
How to choose keywords for a site
Keywords are the foundation of any SEO strategy. They determine what queries users will use to find your site in search engines. Correctly selected keywords help attract targeted visitors, increase conversions and promote your business on the Internet.
In this article, we'll take a closer look at how to choose keywords for your website, even if you're just starting out with SEO.
1. Understanding your site's goals and audience
Before choosing keywords, it is important to clearly understand:
- What products or services you offer.
- Who is your audience. For example, age, geography, interests.
- What actions do you want your visitors to take. This could be a purchase, registration, newsletter subscription, etc.
The more specific you are about these parameters, the easier it will be to find the right keywords.
2. Creating a Primary Word List
Start with a simple brainstorm:
- Write down all the words and phrases that describe your products or services.
- Add synonyms, abbreviations, and popular terms.
- Divide them into categories: products, services, problems, solutions.
Example: for a website selling vitamins, the primary list might include:
- immune vitamins
- natural supplements
- vitamin C buy
- body health
3. Using tools to find keywords
There are many services that can help you expand your list of keywords:
- Google Keyword Planner - a free tool that shows the popularity of queries.
- Yandex. Wordstat – for the Russian-speaking audience.
- Ahrefs, SEMrush, Serpstat – paid services with advanced features.
- Ubersuggest - Free option for keyword ideas.
These tools help you see:
- query frequency,
- competition level,
- similar and additional keys (long-tail and LSI).
4. Selection of long key phrases (long-tail)
Long key phrases consist of 3-5 words and reflect a more specific user request.
Advantages:
- less competition,
- higher probability of conversion,
- more accurate hitting the target audience.
Examples:
- "where to buy vitamin C for children"
- "natural vitamins for immunity in winter"
5. Competitor analysis
Look at what keywords your competitors are promoting for:
- Study their pages, meta tags (title, description), headings.
- Use services like Ahrefs or SEMrush to analyze your competitors' keywords.
This will help you understand which queries work and which don't.
6. Dividing keywords by page
Each page of the site should have its own unique set of keywords:
- Home page - high-frequency keywords that reflect the main theme of the site.
- Product/service categories - mid-frequency keys.
- Blog/articles - long keys and user questions.
This approach helps make the site structured and improves search rankings.
7. Review and adjustment
SEO is a dynamic process. After introducing keywords, you need to:
- Track the site's positions for key queries via Google Search Console or Yandex. Webmaster.
- Adjust the list of keywords: remove irrelevant ones, add new ones, check effectiveness.
8. Tips for effective keyword selection
- Don't try to cram all your keywords onto one page. It is better to distribute them across different pages.
- Try to write natural text rather than just listing keywords.
- Use keywords in headings, subheadings and meta tags.
- Pay attention to user questions - these are great ideas for a blog.
Keyword selection is the first and one of the most important steps in SEO. Correctly selected keywords allow you to attract targeted visitors, increase sales and improve your site’s position in search engines.
Start by analyzing your audience and goals, expand your keyword list with tools, use long tail keywords, analyze competitors, and distribute keywords across pages. A systematic approach will give stable results and improve the visibility of your website on the Internet.