Using SEO Keywords To Grow Your Business

Published on: 27/01/2020 Last Modified on: 15/09/2020

If you own a travel or bookings website, you will have heard about ‘SEO keywords ‘ many times before.

Although we hear lots about how SEO keywords can boost our website rankings, what we don’t often uncover is how you can use keywords to actually grow your online bookings.

Turning your website visitors into paying customers requires the clever use of keywords so that the right audience will find your website.

Any keyword strategy must be reinforced with top-quality content displayed on your website when your visitors arrive.

With the right types of keywords, website content and web design it is possible to gain more bookings for your online business.

Let’s take a look at how SEO keywords can be used to grow your online bookings.

Top tips to grow your online bookings with SEO keywords:

Use Keyword Tools

If you have never used a SEO keyword tool such as Google Keyword Planner, you may be surprised to learn the discrepancies between what you want to rank for, and the phrases that people actually type into search engines.

Especially when identifying keywords which have more specific conversion-intent (intent to buy as opposed to research).

Without using a good SEO keyword tool or employing the services of an SEO agency such as Apollo, it is possible to spend your time on keywords that are not searched by your potential customers.

The people who would actually buy your products or services.

By using keywords with the exact phrases and language that are specifically your target market use, you will find that the visitors who land on your website are able to locate content that is tailored to their need.

Providing that you have high-quality and well-planned website content , you can begin to lead your website visitors through their journey, which will hopefully end in a booking.

Image credit: pumpkinwebdesign.com

The aim of keyword research is to identify the most important keyword to target with each landing page, considering both keyword volume and conversion intent (the search intent behind the user’s search).

You can research in 2 key ways:

  1. Search for new keywords
  2. Get search volume and forecasts for an existing keyword list

To find new keywords, use Google Keyword Planner to add words, key-phrases or your site URL.

You’ll get the following data:

  • Exact monthly search volumes (or volume range depending on PPC spend)
  • Level of competition
  • Top of page bid (the equivalent cost-per-click through Google AdWords)

Once you have a better understanding of search volume and your current ranking performance, you will be able to identify potential keyword opportunities.

In addition, researching your current rank for relevant keywords will help to identify ‘low-hanging fruit’.

These are keywords ranking just off the first page of Google and offer the potential to greatly increase your search traffic.

Think outside the box

We all know that competition for rankings in search is tough, so thinking outside the box is essential.

Especially when it comes to your keyword choices

Instead of using lots of single or two-word keywords, opt for longer phrases that your competition are less likely to target.

These longer phrases are known as long-tail keywords.

Long-tail keywords are groups of words, in a longer phrase, that are searched by your user.

For example, ‘quiet wellness spa in Bali’ would have limited monthly search volume, but is a term with strong conversion intent (intent to buy).

Image credit: nichesiteproject.com

When targeting longer phrases, your competitors are less likely to use the same long-tail keywords as you because the increased number of words in each phrase makes the likelihood of other sites putting together the same combination of words less likely.

Therefore your chances of ranking well are increased.

Targeting long-tail keywords also means that your website content is even more tailored to the search query so your chances of gaining visitors who have already done some research and know exactly what they want are greatly increased.

Their searches are more specific and they are more educated regarding what they would like to do.

Often users who use long-tail keywords have already begun to commit themselves to purchasing the booking and are now searching for the provider offering a product similar to their ideal.

Therefore, they are much more likely to turn into paying customers once they arrive on your website.

Another benefit of using unique sets of keywords for each individual page is that you avoid the dangers of search engines assuming that your web pages are simply duplications of each other.

If search engines interpret multiple use of the same keywords across numerous pages on your website as duplicated content, they will only list one of the web pages in search and count the others as inferior duplicates.

As a result, allocating plenty of time to develop and implement a solid keyword strategy that builds your conversion rate has many benefits for your online business.

Once again, if you don’t have excellent content on your travel or bookings website when visitors arrive your use of long-tail keywords or in fact, any other keyword strategy will go to waste.

The use of powerful keyword strategies to increase your bookings has to be executed alongside a review of your website content and web design.

Keywords are only the first step in your sales journey.

You won’t increase your bookings with SEO keywords if your website content and web design isn’t up to scratch.

Image credit: epsilontheory.com

SEO keywords will create awareness of your website, to take your visitor on through the sales funnel and finally make that booking you need to have compelling snippets in your search listings and superior content and web design ready on your website when your target market arrive.

