How many keywords should you target?

Keyword research | Competition analysis

Keyword research is not just about analysing the competition, it's also about understanding how to find the relevant search terms that best reach your target audience.

Keyword research is an essential element of search engine optimisation that helps you determine which search terms to focus on to achieve your business goals. The right keyword research strategy can help you reach your target audience more effectively and optimise content development.

Don't get me wrong - keyword research is certainly important. SEO professionals and businesses use keyword research to decide which areas of their business to prioritise, to forecast the results of their activities, to assess opportunities for expansion, or for tactical activities such as writing tags or directing copywriters.

And yet, in SEO businesses, keyword research is the task most likely to be entrusted to the youngest member of the team. It's tedious, monotonous, repetitive, and seems - or so we think - like easy work. I know this because I often wrongly assumed this, and I was given this „groundwork” early in my career.

There are three main ways I think we are turning this work into boredom instead of strategic thinking. Here are these, and what we should focus on instead.

Quality over quantity

Focusing on quality rather than quantity in keyword research can make optimisation processes much more efficient. Identifying the right intent is key to creating more relevant content.

If you type in how to do keyword research into your search engine, you'll find that a common piece of advice is to compile as complete a keyword list as possible. However, this is a waste of time.

Instead of collecting every single keyword, try to focus 90% on the intentions that affect your new site or product. It's more realistic and you can spend your time making strategic decisions.

Leaving automation behind

The use of automated tools not only saves time, but also provides more accurate data to help you make strategic decisions. We can better use human resources for other, more creative tasks.

Another tip is to manually use Google SERPs for keyword research. However, this is too manual and redundant. If you use a popular SEO tool, this data is already available. Save time and use automated tools.

The wrong metrics

Choosing the right metrics for keyword research is essential. The search volume alone does not give a complete picture; combined with the click-through rate, much more accurate results can be obtained.

The primary metric for keyword research is often search volume, but this is not enough. Organic click-through rate (CTR) is also key. Some SEO tools offer estimates for both, which can help you set the right priorities.

Summary: Use your time wisely

Focus on the strategic elements of keyword research to create real value from your work. Using our time wisely is key to long-term success.

There are many skills, nuances and experiences in keyword research that I have not covered here. My hope is that we get used to focusing on the strategic parts, not just expanding spreadsheets.