Today, up to 90% of all buying decisions start with an online search. So ranking high in the search results is the best way you can bring in new customers.

In fact, ranking first in Google’s search results will bring in about 40% of all clicks for that search term. And almost nobody will ever click through to the second page if you aren’t in the top 10.

But where do you start?

Well, as with most strategies in business, it all starts with a plan. That plan needs to include a set of goals and a way to measure your progress and success. So the first step to a solid SEO strategy is to come up with a plan for targeting certain keywords. All tactical strategies will follow.

What Are Keywords?

Keywords are the words or phrases people are typing in when doing a search online. If someone asked me to find out where a coffee shop is nearby, I might go to Google and type, “San Francisco coffee shops”. Someone else might have typed, “coffee shop close to downtown San Francisco”. Maybe another person would type, “the best San Francisco coffee shop”.

All of these are keywords. And the first step in your search engine optimization strategy is to come up with a good list of keywords your ideal customers might be typing into Google when they’re looking for whatever it is you have to offer.

What are My SEO Keywords?

Okay so we know what keywords are. How do we figure out what keywords to target? Well we want to target the keywords our actual potential customers are searching right? In other words, we want to figure out what they’re thinking so we know where to find them and how to appeal to them. Sound a little like traditional marketing?

Here’s what to do. First, envision your ideal customer. Your favorite one. The one you wish they were all like. Now put yourself in their shoes. Try to imagine what they would ask about your business. What problem are they experiencing when they actually go out looking for you? When they are experiencing that problem and are ready to seek out a solution, how might they phrase their query in a search engine? Make a list of every single keyword that comes to mind.

This initial list should range from a generic description of your business and what you offer all the way through to the actual problems your customers are experiencing that might make them seek out your services.

For example, one of the services Goose Dog Designs offers is web design. So an obvious set of keywords might be:
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  • Web design
  • Web design San Francisco
  • Website design
  • Best web design

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But let’s dig deeper. Who do I love to work with? I love to work with new businesses who are ready to take their company one step further by really investing in a great piece of online marketing. Not just a website but a web presence. Something that speaks to their target audience. So at that moment they’ve decided to take the plunge and find the right person for the job, they might search keywords such as:
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  • Effective business website design
  • Branding website for small business
  • Website to make my business look professional

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Guess what? These are all actual searches that have been done to find this very website you’re on now. My website analytics tells me so.

What Do I Do with my SEO Keywords?

Now that you have a growing list of keywords you want to target, start embedding them throughout your site. Here are five ways to target your business’ new SEO keyword list:
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  • Title Tags – Create a unique title tag for each of your website’s pages to help Google understand what each page is about
  • Meta Tags – These will show up under the title tag in the search results so include keywords for the search engines along with enticing copy for your actual potential visitors
  • Image Alt Text – This shows the search engines what your images are all about so include your keywords for the chance to grab some image search traffic
  • Optimized Text – When you write a new blog post, sprinkle your keywords naturally throughout to let the search engines know what your content is all about
  • Link Structure – Optimize your URLs for all pages, blog posts, and files by including keywords that appeal to both your visitors and the search engines

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Alright folks, time to get to it! No more excuses, time to tackle that ever elusive marketing strategy they call S-E-O!