What are Seed Keywords?
Seed keywords are short and simple keywords that contain a head noun (or nouns) usually comprising only one or two words.
Seed keywords can be the very first step in your optimization strategy. They provide the foundation for the entire scheme of SEO to gain higher rankings.
They can be short-tail keywords but only those without modifiers, to put it simply, all the seed keywords are short-tail keywords but not all the short-tail keywords are seed keywords.
For example, your website is about healthcare; healthcare, health, remedies, treatment, healthcare routine, etc. can be a few of many seed keywords.
Why are they important?
As a website owner, you can get a lot from seed keywords if you choose them according to your niche.
They are important in the following ways:
For new marketers
For new marketers who are preparing to launch a website, seed keywords help build web pages, especially the homepage.
Getting to know about the search volume of a particular seed keyword can give you an idea of what your target audience is looking for and their intent.
Seed keywords enable them to effectively structure individual web pages to optimize them for search engines.
For topic clustering
Topic clustering is the practice of grouping several pieces of content that revolve around a single main topic.
Finding the right seed keywords can help you pick and put them under appropriate topics and subtopics.
Possibly, you may not know the subtopics despite knowing your niche and in this situation, research on seed keywords can help you.
For making long-tail keywords
When you are new to digital marketing, it can be challenging to make your content visible for short keywords.
In this case, seed keywords can provide a foundation for creating long-tail keywords that are more specific and have less competition.
By incorporating these long-tail keywords into your content, you may have a better chance of ranking higher in search results and driving traffic to your site.
To reach the targeted audience
Some people may that believe finding seed keywords is not an essential step of keyword research. It is not like that because it is the root from which your targeted keywords stem.
They serve as a foundation of your SEO strategy and is the source of reaching the targeted audience.
For increasing organic traffic
It is not always necessary to run paid campaigns or start affiliate marketing if seed keywords are effective and appropriate.
Even if you use long-tail keywords, they should contain that one specific and targeted keyword to increase traffic on your website.
What are the challenging aspects of seed keywords?
A few aspects that you must consider before you start doing your research are that the seed keywords are:
Competitive
The seed keywords are highly competitive it is because they are relevantly short and to the point and many users search for them which increases the competition.
For instance, “sewing machine” is a seed keyword whose search intent can be informational i.e., how to use a sewing machine? or Parts of a sewing machine.
It can also be transactional i.e., buy a sewing machine and it can be commercial i.e., best sewing machine.
In such a situation, competition for a general two-word keyword rises excessively.
Partially relevant
Seed keywords are partially relevant because the searcher’s intent is unclear.
It is because one cannot figure out which type of intent it relates to out of all the four types of searcher’s intent (informational, navigational, transactional, and commercial).
Too general
In terms of keywords, high competition, and less relevance are the features of a highly general keyword. The same is the case with seed keywords.
When you increase the length to make them long-tail keywords, they become more specific.
How to use seed keywords for SEO?
When starting a new brand, using only general seed keywords may not provide significant benefits for optimizing your content.
Instead, it is important to create specific long-tail keywords from the appropriate seed keywords in order to effectively target your audience.
By incorporating these long-tail keywords into your content, users searching for those specific terms will be more likely to find your website and increase organic traffic.
How to find them?
You can use these methods to find the right seed words.
Think up
The first and simplest thing you can do is to think them up. You should have a clear concept of your niche within which you can optimize your site.
Your seed keywords must be related to this niche and then you can analyze the volume and competition to place the ideal ones on your website.
Attend to Google
Google can help you with finding seed keywords when you search them in the search bar where Google suggests the keywords.
Also, you can see trending keywords at the bottom of SERPs that make up LSI (latent semantic indexing) keywords –you can take your seed keywords out of them.
Additionally, in the People Also Ask (PAA) section, Google provides what users are most interested in –which can turn out to be a clever way to pick your seed keywords.
Take ideas from established websites
In most popular websites, the navigation menu is detailed and provides a clear-cut path to explore the website. You can search from this menu and find the relevant terms or phrases that accord with your niche.
For example, if your website is about any of the niches of e-commerce, you must browse an e-commerce website for seed keywords.
Explore social networking sites and forums
From social networking websites and online forums, you can find out what people are talking about. You will find community discussions on diverse topics that can relate to your niche.
For example, Quora is an online forum that gives a platform for everyone to discuss their area of interest.
Similarly, Twitter and Facebook are social networking sites that can give you a better idea about the popular trends that are in line with your brand/services.
Use tools
Tools are more efficient than manual methods of finding keywords and they also save time.
We have listed some of the most renowned tools.
Google Keyword Planner
Google Keyword Planner will give you many ideas regarding your business.
You can enter a one or two-word query to get a lot of suggestions. Next, you can wisely pick what best defines your business.
The best thing about this tool is that it will give you long-tail keywords that contain your seed keyword.
This way, you do not have to put extra effort into making specified long-tail keywords by trying different modifiers.
Ahrefs’s Site Explorer
Site Explorer is a great tool by Ahrefs since it gives potential keywords related to your products/services.
It will provide you with information about the competition, search volume, and traffic.
You can either enter a keyword that you think up or a URL to identify the keywords that rank for a specific page.
Google Search Console
Search Console will let you know the seed keywords of your site. Just head to the Performance Report to see all the search queries for which your site ranks.
What are the right seed keywords for a site?
The right keyword is the one that is most relevant to your business. If it is relevant, it will be able to satisfy the searcher’s intent.
Moreover, you must be careful while choosing a seed keyword and finally a long-tail keyword since you need to be specific about individual web pages.
For example, in an online retail shop that sells shoes, categories might be different i.e., men, women, kids, formal, casual, etc.
A web page about a single type must contain relevant keywords so that you may not mix the categories up and confuse the visitor.
What are the right locations where one can place seed keywords?
Your homepage deserves the seed keywords more than the other web pages. As for other web pages, you can optimize them for long-tail keywords –that will be effective.
In addition, metatags and alt tags are the optimal locations to use seed keywords, and doing so can provide a significant return on investment.
Conclusion
The best seed keywords can result in getting the best long-tail keywords that can optimize your site. Also, using them in specified locations can improve your site’s visibility, organic traffic, and ranking.
As a new marketer, you should bother less about them but not leave them altogether because they are the building blocks for your website.