Public relation strategies seek to communicate a desired message about your brand to your target audience. But first, your target audience needs to come across that message. You can do this best with keyword optimization, which consists of keyword research and utilization. The practice can make or break a public relations strategy and therefore should be at the top of your to-do list.

What Is Keyword Research?

In order to maximize your internet presence, you must determine what your target audience is searching for. You can find and analyze the terms that people enter into search engines through tools like Google’s keyword planner. 

What Is Keyword Utilization?

Once you've figured out the best keywords, you need to use them effectively so that your content will reach your targeted audience. Google decides a website's quality based on how relevant it is to users. It does this largely by monitoring the site’s click-through rate and retention rate. 

When you use appropriate keywords, viewers are more likely to remain on your page or click on associated links. The more this happens, Google will then reward you with a higher placement on the search results page. 

This is important because, according to Cross River Therapy, the average person has an attention span of 8.25 seconds. When a consumer searches for something on Google, they expect the results to be spot on, providing what they are looking for without any additional work on their part. Research shows that almost half of search engine users believe that companies whose websites show up at the top of the results page are leaders in their field. Furthermore, 75% of search engine users look only at the first page of results. If you want a decent number of eyes on your site, you need to rank highly. 

How to Get Started With Keyword Research

Now that you know the importance of keywords, how can you make them work for you? Here are some tips. 

Choose quality over quantity: Avoid “keyword stuffing,” which is where you use the same keyword multiple times in a short space of text. This signals to Google that the content is not high quality and deserves a low place on the search results. 

Get specific and know your intent: Certain words may relate to multiple things on the internet, so specificity can be your friend. If your company sells applesauce, for instance, you wouldn't want to use the term "apple products" at the top of your page, as there's no way you'll rank highly in search. Instead, use the specific term "applesauce" to get traction with your desired audience.

Regularly research keywords: See what works and what doesn’t. And don't assume that yesterday's top keywords are the same as today's. Users' search terms are constantly evolving. 

Helpful Tools

SEMrush: 

Great for searching for long-tail keywords, keyword trends, CPC distribution statistics, and organic traffic insights. 

KWFinder: 

Great for presenting keyword metrics from other data sources in an efficient way, targeting specific keywords, presenting precise competitor statistics, and refining keyword results.

Ahrefs Keyword Explorer:

Great for analyzing click metrics to improve CTR, extensive SERP overview, and accurate keyword difficulty score. 

Google Keyword Planner: 

Great for gauging accurate search volume and locating commercial keywords for “top of page” bid range. 

Growth Bar: 

Great for tracking keyword rank, exportable keyword data, and accurate ranking difficulty. 

About the Author

Jami Robben, Telemetry's summer intern, is a recent graduate of the University of Missouri. Having graduated with a Journalism major emphasizing in strategic communication, we are excited to have Jami contribute to Telemetry's blog!