What is a keyword, and how do I pick mine?

A keyword is the word or phrase someone types (or says) into a search engine, such as "emergency plumber near me" or "wedding cake bakery Denver". Picking keywords means choosing the phrases your customers really use, then making sure the right page on your site talks about that topic clearly.

How to find yours

1. List your services in your customers' words. You might say "HVAC maintenance". Your customers might search "furnace tune up".
2. Add where you work. Local searches often include a town, a neighborhood or "near me".
3. Ask your front desk. The questions people ask on the phone are often the exact searches they type.
4. Look at Google's suggestions. Start typing a service into Google and note what it suggests, plus the "People also ask" questions.
5. Check Search Console. Once your site is live, the Performance report shows the searches that already bring you up.

Google's starter guide suggests thinking about the different words people might use to find your content, since experts and customers often describe the same thing differently.

One topic per page

Give each main service its own page, focused on that service and its common phrases. One page that tries to cover twenty services usually ranks for none of them.

What not to do

• Do not stuff keywords. Repeating a phrase over and over is against Google's spam policies and reads badly to customers.
• Do not chase phrases you do not serve. Ranking for a service you do not offer brings calls you cannot use.
• Do not worry about the meta keywords tag. Google says it does not use it.

Common problems

• If a keyword tool shows zero searches, it may still be worth a page. Tools estimate, and local phrases often show low numbers.
• If two of your pages compete for the same phrase, make one the main page and link to it from the other.
• If you are not sure which phrases to target, open a request in your client portal and our team can suggest a list based on your services and area.

Related articles

• Where should I put keywords on a page?
• How do I write a good page title and meta description?
• What makes a good service page?
• Which SEO techniques should I avoid?