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Title, Abstract and Keywords

The importance of titles.

The title of your manuscript is usually the first introduction readers (and reviewers) have to your work. Therefore, you must select a title that grabs attention, accurately describes the contents of your manuscript, and makes people want to read further.

An effective title should:

• Convey the  main topics  of the study
• Highlight the  importance  of the research
• Be  concise
• Attract  readers

Writing a good title for your manuscript can be challenging. First, list the topics covered by the manuscript. Try to put all of the topics together in the title using as few words as possible. A title that is too long will seem clumsy, annoy readers, and probably not meet journal requirements.

Does Vaccinating Children and Adolescents with Inactivated Influenza Virus Inhibit the Spread of Influenza in Unimmunized Residents of Rural Communities?

This title has too many unnecessary words.

Influenza Vaccination of Children: A Randomized Trial

This title doesn’t give enough information about what makes the manuscript interesting.

Effect of Child Influenza Vaccination on Infection Rates in Rural Communities: A Randomized Trial This is an effective title. It is short, easy to understand, and conveys the important aspects of the research.

Think about why your research will be of interest to other scientists. This should be related to the reason you decided to study the topic. If your title makes this clear, it will likely attract more readers to your manuscript. TIP: Write down a few possible titles, and then select the best to refine further. Ask your colleagues their opinion. Spending the time needed to do this will result in a better title.

Abstract and Keywords

The Abstract is:

• A  summary  of the content of the journal manuscript
• A time-saving  shortcut  for busy researchers
• A guide to the most important parts of your manuscript’s written content

Many readers will only read the Abstract of your manuscript. Therefore, it has to be able to  stand alone . In most cases the abstract is the only part of your article that appears in indexing databases such as Web of Science or PubMed and so will be the most accessed part of your article; making a good impression will encourage researchers to read your full paper.

A well written abstract can also help speed up the peer-review process. During peer review, referees are usually only sent the abstract when invited to review the paper. Therefore, the abstract needs to contain enough information about the paper to allow referees to make a judgement as to whether they have enough expertise to review the paper and be engaging enough for them to want to review it.

Your Abstract should answer these questions about your manuscript:

• What was done?
• Why did you do it?
• What did you find?
• Why are these findings useful and important?

Answering these questions lets readers know the most important points about your study, and helps them decide whether they want to read the rest of the paper. Make sure you follow the proper journal manuscript formatting guidelines when preparing your abstract.

TIP: Journals often set a maximum word count for Abstracts, often 250 words, and no citations. This is to ensure that the full Abstract appears in indexing services.

Keywords  are a tool to help indexers and search engines find relevant papers. If database search engines can find your journal manuscript, readers will be able to find it too. This will increase the number of people reading your manuscript, and likely lead to more citations.

However, to be effective, Keywords must be chosen carefully. They should:

• Represent  the content of your manuscript
• Be  specific  to your field or sub-field

Manuscript title:  Direct observation of nonlinear optics in an isolated carbon nanotube

Poor keywords:  molecule, optics, lasers, energy lifetime

Better keywords:  single-molecule interaction, Kerr effect, carbon nanotubes, energy level structure

Manuscript title:  Region-specific neuronal degeneration after okadaic acid administration Poor keywords:  neuron, brain, OA (an abbreviation), regional-specific neuronal degeneration, signaling

Better keywords:  neurodegenerative diseases; CA1 region, hippocampal; okadaic acid; neurotoxins; MAP kinase signaling system; cell death

Manuscript title:  Increases in levels of sediment transport at former glacial-interglacial transitions

Poor keywords:  climate change, erosion, plant effects Better keywords:  quaternary climate change, soil erosion, bioturbation

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• Writing Tips

How to Pick the Best Keywords for a Journal Article

• 3-minute read
• 27th October 2019

Once you’ve written an academic journal article, you may need to pick some keywords before submitting it for publication. These will help people find your work, so read our guide on how to pick keywords for a journal article.

