How to Narrow Down Your Keyword List for Website SEO

Using the right keywords helps your website appear in search results, attracting the right visitors who are genuinely interested in your content or products. The better you understand and utilize keywords, the more effectively you can connect with your audience.

Why Narrowing Down Your Keyword List Matters

Before starting, let’s understand why this is important. Using too many irrelevant keywords can become confusing and dilute your SEO efforts. Instead of ranking for a few effective keywords, you may find yourself lost in the crowd. It’s all about quality over quantity.

Real-Time Scenario:

Imagine you run an online bakery. Your initial keyword list includes "cakes," "desserts," "best bakery," "baking tips," and "how to bake." While these keywords are relevant, you can't compete with every bakery in the world.

By narrowing down your list, you can focus on keywords that truly resonate with your audience. For example, “Gluten-free cakes for birthdays” targets a specific customer who’s looking to make a purchase!

🧠 Think Like Your Audience

Close your eyes for a moment and imagine you’re a potential customer. What would you type into Google to find what you offer? Got your ideas? Great! These phrases are a starting point for identifying valuable keywords!

Step 1: Identify Your Goals

Start by asking yourself: What do you want to achieve with these keywords? Do you want more traffic, higher conversions, or brand visibility? Knowing your goal will help you choose the right keywords to target.

Interactive Exercise:

Write down your top three goals for your website. For example:

• Increase sales of gluten-free cakes.
• Attract local customers searching for bakeries.
• Build an email list for recipe tips.

Real-Time Example: If you run an online store selling eco-friendly products, your goal might be to rank for keywords that attract buyers interested in sustainable and green products. Keywords like "buy eco-friendly products" or "best sustainable items" will be more useful than broad terms like "eco."

Step 2: Analyze Search Volume and Competition

Use tools like Google Keyword Planner or Ahrefs to find search volume and competition. You want keywords that have decent search volume but aren’t too competitive.

Real-Time Example:

Let’s say you find:

• "Gluten-free cakes": 1,000 searches/month, low competition
• "Best bakery": 10,000 searches/month, high competition

Which keyword would you prioritize? "Gluten-free cakes" is your winner!

Interactive Tip: Try this quick exercise! Take your top 5 keyword ideas and plug them into a keyword research tool. Write down the search volume and difficulty for each. Are there any keywords with high search volume but low competition? Those are your gold mines!

Step 3: Focus on Long-Tail Keywords

Long-tail keywords are more specific phrases that usually have lower competition and higher conversion rates. These keywords might not bring in a ton of traffic, but the traffic they do bring is highly targeted.

Example: Instead of targeting "digital marketing," consider long-tail versions like "affordable digital marketing strategies for small businesses" or "how to start with digital marketing in 2024." These keywords target users who are more likely to be ready to take action.

Interactive Task:

Take your top 5 keywords and brainstorm long-tail variations. For example:

• Keyword: Gluten-free cakes
  • Best gluten-free cakes for birthdays
  • Order gluten-free cakes online
  • Gluten-free cake recipes for beginners

Step 4: Understand Search Intent

Search intent is all about understanding what your audience is looking for when they type in a keyword. Are they looking to buy, learn, or find a specific product? Keywords with clear search intent can help you drive relevant traffic to your site.

Interactive Exercise:

Categorize your keywords by search intent. Use the following categories:

• Informational (looking for information) (e.g., "how to bake gluten-free cakes")
• Navigational (searching for a specific site) (e.g., "Bakery X location")
• Transactional (ready to make a purchase) (e.g., "buy gluten-free cakes")
• Commercial (researching before buying) (e.g., "best gluten-free cakes near me")

For example, the keyword "best laptop under $1000" has a commercial intent, while "how to choose a laptop" has an informational intent.

Step 5: Prioritize Keywords Based on Value

Choose keywords that bring value to your business.Focus on keywords that are most closely related to your products or services and have the potential to convert visitors into customers.

Real-Time Scenario:

If you’re a fitness coach, targeting "best workout plans" might not be as effective as "personalized workout plans for beginners" because the latter is more specific to your service and appeals to people ready to engage with a fitness coach.

For example, If you sell organic skincare products, the keyword "beauty tips" might seem related, but it’s too broad. Instead, focus on specific keywords like "organic skincare tips" or "natural remedies for clear skin."

Step 6: Filter Out Irrelevant Keywords

This is an essential step—remove keywords that don’t align with your business goals or target audience. Sometimes, a keyword might seem relevant, but if it’s too broad or doesn’t fit your audience’s needs, it’s best to leave it out.

Interactive Task:

Review your keyword list and cross out any keywords that feel too broad or irrelevant. For example, if "baking tips" isn’t a service you offer, remove it!

Step 7: Group Similar Keywords

Organize your keywords into groups based on themes or topics. This will make it easier to create content that targets multiple related keywords without sounding repetitive.

Real-Time Scenario:

For your gluten-free cake offerings, you could group keywords like this:

• Group 1: Gluten-free cakes
  • gluten-free birthday cakes
  • order gluten-free cakes
  • best gluten-free cakes for events
• Group 2: Baking recipes
  • gluten-free cake recipes
  • easy gluten-free desserts

Interactive Exercise:

Create your keyword groups. Use a table or bullet points to organize them by themes.

Step 8: Test and Refine Your List

SEO is an ongoing process. Regularly check your keyword performance and refine your list based on what's working and what's not. Look at metrics like click-through rates (CTR), rankings, and conversion rates to see which keywords bring the best results.

Interactive Task:

Set a reminder to review your keyword list every month. Check metrics like click-through rates and rankings. If certain keywords aren’t performing, consider replacing them with new ones.

Final Thoughts: Quality Over Quantity

When it comes to keywords, quality always beats quantity. A well-targeted keyword list can help you rank higher in search results, attract the right audience, and convert more visitors into customers.

Follow these steps, and you'll be on your way to mastering your SEO strategy.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic! Leave a comment below. And what topics would you like me to cover in future posts? Drop your suggestions!