{"id":6605,"date":"2013-12-13T05:00:47","date_gmt":"2013-12-13T12:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.yola.com\/blog\/?p=6605"},"modified":"2014-03-11T14:07:19","modified_gmt":"2014-03-11T21:07:19","slug":"why-keywords-are-a-big-deal-to-small-businesses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.yola.com\/blog\/why-keywords-are-a-big-deal-to-small-businesses\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Keywords Are a Big Deal to Small Businesses"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>Article written by Megan Totka, Chief Editor for ChamberofCommerce.com<\/em><\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ve noted in the past that <a title=\"SEO, SEM and PPC: An Easy Intro for Small Business Part 1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yola.com\/blog\/seo-sem-and-ppc-an-easy-intro-for-small-business-part-1\/\" target=\"_blank\">SEO is often the elephant in the room<\/a> when it comes to small businesses and their websites. What if we told you that the elephant in the room had its own elephant?<\/p>\n<p>SEO, keywords and keyword research remain some of the most controversial, hot-button topics, when it comes to small business and a good rapport with Google. There is no true \u201cone-size-fits-all\u201d way of working with keywords as there\u2019s so much conflicting information out there for site owners. Couple that with the fact that the search engine sphere is constantly evolving, and you can understand why keywords make the average person\u2019s head spin.<\/p>\n<p>Keyword research for small business is about as complicated as it is simple. That is, there are a lot of moving pieces and variables to consider; however, a truly great site should easily be able to find a healthy balance between targeted keywords and natural, sharable content.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-6606\" alt=\"Keywords big deal\" src=\"https:\/\/blogcontent.yola.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/Keywords-big-deal.png\" width=\"355\" height=\"237\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Wait, Why Are Keywords Such a Big Deal?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The numbers speak for themselves:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>On average, there were over <a title=\"Statistic Brain - Google Searches\" href=\"http:\/\/www.statisticbrain.com\/google-searches\/\" target=\"_blank\">5 billion daily searches conducted through Google in 2012<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><a title=\"Search Engine Land - Search sends more better traffic to content sites than social media studies say\" href=\"http:\/\/searchengineland.com\/search-sends-more-better-traffic-to-content-sites-than-social-media-study-says-72988\" target=\"_blank\">Search engines are the top source of traffic to content-driven websites<\/a>, ahead of social media by over 300%.<\/li>\n<li><a title=\"Search Engine Land - 24 Eye popping statistics\" href=\"http:\/\/www.searchenginejournal.com\/24-eye-popping-seo-statistics\/42665\/#wcvjsKeYBpiJOmTz.99\" target=\"_blank\">Leads acquired through SEO have a 14.6% close rate<\/a> versus a 1.7% close rate through print media or direct mail.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Users are out there, and they\u2019re searching like never before. The recent announcement of Google\u2019s Hummingbird update arguably makes a strong keyword strategy more important than ever. As keywords <a title=\"How to Make Your Small Site Look Bigger to Google\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yola.com\/blog\/how-to-make-your-small-site-look-bigger-to-google\/\" target=\"_blank\">make your site look bigger to Google<\/a>, ask yourself: Is your site reeling organic traffic in? Does your site have such a keyword strategy?<\/p>\n<p>Consider first that <a title=\"ChamberofCommerce.com 6 Small business SEO mistakes to avoid\" href=\"http:\/\/www.chamberofcommerce.com\/business-advice\/internet\/6-small-business-seo-mistakes-to-avoid-5702\/\" target=\"_blank\">many sabotage themselves<\/a> before they even get off the ground with keywords.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Three Major Pitfalls of Keyword Research<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Don\u2019t Think Big<\/strong><\/em> &#8211; While we may want the very best for our businesses, we can\u2019t assume we can rush in and take the top spot on Google without a fight. Instead of thinking big or small, think smart. The game of Google is a marathon, not a sprint, and you\u2019re expected to play by the rules.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Don\u2019t Assume<\/strong><\/em> &#8211; Although many business owners insist on trusting their instincts, guessing is as good as gambling, when it comes to Google. Never make assumptions on your keywords and always ensure that your <a title=\"Improve Your Website\u2019s Search Engine Visibility for Specific Keywords\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yola.com\/blog\/improve-your-websites-search-engine-visibility-for-specific-keywords\/\" target=\"_blank\">decisions are driven by data<\/a> (think: Google Analytics and Google\u2019s Keyword Planner are here for you).