Why Do I Need to Pick Keywords for My Article?

Academic publishers usually ask authors to pick a few keywords whenever they submit a paper. These ‘keywords’ are terms relevant to your article that people can search for on a  journal database .

Along with your title and  abstract , these keywords will impact how many people find, read, and cite your paper. It is therefore vital to give this issue a little thought. But how should you pick keywords for a journal article?

5 Tips on How to Select Keywords

To find the best keywords for a journal article, follow these tips.

1. Use the Publisher’s Guidelines

Check whether the journal’s publisher has any guidelines on how to select keywords. At the very least, they should provide advice on how many keywords are required (usually five to eight). These guidelines are often part of the author instructions, along with advice on writing style and formatting.

2. Focus on the Main Topic of Your Research

Use the main topic of your paper to guide keyword selection. For instance, if your paper is about the medical usage of nanotechnology, your keywords would include terms like “nanomedicine” and “nanopharmaceutics.” It can also help to consider what your target reader is likely to search for in a database.

3. Don’t Duplicate Words from Your Title

The   title of your paper is important partly because it will register on search engines. And since you can only pick a few keywords for your article, you should avoid duplicating any terminology already used in the paper’s title.

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4. Be Specific

Try to be as specific as possible. This may include using “key phrases” of two or three words, since single-word terms can be too ambiguous.

For instance, whereas “nanotechnology” would bring up every paper related to nanotechnology in any way, searching for a key phrase like “cancer nanotechnology” would only find papers specifically about cancer AND nanotechnology. Using specific keywords will therefore help readers with a specific interest in your subject area to find your paper.

5. Test Your Keywords

Finally, once you have selected some keywords, enter them into a relevant journal database. If they bring up articles on topics similar to your own, then you’ve selected good keywords. If not, you may need to try again.

In addition, if you’re struggling to come up with keywords that work, you can search for some articles that cover a similar subject. You can then check their keywords and use these to guide your own choices.

Summary: How to Select Keywords for a Journal Article

In summary, when selecting keywords for a journal article you should always:

• Follow the publisher’s guidelines for selecting keywords.
• Focus on terms related to the main topic of your research.
• Avoid duplicating words used in your title.
• Be specific and use multi-word “key phrases” where possible.
• Test your keywords on a relevant journal database.

Good luck! And let us know if you need help  proofreading your article .

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How to Choose Effective SEO Keywords for Your Research Article | How to Write a Journal Article

How-to-choose-effective-keywords-for-your-article.

Helen Eassom, Copywriter, Wiley

January 17, 2022

You just wrote an awesome article for a scientific journal - congratulations! Did you consider how search engines like Google will index your article, so you can be widely read? Choosing effective keywords will help.

Discover how to choose keywords for your article with these practical tips. You can also go to Wiley Author Services for additional tips and help on how to write a journal article .

Importance of Indexing

Indexing for search engines is important for two reasons. Effective keywords for your article give an accurate representation of what you publish. This improves the relevancy to readers.

Indexing also catches the attention of search engines like Google. Best practice for SEO includes mentioning the keywords every 100 to 200 words you’re your titles, subheadings, and at the beginning, and end of your article.

Title Creation

Effective keywords for your article start with the title. A title catches the attention of readers, but it also introduces your main point. Consider the introductory paragraph of your article and create a title from there. Your title shouldn't be boring, but it can't be misleading or outrageous either.

Once you have your title, filter your keywords throughout the piece using the best practices mentioned earlier. Examine how the article looks after you’ve added more keywords and make changes for them to fit.

2. Word Clusters or Word Clouds

Several online sources create word clusters or word clouds. Word clusters count the words in your article and give you a visual snapshot of the most prominent words in the article. This can point to how you should select a keyword, even before you select a title. They all work by copy and pasting text into a text box.

Here are some word cluster tools to see which works best for you.

