Module 05 –Part 02

Keyword Research
Anoj Wijayaratne

Head of Digital Marketing at Loops

Integrated

8+ years experience developing Digital

Marketing Strategies for brands across
multiple industries

Holds an MBA from the University of West

Scotland (UK)

Amateur Travel and wildlife photographer

What we covered
in session 01
Introduction to SEO
• History of search engines
• How search engines operate
• People interaction with search engines
• Search intent & user journey
• Algorithms overview
What we will cover today
Overview on keyword research
Search visibility
Organizing keyword research
Longtail keywords
 Search Engine Abbreviations

SEO SEM PPC URL

Search Engine Search Engine Marketing Pay Per Click Uniform Resource Locator

Optimization

SER CTR
SERP GA
Search Engine Search Engine Ranking Google Analytics Click through rate
Results Page

CPC CTA ROI BL

Cost per click Call to action Return on Investment Back Link
 • Before you do any SEO, you need to conduct
Market market & customer research.
• With that research, create your customer
research is profiles and identify your digital segments
• Craft your strategy

key • Set your goals, objectives & kpis

• Test and optimise continuously
SEO is a marathon, not a
sprint, requiring
persistent effort for
lasting online visibility
and success.
1. Trust and Authority:
Search engines require time to trust your
website as a reliable source of information.

2. Content Quality:
Consistently creating high-quality content
takes time but is essential for SEO success.

3. Backlink Building:
Earning quality backlinks is a gradual process,
contributing to long-term SEO growth.

4. Algorithm Updates:
Search algorithms change frequently,
necessitating ongoing optimization efforts.

5. Sustainable Results:
SEO results build gradually and are more likely
to be sustained over the long term.
What is Keyword research is the process of identifying and
analyzing the words and phrases that people use in search
engines to find information, products, or services.

keyword Keyword research is the foundation of SEO. It helps

websites rank higher in search results, attract relevant

research? traffic, and connect with their target audience.

 Types of
keyword research
• SEO Keyword Research for search engines like Google and Bing
• PPC Keyword Research for Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising
• Video Keyword Research for search engines like YouTube
• Product Keyword Research for search engines like Amazon, eBay, and Etsy
• App Keyword Research for the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store
• Realtime/Trending Keyword Research (Google Trends, Twitter, Reddit)
• Competitor Keyword Research to find competitor's top keywords
• Local Keyword Research to find to find keywords for a local market or business
Why is it important?

Worst possible
scenario - because
Words your customers use to
you don't use the
words customers Content on your website search your products &
use, your site won t services
be found

This website gets ZERO traffic

 Why is it important?

Search engine
traffic

Words your customers use to

Content on your website search your products &
services
Most websites when they
don’t practice SEO but
get some traffic by
chance

This website gets SOME traffic

Why is it important?

Search engine
traffic

Words your customers use to

Content onsearch your products &
your website
services

When there’s a correlation with the

content used on your website and the
keywords customers use to search what
you are offering

This website gets PLENTY of traffic

Advantages of
keyword research
Improved SEO: Higher rankings in search results by
using keywords people search in your website copy.

Higher Organic Traffic: When you rank well for

relevant keywords, you are more likely to attract
organic (unpaid) traffic to your website.
Advantages of
keyword research
Better Content Strategy: Keyword research can help
you understand what topics and questions your
target audience is interested in

Audience Insight: provide valuable insights into the

language and terminology your target audience
uses.
Advantages of
keyword research
Local Optimization: For businesses with physical
locations, keyword research can be crucial for local
SEO.

Measurable Results: Keyword research allows you to

set clear goals and measure your progress.

Adaptability: Search trends and user behavior

change over time. Regular keyword research helps
you stay up-to-date with these changes and adapt
your strategy accordingly.
Advantages of
keyword research
Competitive Analysis: Keyword research also
involves analyzing your competitors. By identifying
the keywords they are targeting, you can gain
insights into their strategies and find opportunities
to outperform them in search results.

Cost-Effective Advertising: If you are running pay-

per-click (PPC) advertising campaigns, such as
Google Ads, keyword research can help you choose
the most cost-effective keywords to bid on. This can
improve the ROI of your advertising efforts.
Keyword match types
Broad Match Phrase match Exact match
Matches a wide range of keyword Matches keywords within a Matches the exact keyword or
variations, synonyms, and related specified phrase or order, but allows close variations with minimal
terms. for variations before or after. flexibility.

