If you’re new to SEO you might be wondering what is SEO keyword ranking? This is a great question. There are a couple parts to this phrase. One part is the acronym SEO, followed by technical lingo such as “keyword” and “ranking.” All of which means something on their own.
In this article, I will explain what SEO keyword ranking is and why you need to do this for your website.
Today search engine optimization is no longer something you might or should do, but a mandatory process you have to do. If you want to survive and thrive, SEO is your buddy not your foe.
Don’t worry if you know nothing about keywords or ranking, I’ll make sure you have a clean understanding by the end of this article.
In this article I will answer the following questions:
- What is SEO keyword ranking?
- Are keywords necessary?
- Do I need to worry about my ranking?
- Can SEO keyword ranking help bring me traffic?
- Should I start trying to rank for keywords?
- Why do I need to keep track of my keywords?
- How do I chart my progress with SEO keyword ranking?
What is SEO keyword ranking?
In a nutshell, SEO keyword ranking means there are keywords that you are trying to rank for.
Or in other words, Google is showing your website to users browsing the internet looking for a particular search phrase.
Keywords are Just Search Phrases
I’ll break this down a bit further so it makes sense.
Keywords are search phrases or terms that people search for on Google. For example, if I type in “blue leather running sneakers” into Google’s search bar, this is a keyword.
The entire phrase is actually a keyword.
Even though keyword sounds like it’s just a single word, these days it’s not. A keyword can be a phrase which is often called a “long tail keyword.”
Example: A keyword can be “sneakers” or “sneakers for men with flat feet”
Ranking is How Well You’re Doing
Ranking means, if I were a website selling blue leather sneakers, and someone typed this term “blue leather running sneakers” where would I show up on Google search results?
Would it be the first page or the thousandth page?
This is called rank.
Think of it like a letter grade you might get in school. A+ is the best, F is the worst. It’s sort of like that.
Imagine your website was selling these shoes and wanted to rank for the term “blue leather running sneakers”
Where you rank means where you are displayed on Google search results. Ranking is really important because the whole idea is to show up on those first ten pages of results.
Ideally though, you’ll want to rank on the first page of Google search results because this is where people are looking for an answer to their question.
There are only ten results on that first page, so that means your job is to rank in position 1-10 which is a very hard thing to do.
Most people don’t click on the second page, so that’s why getting on that first page is so critical to your success.
Can SEO keyword ranking help bring me traffic?
YES. I’m writing this in all caps to get my point across.
Kinda cheesy but hey! I really want to drive this home.
Using and keeping track of SEO keyword ranking for your website can help drive organic (unpaid) traffic to your site.
If you end up ranking (showing up) for a term that someone is searching for, Google will happily show your website in search results.
Organic traffic which is people coming to your website naturally by finding you on the internet is one of the best ways to grow your company.
This can lead to sales and more revenue, which every website can use more of.
Should I start trying to rank for keywords?
Yes.
You can find what keywords you rank for using Google Search Console.
You should begin incorporating SEO keyword ranking into your overall daily ritual.
Learning what keywords are and how to research keywords can really take you that next level in your SEO journey.
Just remember, not all keywords are created equal. Some are harder to rank for and should be avoided. Others are low hanging fruit and are much more achievable to rank for.
Why do I need to keep track of my keywords?
The only way to know where you rank is to start looking into it.
If you are website that’s been around for a while (6 months +) there is a good chance you are already ranking for some keywords.
Especially if you already have some organic traffic, this means people are finding your website somehow and your job is to figure out how. Where are these sources of traffic coming from?
One way you can do this is seeing which keywords you rank for on Google Search Console.
These keywords are bringing you traffic.
Let me explain why you need to keep track of your keywords.
If you don’t know about these ranking keywords, you might accidentally change something on your website and stop ranking for these terms.
An example is if I rank for the term “furry purple house slippers” on one of my products, but I didn’t know this. And then I changed my product title to “comfortable purple slip-ons for the house.”
I would lose my ranking and traffic for the term “furry purple house slippers” which is not a good thing to do.
How do I chart my progress with SEO keyword ranking?
If you are actively trying to rank for keywords, it’s a good idea to start charting your progress with SEO keyword ranking.
You can do this with Adolab’s Keyword Tracker which helps you keep track of all your keywords in one convenient place.
Our software calculates your position on Google search results and lets you know where you stand.
Whether you’re on page 9 or 50, this is really great information to know so you can start ranking higher and higher.
The way to rank higher over time is by continuing to optimize your website and make constant improvements.
Remember that ranking of a term changes on a daily basis so this is just one more reason to keep a close eye on it.
Your website changes, and your ranking changes too!
Summary
I hope you’ve learned a lot in this short article about how to start ranking for terms on Google. If done properly, these tips and tricks can really help you get found by potential customers.
The key takeaway here is that you need to start paying attention to the keywords on your website.
If you haven’t intentionally inserted keywords onto your webpage, you are still conveying to Google what you want to rank for with your h1 (header titles). For e-commerce stores, your h1 header title is typically your product title.
If these product titles or headings contain keywords no one is searching for, this can’t bring you more traffic.
This is why keywords can be a real game changer in your life, and I highly suggest pursing it.
Change your keywords, change your traffic levels.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact us and we would be happy to help you out.
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