If you’ve ever asked yourself “What keywords should my business be targeting?”, you’re not alone. Choosing the right keywords can make or break your online visibility. With search engines being the first stop for most potential customers, the words and phrases your business targets directly impact whether you show up or whether your competitors do.
At 1 BIG WEB Design Marketing And Consulting, we believe that keyword strategy isn’t just about ranking. It’s about attracting the right traffic that converts into leads, calls, and sales. So, how do you know which keywords to target? Let’s break it down.
1. Start with Your Customer’s Intent
Think about what your ideal customer would type into Google. Are they searching for general information, or are they ready to buy?
- Informational searches: “How to fix a leaky faucet”
- Commercial searches: “Best plumber in San Diego”
- Transactional searches: “Emergency plumbing service near me”
Targeting a mix of these types of keywords helps you reach people at different stages of the buying process.
2. Focus on Local Keywords
For most small and medium businesses, local visibility is critical. If you run a bakery in Nashville, ranking for “bakery” won’t help you much. It’s too broad. But “best bakery in Nashville” or “wedding cakes Nashville” will put you in front of the right audience.
Adding city names, neighborhoods, or even landmarks to your keywords can dramatically improve your local search performance.
3. Look at What’s Already Working
Check your Google Search Console or website analytics to see which keywords already bring visitors to your site. Expanding on these can be more effective than starting from scratch.
For example, if you’re already getting traffic for “affordable web design San Diego,” you might also target related terms like “San Diego website redesign” or “SEO-friendly web design San Diego.”
4. Don’t Ignore Long-Tail Keywords
Long-tail keywords are longer, more specific phrases. While they may not bring massive traffic, they usually convert better because the searcher is more intentional.
For example:
- Short keyword: “marketing” (too broad)
- Long-tail keyword: “small business marketing consultant in San Diego” (high intent)
These longer searches might only get a few dozen searches a month, but those few searches can lead to new paying clients.
5. Study Your Competitors
Chances are, your competitors are already targeting certain keywords. Use tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, or even just Google autocomplete to see what’s working for them. This doesn’t mean copying. But it can highlight opportunities you may be missing.
6. Keep Your Keywords Relevant to Your Services
The biggest mistake businesses make is chasing keywords just because they’re popular. If you don’t actually offer what people are searching for, you’ll end up with irrelevant traffic that won’t convert.
Always ask: Does this keyword directly relate to what my business offers? If the answer is no, it’s not worth targeting.
Final Thoughts
Choosing the right keywords is not about guessing. It’s about understanding your customers, your competitors, and your own business goals. It’s an ongoing process that requires attention and fine-tuning as your market changes.
At 1 BIG WEB Design Firm, we help businesses identify the most effective keywords that drive both visibility and results. If you’re ready to make sure your business is targeting the right keywords, reach out to us today and let’s put the right strategy in place.
