Best Ways to Find the Right Keywords for Your Content Marketing

A critical component of creating an effective content marketing strategy is finding the right keywords for your content. Having the right keywords appear in your content will ensure that your content will see an increase in visibility, resulting in your website seeing a boost in traffic. Finding the best keywords for your audience takes a little bit of time and effort but will pay off big in the long run. Here's how to find the right keywords for your content marketing campaign.

Brainstorm Possible Keywords
Before you can begin your keyword research and monitor the conversations online, you need to brainstorm a list of possible keywords. You want to consider topics that interest your audience in general that relate both directly and indirectly to your business. Using a spreadsheet, list all the possible variations on a keyword that someone might be searching for regarding the topic you want to address. 

Monitor Conversations on Social Media
To better understand how your customers think, become active in different social media communities and tools. Watching social media for topics that interest your audience can provide you with immediate insights into trending topics that affect your business. You can start monitoring your audience's conversations by using Socialmention.com to see related conversations across multiple social media channels.

Use the Right SEO Keyword Research Tools
To improve your strategy for creating and promoting content, there are many free and low-cost online tools you can use. Google Wonder Wheel allows you to compile your initial keywords for further evaluations. The tool provides you with a robust list of possible search terms that it thinks are related to your original search query. There is also the AdWords Keyword Tool and SEOmoz Keyword Difficulty Tool to help you narrow your focus.

Organize Your Keyword Search
Every time you start on a new project, you should create a new spreadsheet that identifies the primary keywords you want to use. The spreadsheet should be used to track the following data:

* The number of searches the keyword is getting from your location.
* The number of searches done globally on the keyword.
* The keyword difficulty (the lower the percentage, the easier it will be to rank in the search engines).

Your ideal keyword will take into consideration these factors and will illustrate the intent of those searching. 

Finding the right keywords for your content is imperative if you want your audience to be able to find your content. Performing keyword research is the first step in any successful content marketing campaign.
