Search engine optimization, or SEO, is related to using keywords strategically within your blog so it’s easier for people to find you in search engine listings. If you haven’t experimented with SEO very much yet, you may find it a bit daunting to do correctly, especially if you’ve heard how overuse of keywords could cause your blog to drop in rankings without warning. Fortunately, a tool called Google AdWords can take the mystery out of the equation so you can approach SEO like a pro. Keep reading to learn more.

Getting Registered

You’ll have three choices when it comes to signing up for Google AdWords. If you prefer to do things on your own, there’s the option of working your way through a self-guided process. Alternatively, Google staffs a toll-free number where you can get help from someone free of charge. Finally, there are also several third-party agencies that specialize in helping you start strong.

Using the Keyword Planner

Getting registered is the easiest part, but what’s ahead isn’t too hard, either. The Keyword Planner is found in your AdWords account, and it’s the updated version of what was the Keyword Tool. This part will require a bit of brainstorming, because you’ll need to think of the words a person might be most likely to use if they were searching for your blog. If you get stuck, the Keyword Planner will guide your efforts by making suggestions. Ideally, be as specific as you can, because that’ll be much more effective than using broad terms. It’s important you consider similar keywords, as some people search for different things. For example, if you are a lawyer providing legal advice on child custody, you may want to use terms like custody hearing, divorce, child support as those are supporting keywords.

Incorporating the Generated Keywords 

As you begin getting a list of keywords that closely relate to your blog’s specialty, you can save them to a list for later reference. The next step is to figure out whether you can smoothly work the keywords into blog posts without making them sound forced.

Try using them in post titles, within the first couple hundred words of a post, and spread out evenly between the remaining content. Although it’s a good idea to use keywords multiple times, never resort to stuffing them anywhere they will fit just for the sake of it. That could attract the attention of Google, but not in the way you want.

Relying on Metrics

Google AdWords is primarily intended to be a tool for people who want to purchase paid advertising. If you see the “Competition” header in your keyword metrics panel, don’t be mislead into thinking that’s a representation of how many people are searching for your keyword. It’s actually related to the amount of people who are paying to purchase a particular keyword for advertising purposes.

The Average Monthly Searches statistic should be much more helpful for your purposes. It details how many people within a certain location or search network have searched for a keyword over the past twelve months.

Hopefully this post should remove some of the guesswork when you’re trying to settle upon keywords to use, and also help you determine whether keywords you’ve chosen are still worthwhile, or if you need to make changes to reflect the ways your audience’s search habits have evolved. Good luck!

Do you use keywords? What tools do you find helpful? Let us know by commenting below!