Keywords the Foundation of SEO

Keywords are more than just the words you think of when you describe your own business. Keywords can be a single word or longtailed keywords. A keyword is, for example, boats. That could mean anything from a kayak to a mega yacht. A longtail keyword is what people searching the internet are more likely to put in the search bar. Something like “bass boat for sale in Knoxville, TN” is more specific because the person searching for the boat is not interested in yachts. “Upholsters near me” is less specific than “boat upholstery repair Mobile Alabama”. Plumber near me is less specific than “toilet repair near me”. You get my drift. A keyword is a single word that you think your audience would use to find your business. A longtail keyword is a phrase that narrows the search to something closer to your business's niche.

When you are creating your website, Google wants you to promote your business to your intended audience. They are the ones who will put in specific phrases that define your business. Google wants you to have a focus for your website (and anything else you put out there for the public). If you mix, say, a non-profit with a for profit business on the same website, your ranking will be lower than if you had separate websites for each. If you have a website that mixes different types of businesses, the keywords become confusing to search engines. Keep your industry classifications separate. If you have a business that is tailored to “everything computer”, don't include your “interior design” business in your website or social media mix. Have one set of internet properties for computers and one for interior design.

To find your keywords, it is best to get an audit and a list of good keywords and longtail keywords. This will allow you to create pages and posts centered around each one. This makes Google happy. If Google is happy, the other search engines are happy, too.

Keywords are the foundation of search engine optimization. Everything else is built on that foundation. Always start with good keywords to build any of your internet footprint. This is where good website ranking starts.