DM Solutions

Mastering Keyword Research for SEO: A Guide for Philippine Businesses

—

by

Mark Angelo Cinco
in

Introduction

For businesses in the Philippines, digital marketing solutions like SEO (Search Engine Optimization) are essential to reach customers online. One of the first steps to effective SEO is keyword research. This process helps businesses find the words and phrases potential customers use when searching online. By targeting the right keywords, businesses can improve their website’s ranking, attract more visitors, and drive more sales.

This guide explains how to perform keyword research for SEO, step-by-step, to help Philippine businesses create an effective digital marketing strategy in 2024.

Why Keyword Research is Important

Keyword research is essential for making sure your website reaches the right audience. When you use keywords that match what people are searching for, your site is more likely to appear at the top of search results, which means more traffic and more potential customers. Without proper keyword research, your website may go unnoticed by people who would benefit from your product or service.

Steps to Perform Keyword Research for SEO

Step 1: Identify Your Goals and Audience

Before starting keyword research, it’s important to define your goals and understand your target audience.

  1. Set Clear Goals: Decide what you want to achieve. Common SEO goals include increasing website traffic, generating leads, or boosting online sales.
  2. Understand Your Audience: Think about who your ideal customers are and what they are likely to search for. For example, if you own a local bakery, your target audience might search for terms like “fresh bread in Manila” or “custom cakes Quezon City.”

Defining your goals and audience will help you find the right keywords that attract the people most likely to become your customers.

Step 2: Brainstorm Seed Keywords

Seed keywords are basic keywords directly related to your product or service. These terms form the foundation of your keyword research.

  1. List Basic Terms Related to Your Business: Start with simple terms that describe your business. For instance, if you own a coffee shop, seed keywords might include “coffee,” “coffee shop,” and “café in Manila.”
  2. Think About Your Services and Products: Include keywords that describe specific products or services, like “espresso,” “cold brew,” or “coffee beans delivery.”

Seed keywords are starting points that you can expand on in the next steps to find more targeted terms.

Step 3: Use Keyword Research Tools

Keyword research tools help you discover keywords that people are actively searching for, and they show you useful data like search volume, competition, and cost-per-click (CPC).

  1. Google Keyword Planner: A free tool from Google that provides keyword ideas based on search volume, competition, and trends.
  2. Ahrefs or SEMrush: These paid tools provide in-depth keyword data, including keyword difficulty, traffic potential, and competitor analysis.
  3. Ubersuggest: A user-friendly tool that provides keyword ideas, search volume, and SEO difficulty.

By entering your seed keywords into these tools, you’ll get a list of related keywords that can help expand your keyword list and give insights into what people are searching for.

Step 4: Analyze Search Volume and Competition

When you find a list of keywords, it’s essential to evaluate each one to see if it’s worth targeting.

  1. Search Volume: This shows how many people search for a keyword each month. Higher search volume can mean more potential traffic, but it may also mean higher competition.
  2. Keyword Difficulty: Keyword difficulty measures how hard it is to rank for a keyword. Keywords with high competition are more challenging to rank for, especially if you’re a new or smaller business. Aim for a mix of high and low-difficulty keywords.
  3. Long-Tail Keywords: These are longer, more specific phrases, like “affordable coffee beans delivery in Cebu.” Long-tail keywords often have lower search volume but higher conversion rates because they reflect specific search intent.

For local businesses in the Philippines, it’s often effective to focus on long-tail keywords with medium to low competition. These terms are usually easier to rank for and attract people ready to take action.

Step 5: Consider Search Intent

Understanding search intent is key to selecting the right keywords. Search intent refers to the purpose behind a user’s search, such as:

  • Informational Intent: The user wants information (e.g., “how to brew coffee at home”).
  • Navigational Intent: The user is looking for a specific website or brand (e.g., “Starbucks Philippines”).
  • Transactional Intent: The user is ready to buy (e.g., “buy coffee beans online”).
  • Commercial Investigation: The user is researching options before making a decision (e.g., “best coffee shops in Makati”).

For businesses aiming to increase sales, focusing on transactional and commercial intent keywords is often the most effective. However, including some informational keywords can help attract visitors at the start of their buying journey.

Step 6: Check Out Competitor Keywords

Analyzing your competitors’ keywords can give you ideas and help identify gaps in your own strategy.

  1. Identify Top Competitors: Find competitors who rank well for similar products or services. Use tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Google Keyword Planner to discover which keywords your competitors are ranking for.
  2. See Which Keywords Drive Traffic: Look at high-traffic keywords used by competitors, especially if they’re keywords you’re not currently targeting.
  3. Spot Opportunities: If your competitors rank for keywords you haven’t targeted, consider adding these keywords to your list if they’re relevant to your business.

Competitor research helps you find popular keywords and learn which keywords might give you a competitive advantage.

Step 7: Organize and Prioritize Your Keywords

Once you have a solid list of keywords, it’s time to organize and prioritize them based on your goals.

  1. Group Keywords by Topic: Organize similar keywords into groups or “clusters.” For example, a coffee shop might have clusters for “types of coffee drinks,” “coffee beans,” and “coffee shop locations.”
  2. Prioritize by Relevance and Value: Focus on keywords that align with your goals and are likely to bring valuable traffic. Consider each keyword’s search volume, competition, and intent.
  3. Create a Keyword Map: Assign each keyword cluster to a specific page on your website. For example, product keywords go to product pages, while informational keywords go to blog posts. This helps ensure your content is relevant and focused on specific topics.

Prioritizing keywords helps you build a clear SEO strategy, making it easier to create targeted content that matches search intent.

Step 8: Create Content with Your Keywords

With your prioritized keyword list, you’re ready to start creating content that targets these keywords. Here are some tips:

  1. Use Keywords Naturally: Avoid keyword stuffing (using too many keywords). Instead, include keywords naturally in the content, headings, meta descriptions, and image alt tags.
  2. Answer User Questions: If people are searching for answers, make sure your content provides clear and valuable information.
  3. Include Local Terms: For local SEO, include location-specific terms in your content. For instance, “freshly brewed coffee in Manila” or “home-delivered coffee beans in Cebu.”

By creating high-quality content focused on your chosen keywords, you’ll attract more visitors who are interested in your products or services.

Tips for Effective Keyword Research

  1. Focus on Long-Term Results: SEO takes time, so be patient. Consistently updating content and using relevant keywords helps build long-term traffic.
  2. Stay Updated with Trends: Keywords and search behaviors can change, so revisit your keyword list every few months to stay current.
  3. Use Local Language: If your audience uses a mix of English and Filipino, consider including local language keywords to better reach your target market.

Conclusion

Keyword research is a foundational part of SEO, helping businesses in the Philippines connect with customers through search engines. By following these steps—defining goals, finding the right tools, analyzing competition, and creating content—your business can target valuable keywords that drive traffic and conversions. With a thoughtful approach to keyword research, digital marketing solutions become more powerful, helping you achieve higher visibility and greater success online in 2024 and beyond.