Online competition is high, so whatever your marketing strategy, even with the powerful force that SEO keywords are, you still need top-quality content and web design to secure those bookings.

Relevant content

Once you have identified a keyword list, you need to find the most relevant keywords for the information on each existing landing page.

This may entail a tweak to just the page title and H1 (to make the keyword targeting more specific), or a re-write of the content on the page.

Every web page and piece of meta data needs its own carefully researched target key-phrase.

Identifying synonyms (other key-phrases similar to the chosen keyword) and using these in the content avoids keyword stuffing and demonstrates that the content is rich in detail.

The aim is to convince Google that the web page is the best option to be returned in search results for the keyword you’re targeting.

Avoid highly competitive terms

Unless you’re big!

It is really tempting to see the big numbers that accompany the top keywords and want to use them.

However, to get results from keywords you have to think differently and that means not trying to rank for all of the top keywords.

Most people don’t make enough time to develop a successful keyword strategy so clearly the top-ranking keywords can be found with the least keyword research and will be used by the majority of your competitors.

Therefore it makes sense to use the keywords that most people don’t get to see because they won’t spend enough time looking through the full range of options.

With less competition for the keywords that don’t show up first during your research, you are more likely to rank better and be found more easily by your target market.

However, of course you must also use all of the aforementioned strategies, such as long-tail keywords and unique sets of keywords, if you want to use less popular keywords with any success.

  1. Audience specific

Now that you have devoted a large proportion of time to your keyword research, you can also ensure that you only select keywords that apply to your specific target market.

For example, if you are looking for keywords for a web page that relates to an adults-only health and wellness resort in Kerala in Southern India, you can eliminate any keywords to do with children and families from your selection, as well as any keywords that relate to other parts of the world.

Similarly if you spot SEO keywords that match the interests, needs and priorities of your target market, you know that they are the best ones to choose.

Image credit: rankwatch.com

In the diagram above, if your web page was about luxury hotels in Paris, you would clearly choose 5 star hotels in Paris from the list of results.

However, if your web page was about luxury hotels in Florida, you would select 5 star hotels in Miami and 5 star hotels in Orlando.

As with any other marketing strategy it is crucial that you have a thorough knowledge of your target market and a clear understanding of your content strategy, before you begin your keyword research so that you can tailor your keyword strategy to fit your target audience.

  1. Analytics

Keywords are quantifiable data so it is easy to track their success and adapt your keyword strategy accordingly.

Evaluating the performance of every element of your website is essential if you want to grow your bookings and that includes the performance of your keyword strategy across the pages of your website.

You can gain a huge amount of valuable information about the success of your keyword strategy from your website analytics.

Using your website CMS and your keyword tools, it is possible to track and adapt your use of keywords to increase your bookings across your website pages.

In the same way that you would test and re-test a marketing campaign, it is necessary to implement, review and evaluate your use of keywords if you want them to operate at an optimum level.

Similarly, you will need to give your keywords some time to take effect so don’t be too hasty in making changes if you don’t see the results you want.

Remember too, to keep the keyword sets for each page unique.

Copying successful keywords across multiple pages will devalue your hard work.

Keyword cannibalisation, where two pages compete for the same target keyword, is a major factor influencing your rankings.

Like any other marketing strategy, keyword use needs time, knowledge and expertise, as well as excellent content.

Finding the time to:

  • Research the best SEO keywords for your website and target market
  • Create a comprehensive keyword strategy in line with your website content strategy
  • Analyse and review the results of your keyword strategy

…is beyond the time constraints of most business owners.

There are many keyword tools available on the market to assist business owners to develop a successful keyword strategy, however they also require time and expertise to be used to good effect.

Furthermore, having a keyword strategy without good website content and website design is useless, so the development of any keyword strategy must be accompanied by a review of your website.

It may sound like a lot to do but here at Apollo we deliver a complete range of digital marketing services to increase your bookings, that includes developing your use of: SEO keywords, web content, web design and much more.

Working solely for the travel and leisure industry, we have a deep knowledge of how to utilise online marketing for travel and leisure brands.

Whether you need support to develop your use of SEO keywords, website development,  marketing support, video marketing, online advertising or something else, give us a call on: 01730 239858 or contact us to have a chat about how we can help you.

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