Provides maximum reach but may Offers a balance between reach and Provides highly targeted and
result in less precise targeting. precision. specific results.

Example: Keyword "shoes" can Example: Keyword ”Brown shoes" Example: Keyword "[brown
match searches like "running matches searches like "buy brown shoes]" matches only ”brown
shoes," "buy sneakers," or shoes online" or ”brown shoes for shoes" and close variants,
"footwear discounts." sale." excluding broader queries.
Types of keywords
Short tail
Keywords
Short tail keywords, also known as "head
keywords," are short and generic search
terms or phrases consisting of one to two
words. These keywords are typically broad
and do not provide much context or
specificity. Short tail keywords are
characterized by their high search volume and
high competition

“Running shoes”
“Electric cars”
“Hiking”
“Digital Marketing”
“Labrador puppy”
Long tail
Keywords
Long tail keywords are specific and detailed
search terms or phrases that typically consist of
three or more words. These keywords are
characterized by their low search volume and
lower competition compared to short tail
keywords. Long tail keywords provide a more
precise and focused search intent.

“Running shoes for women with arch support”

“Used electric cars under LKR 9 Million”
“Gluten-free vegetarian pizza recipes”
“Best hiking trails in Sri Lanka"
“Digital marketing tips for small businesses”
“How to train a Labrador Retriever puppy”
Brand
keywords
Brand keywords are specific search terms or
phrases that include the name of a particular
brand or company. These keywords are used
by individuals who are looking for
information, products, or services related to
that specific brand. Brand keywords typically
consist of the brand name itself or variations
of it.

“Apple iPhone 13”

“Nike sneakers"
“HNB Credit Card Offers"
“Netflix membership"
“Adobe photoshop”
“Toyota Prius"
Intent based
Informational Navigational
Goal: To acquire information or knowledge Goal: To find a specific website or web page.
about a particular topic

"How to bake a chocolate cake.” “Ada derana”

"What is climate change?” “Youtube”
“Which country has won the most Rugby World “NTB Online banking login”
cups?” “Ikman.lk”
"Who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2022?" “Cameralk”
"Benefits of yoga for stress relief."
Intent based
Transactional Commercial
Goal: To complete a specific online Goal: To research and compare products or
transaction, such as making a purchase or services before making a purchase decision.
signing up
"Best Mirrorless cameras under a budget”
“iPhone 14 Pro price in Sri Lanka”
"Compare iPhone 13 vs. Samsung Galaxy S21."
“Subscribe for spotify premium”
"Reviews of noise-canceling headphones."
“Book a flight from Colombo to Thailand”
"Affordable laptops for gaming."
Content
Conversion Funnel for Intent
https://forms.gle/AFeyrLpeFC9g9okL6
What you need to do
before keyword
research
Review current website content
If it is a new site, review the draft content before
it is published
Competitive analysis, review your competitors
websites and blogs
Why?
What's my website about?
What do I sell?
What keywords do I think I want to rank for?
If someone were just beginning to research
the topic of my site, what words would they
use to start?
Keyword research template
Live demo
Free/Fremium keyword
research tools
Auto complete
Google Ads Keyword Planner
Google search console
https://answerthepublic.com/
Keyword surfer (Chrome extension)
https://moz.com/
https://ahrefs.com/keyword-generator
https://soovle.com/
https://alsoasked.com/
Google trends
SITE
Free/Fremium keyword
research tools
https://www.highervisibility.com/seo/tools/
Wordstream
Apptweak
Keysearch.co for niche keywords
Wordtracker.com
Kparser

Paid
Moz Pro
SEM Rush
ahrefs
Competitor keyword
research tools
MOZ
SpyFu
TheHoth
RankingGap

Paid
Moz Pro
SEM Rush
ahrefs
Keyword research
ChatGPT Prompts
1.What are the 20 most popular sub-topics
related to [Topic]
2.What are 20 popular sub-topics related
to [sub-topic]
3.What are 20 popular long-tail keywords
for the short-tail keyword ”Keyword”.
4. What are 20 different popular………….
keywords that I can target with blog articles
5. What are 20 popular …………..
Keywords that I can target with youtube
videos