Are users looking to make a purchase, find information, or navigate a website?

• Content Types: Do they relate to product pages, blog posts, or FAQs?

For example, if you’ve done B2B keyword research, you might categorize your keywords into groups like “lead generation,” “CRM solutions,” or “business management tools.” This will make it easier to apply them when creating or optimizing content.

Step 3: Optimize Existing Content

Chances are, you already have some content on your website. One of the easiest ways to boost your SEO is by optimizing existing content using your new keyword list. Look at your top-performing pages and see if you can incorporate the keywords you’ve found.

To optimize your existing content, here’s what to do:

• Add keywords naturally into the title, headings, and body of the content.

• Update old information to ensure accuracy and relevance.

• Improve internal linking by linking to other relevant pages on your site, using the keywords as anchor text.

• Rewrite meta descriptions to include your target keywords.

• Make sure your content reads naturally and flows smoothly. Keyword stuffing is not only ineffective but can harm your rankings.

Step 4: Create New Content Based on Keywords

If you’ve uncovered gaps in your content while organizing your keywords, this is the perfect opportunity to create new, targeted content. The idea is to fill those gaps with content that is highly relevant to the keywords you’ve researched, which will improve your visibility on search engines.

After doing international keyword research, you may find that you’re missing content for users in different countries or regions. You can create localized pages or blogs that cater to these international audiences.

Consider different content types:

• Blog posts: Great for long-tail keywords and providing in-depth information.

• Landing pages: Target high-intent keywords with pages designed to convert visitors.

• Product or service pages: Focus on transactional keywords to drive sales.

Keep the search intent in mind and create content that’s valuable and informative for your audience.

Step 5: Focus on On-Page SEO

Once your keywords are in place, the next step is to focus on on-page SEO. This involves optimizing individual pages on your website to rank higher in search results and earn more relevant traffic. Here’s how to improve your on-page SEO after keyword research:

• Title Tags: Incorporate your main keyword into the title tag of each page.

• Meta Descriptions: Write compelling meta descriptions that include your keywords and encourage clicks.

• Header Tags (H1, H2, etc.): Use your keywords in your headers to help structure the content and guide users through the page.

• URL Structure: Make sure your URLs are short and descriptive, and include your target keywords.

• Image Alt Text: Add keywords to image alt text to help search engines understand the context of your images.

These are some of the best SEO practices to follow to ensure your content is fully optimized.

Step 6: Analyze Competitors

Competitor analysis is an important next step after keyword research. Understanding what keywords your competitors are ranking for can provide valuable insights into what you should focus on. Analyzing competitors will also help you identify opportunities they’ve missed, allowing you to capitalize on untapped keywords.

Look at their content, how they’ve structured it, and how they’re using keywords in their titles, headers, and descriptions. This research will help you determine where to focus your efforts and how to make your content stand out in the crowded marketplace.

Step 7: Monitor and Track Keyword Performance

Once you've started implementing your keyword strategy, you’ll want to monitor how well your chosen keywords are performing. SEO is a long-term game, and tracking progress is key to making necessary adjustments.

Use tools like Google Analytics, Google Search Console, or other SEO software to monitor keyword rankings, organic traffic, and engagement metrics. You should also regularly check the performance of specific pages to ensure they’re ranking for the right keywords.

Pay attention to the keywords that are driving the most traffic and conversions. If some keywords aren’t performing as expected, you might need to tweak the content or your on-page SEO.

Step 8: Incorporate Keywords into Paid Campaigns

If you're running paid search or social media campaigns, you can use the keywords you've found to improve your ad targeting. While keyword research is often associated with organic SEO, it’s also an essential part of paid search strategies.

For instance, when running Google Ads, you can use your keyword list to target relevant search queries and create ad copy that resonates with your audience. The more closely your ads align with the searcher’s intent, the higher the likelihood of driving conversions.

When applying this to B2B keyword research, make sure to tailor your ads to the specific needs of business clients rather than general consumers. This will make your paid campaigns more relevant and effective.

Step 9: Revise Your Keyword Strategy Based on Analytics

SEO is not a set-it-and-forget-it task. Once you’ve implemented your keywords and started tracking their performance, you need to revise your strategy based on the data you collect.

If certain keywords are performing well, focus more of your content around those terms. For keywords that aren’t gaining traction, it may be time to either optimize the content or shift focus to other keywords that better match user intent.

Remember, SEO and keyword research are ongoing processes. Revisiting your keyword strategy regularly will help you stay competitive and continue driving traffic to your website.

Conclusion

Now that you know what to do after keyword research, you can take your SEO efforts to the next level. It’s not just about finding the right words but making sure you’re using them the right way. Whether you’re optimizing existing pages, creating new content, or keeping track of how your keywords perform, each step is important for boosting your website’s traffic and rankings.

Remember, SEO is an ongoing process. It doesn’t stop after you add your keywords. Keep analyzing, revising, and adjusting your strategy as you go. The more you fine-tune your approach, the more you’ll see results. With the right plan in place, those keywords will start working for you, bringing in more visitors and helping you achieve your goals. Now it’s your turn to put your keyword research into action!

FAQs 

How often should I revise my keyword strategy?

It's a good idea to revisit your keyword strategy every few months or when you notice significant changes in performance. SEO trends and user behavior evolve over time, so it’s important to stay up-to-date.

Can I use the same keywords in multiple places on my site?

Yes, but avoid overusing the same keywords on every page, as this can lead to keyword cannibalization. Instead, assign different keywords to different pages based on the intent of each page.

What tools can I use to monitor my keyword performance?

Google Analytics, Google Search Console, SEMrush, Ahrefs, and Moz are popular tools that can help you track keyword rankings and overall site performance.

What if my competitors are ranking higher for the same keywords?

Conduct a thorough competitor analysis to understand what they’re doing differently. You can then improve your content or focus on keywords they’ve overlooked.

How can I find new keyword opportunities?

Look at related searches, use keyword suggestion tools, and pay attention to changes in search behavior. Additionally, monitor trending topics in your industry to find new keyword opportunities.