Focus Keywords
Keywords are true multi-talents in the competition of online stores and page operators on the World Wide Web. If you want to be ahead of your competitors not just by one click, but by one position on the Google results list, you have to master your craft. How do companies find out which search terms belong to the focus keywords? And what happens with these findings?
What are focus keywords?
A focus keyword is – the word already says it – the center of attention. If we condense the content of our website to a single word, we have the focus keyword. It is also called the main keyword because everything mainly revolves around this one term. No interested user can get past the focus keyword. If you are really on the right page (and not just clicked), you use the focus keyword and expect textual or graphical content.
How to find your focus keyword?
Finding a good focus keyword is sometimes child’s play. After all, it’s about the core of the matter. But be careful – the questions of the users do not always coincide with the know-how of the experts. For example, while medical terms are part of the daily vocabulary of doctors and trained nursing staff, patients use completely different words to describe or search for similar content. When searching for the main keyword, it is not only the content that plays an important role but also the group of people addressed.
If medical professionals are looking for articles about hematomas, laypeople enter the words “bruise,” “bruise,” or even simply “bumped, what to do?” into the Google search bar. Advertising agencies therefore always have the target group in mind.
Secondary Keywords
The ranking for a main keyword succeeds the better, the more valuable – meaning: more informative – the page is for the user. Therefore, the content should be aligned with the focus keyword. In addition to the main search term, so-called secondary keywords are defined in the research, which is closely oriented to the original word. These can be other terms or related terms. Depending on age, level of education, or regional origin, users often use different terms. Synonyms for a car can be a motor vehicle, wagon, vehicle, or passenger car. All of these together make up the keyword set.
Why are secondary keywords important?
Even if secondary keywords are less important, they should not be missing from the text. On the one hand, they serve unusual search queries, on the other hand, they improve the text and thus enhance its semantic value. Not only Google but also users react sensitively to keyword stuffing and honor variety. For effective lead generation, the entire keyword set must appear in the text. Depending on the weighting, an SEO agency integrates the more important terms in the descriptions and meta information.
If the web agency sets up a Google Ads campaign, topic-relevant terms form the core of the playout. In contrast to search engine optimization, in display marketing, a paid ad is played out in a target group-oriented manner. In online marketing, display campaigns with sophisticated targeting complement solid search engine optimization.
Keyword Sets
The more competitive a keyword is in the search engines, the more difficult it is to achieve a good ranking in the results lists. The advertising agency keeps an eye on the search volume and adjusts the SEO texts if necessary. The optimal mix between focus keywords and secondary keywords becomes the success factor. Long-tail keywords describe the search word in great detail; often main and secondary keywords are combined for this purpose. The word “car” results in a gigantically high search volume. In connection with a regional reference or a brand, the search volume is noticeably reduced and the ranking shows significantly better results.
Which combinations make the most sense?
Advertising agencies can find out which combinations promise the best results using keyword research tools. Some of the tools are free of charge:
- Soovle
- YouTube
- Semrush
- Google Trends
- Answer The Public
- Also Asked
In addition to special keyword research tools, classic search engines also provide valuable information. Google Search not only shows results but also alternative search queries from other people in the “Users Also Asked” section. Even Amazon’s search bar says a lot – after all, the online store is one of the most frequented websites.
Focus keywords and secondary keywords in monitoring
SEO optimization is not a one-time task. Advertising agencies scrutinize the ranking in regular cycles and determine the so-called visibility index. This allows the effectiveness of the keyword set to be assessed and a comparison to competitors to be made. This requires either special software or a Google Analytics account.
Conclusion: Focus keywords make the difference
To stay ahead in the competition for the best rankings, advertising agencies rely on effective search engine optimization. How well this works depends on several factors. The focus keyword is at the center of the research. Supplemented by suitable secondary keywords, a keyword set is created that successfully ranks for relevant queries. The definition of the keywords depends on the target group and the content of the page.
Several tools support marketing agencies in developing the keyword set. Secondary keywords are often synonyms of the focus keyword or related terms. Since search behavior and competition are constantly changing, all SEO measures must also be constantly adapted. Only in this way can the keyword set generate a high search volume.