<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Don\u2019t Stop<\/strong><\/em> &#8211; Ranking in Google isn\u2019t a \u201cone and done\u201d affair. It\u2019s a continuous process that requires you to continuously evolve, adapt and create. Like we said, it\u2019s a marathon; if you\u2019re looking to rank, you\u2019re in this race for the long haul.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-6136\" alt=\"Competitor\" src=\"https:\/\/blogcontent.yola.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/Fotolia_21383946_XS.jpg\" width=\"356\" height=\"287\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>So, What Should I Do?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Act Natural<\/strong><\/em> &#8211; Being the king of keywords does little for your business content, if your site doesn\u2019t look and feel <em>natural<\/em>. Never stuff keywords or allow them to ruin the flow of your content or structure. Instead, focus on an aesthetically pleasing site, and don\u2019t obsess over keyword density.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Focus on the Long Tail<\/strong><\/em> \u2013 <a title=\"How to Drive Profitable Traffic to Your Website with Long Tail SEO\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yola.com\/blog\/how-to-drive-profitable-traffic-to-your-website-with-long-tail-seo\/\" target=\"_blank\">Website owners should focus on long-tail keywords <\/a>(search terms with three or more words), if they\u2019re looking to hit the ground running. Dominating keywords is an uphill battle; you have to start with less competitive terms before you can reach the top of the proverbial mountain. Long tails also allow you to target a specific audience in pursuit of a broader, steady stream of traffic.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Do Your Homework<\/strong><\/em> &#8211; Spend some time understanding both how Google works and what\u2019s being searched within your industry. What keywords can you <em>realistically<\/em> rank for? What keywords could you possibly rank for in the future? By understanding such questions and setting goals for yourself and your business, you\u2019ll know which direction to go in the keyword game.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The Bottom Line<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The world of keywords is a full of opportunity for SMBs looking to make their mark on the Web. Don\u2019t squander your chances of doing so. Instead, focus on strong, organic SEO efforts that will bring in new and excited visitors. What\u2019s your keyword strategy?<\/p>\n<p>&#8212;<\/p>\n<p><em>Megan Totka is the Chief Editor for <a title=\"ChamberofCommerce.com\" href=\"http:\/\/www.chamberofcommerce.com\" target=\"_blank\">ChamberofCommerce.com<\/a>. She specializes on the topic of small business tips and resources. ChamberofCommerce.com helps small businesses grow their business on the web and facilitates connectivity between local businesses and more than 7,000 Chambers of Commerce worldwide.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Article written by Megan Totka, Chief Editor for ChamberofCommerce.com We\u2019ve noted in the past that SEO is often the elephant in the room when it comes to small businesses and their websites. What if we told you that the elephant in the room had its own elephant? SEO, keywords and keyword research remain some of&hellip;&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.yola.com\/blog\/why-keywords-are-a-big-deal-to-small-businesses\/\" class=\"\" rel=\"bookmark\">Read More &raquo;<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Why Keywords Are a Big Deal to Small Businesses<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"","neve_meta_content_width":0,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":"","neve_meta_reading_time":"","_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false},"categories":[119],"tags":[552,316,362,481,1113,86],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.yola.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6605"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.yola.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.yola.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yola.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yola.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6605"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.yola.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6605\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6995,"href":"https:\/\/www.yola.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6605\/revisions\/6995"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.yola.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6605"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yola.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6605"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yola.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6605"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}