What are Seed Keywords?
Seed keywords are short and simple primary keywords that usually consist of one or two words and contain a head noun.
They form the basis of your search engine optimization strategy and are essential for achieving higher rankings in search results.
While seed keywords can be short-tail keywords, they do not include any modifiers, unlike other short-tail keywords.
In other words, all seed keywords are short-tail keywords, but not all short-tail keywords are seed keywords.
For instance, if your website is about healthcare, some seed keywords could be healthcare, health, remedies, treatment, and healthcare routine.
These keywords can help you understand your target audience's search intent and create content that meets their needs.
Why are they important?
As a website marketer, selecting seed keywords related to your niche can provide numerous benefits.
Here are some of the ways in which they are essential:
For new marketers
If you are a new marketer preparing to launch a website, seed keywords can help you build effective web pages, especially the homepage.
By understanding the search volume of a specific seed keyword, you can get an idea of what your target audience is looking for and what their intent is.
Seed keywords also allow you to structure individual web pages effectively.
By incorporating them into your content, you can optimize your pages for search engines and increase the chances of ranking higher in search results.
For topic clustering
Topic clustering is a strategy for organizing multiple pieces of content around a single central subject.
To effectively cluster topics, it is important to identify the appropriate seed keywords that relate to your niche.
These seed keywords can then be used to group content under relevant subtopics.
However, if you are unsure about the appropriate subtopics, conducting research on seed keywords can help you determine the most suitable groupings.
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 individuals may believe that finding seed keywords is not a crucial component of keyword research.
However, this is not accurate as seed keywords serve as the foundation for your targeted keywords.
They are a valuable source for reaching your intended audience.
By utilizing seed keywords, you can better understand your audience's interests and needs, which can help inform your content creation and marketing strategies.
For increasing organic traffic
You don't always need to run paid campaigns or start affiliate marketing to increase traffic to your website.
Effective and appropriate use of seed keywords can be just as beneficial.
Additionally, even when using long-tail keywords, it is important to include a specific and targeted keyword to ensure that your content is reaching the intended audience.
What are the challenging aspects of seed keywords?
Before beginning your keyword research, there are a few important considerations to keep in mind regarding seed keywords.
Competitive
Firstly, it is important to note that seed keywords can be highly competitive.
Due to their short and straightforward nature, they are often searched for by many users, which in turn increases competition.
For example, the seed keyword "sewing machine" could have multiple search intents, such as informational (e.g., how to use a sewing machine), transactional (e.g., buying a sewing machine), or commercial (e.g., the best sewing machine).
This can lead to excessive competition for the two-word keyword.
Partially relevant
Seed keywords can be partially relevant because the searcher's intent is often unclear.
It can be challenging to determine which type of intent a particular seed keyword relates to out of the four different types of searcher's intent (informational, navigational, transactional, and commercial).
This ambiguity can make it more difficult to effectively target your audience with your content.
Too general
In terms of keywords, high competition and low relevance are typical characteristics of highly general keywords.
The same can be said for some seed keywords.
However, 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 most straightforward step in identifying keywords is brainstorming. It is essential to have a clear understanding of your niche and how you can optimize your website within it.
Your seed keywords should be relevant to this niche, and you can then analyze their volume and competition to determine which ones are ideal for your website.
Attend to Google
Google can help you with finding seed keywords when you search them in the search bar.
Additionally, at the bottom of SERPs, you can see trending keywords that make up LSI keywords, from which you can extract your seed keywords.
Another valuable resource is the "People Also Ask" section, which provides insights into what users are most interested in and can help you select your seed keywords strategically.
Take ideas from large websites
Many popular and large websites have detailed navigation menus that offer a straightforward path for exploring the website.
You can use this menu to search and find relevant terms or phrases that align with your niche.
For instance, if your website pertains to e-commerce, you should browse an e-commerce website for seed keywords.
Otherwise, you may end up with irrelevant keywords.
Explore social networking sites and forums
Social networking websites and online forums can be valuable sources for discovering what people are discussing.
You can find community discussions on various topics that relate to your niche.
For instance, Quora is an online forum that enables individuals to discuss their areas of interest.
Similarly, Twitter and Facebook are social networking sites that can provide insights into popular trends that align with your brand or services.
Use tools
Tools are mostly more reliable 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 defines your business the best.
The best thing about this tool is that it will give you long-tail keywords that contain your seed keyword.
You do not have to put extra effort into making specified long-tail keywords by trying different modifiers.
Ahrefs’s Site Explorer
Ahrefs' Site Explorer is a valuable tool that can provide potential keywords related to your products or services.
It offers information on competition, search volume, and traffic.
You can input either a keyword that you have thought 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 most suitable keyword for your business is the one that is most relevant to it. If the keyword is relevant, it can satisfy the searcher's intent.
Additionally, it is important to be cautious when selecting a seed keyword and, ultimately, a long-tail keyword because you need to be specific about individual web pages.
For instance, in an online retail shop that sells shoes, categories may differ, such as men, women, kids, formal, casual, etc.
Each web page about a particular type of shoe must contain relevant keywords to avoid confusion.
What are the right locations where one can place seed keywords?
Your homepage should contain the primary seed keywords for your website, whereas other web pages can be optimized for long-tail keywords, which can 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 optimise 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.