• Jason Davies Word Cloud Generator  
• Tag Crowd  

3. Abstract

Research articles need an abstract, which is a short summary of your work. Use keywords in your abstract as an extra boost to your SEO practices. Abstracts are usually just a few hundred words, so putting the keywords in two or three times makes sense.

4. Natural Language

Your keywords should employ natural language and blend seamlessly into your article. Search engines recognize that keywords can be a few words apart to remain relevant to a search engine's algorithm. For instance, compare how "Studies show apples prevent colon cancer," and "Patients with a predisposition for colon cancer might eat apples to prevent this disease" both use the keywords properly in terms of indexing for search engines.

5. Use Google Search Engine Result Pages

Search using a common phrase for your topic (IE: how would you Google your own work) and use the elements on the search engine result page to hone your keyword list.

• Use the “People Also Ask” and “People Also Searched” sections to see what other keywords and queries people are using to search for your topic.
• Use featured snippets to see content and themes with contextual relevance.
• Other clues on search engine result pages -like bold text – show what Google thinks of contextually relevant keywords to your search.

Using these tactics, you can create a broader list of terms to pull from to help create a more indexable article.

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How to Choose Keywords for a Manuscript?

• 3 minute read
• 85.9K views

Table of Contents

Do you feel your article is being unnoticed? It can sometimes feel as if your work is sunk, in an ocean of millions of others, and not being found and read as often as you imagined. If this is the case, you are not alone. Unfortunately, in the internet era, just good research is hardly enough. A quality text edition of your manuscript and stunning presentations may be the next step for calling some attention, but making your work pop out from millions of others is a challenge that is often under thought by many researchers.

Actually, there are a few things in your power to help an article climb up search engine rankings. It all comes down to two concepts that you probably have heard a thousand times before: SEO and Keywords.

• Working with SEO (search engine optimization): Basically, this means helping search engines find your article relevant for certain search terms on the internet. This is done by choosing strategic keywords that correspond to words in the internet user’s search. This way your article has the best chance to appear in a higher position within a probably (very) long list of other related research.
• Choosing keywords for manuscripts: Keywords are words that capture the essence of your paper. They make your paper searchable (and findable!) and ensure that you get more citations. Therefore, it is important to include relevant keywords to help others find your paper. Don’t forget these simple tips, outlined below.

How to Select the Best Keywords for a Manuscript

The secret to choosing the best keywords for your manuscript is a matter of fine balance. On one hand, we recommend avoiding too many single-words (unless it is completely necessary) so that the search doesn’t render too unspecific. On the other hand, too many words may over-filter your article, making it more difficult to find.

There is also the tendency to add credibility to an article by selecting a lot of specialized keywords. However, that may actually dim the chances of your article being found. Rather than reducing your search chances to a specialized niche of experts, try to use more general terms used in literature to open your work to a more heterogeneous population.

Avoiding the duplication of words already in the article’s title is strongly recommended by journals. It is preferable to choose keywords that compliment the main topic of your research, including related words and/or methodology-specific terms.

Always remember to test your selected keywords. Do you think your article is difficult to find? Does the search pull up very similar articles to your own? Testing gives you the chance to tailor your keyword selection even further and, also very importantly, it can give you a valuable perspective of your “competitors.”

Making your article stand out is the ultimate challenge for its consumption. It might be daunting for researchers who feel overwhelmed by the digital world. However, don’t worry. Elsevier offers text editing services that not only provide excellent quality text for your manuscript, but also help you make the necessary amendments to fit it into your journal’s guidelines. This way, you are also ensuring that the keywords you chose as relevant line up with the journal’s requirements, making the whole process much easier.

Language Editing Services by Elsevier Author Services:

We know that, as an academic researcher, you have many things to do to stay relevant. Writing a manuscript is a crucial part of your endeavors.

That’s why we, at Elsevier Author Services, support you throughout your publication journey with a suite of products and services that help improve your manuscript before submission and beyond.

Check our video Reach the highest standard with Elsevier Author Services to learn more about Author Services.

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Research Paper Keyword Generator + Tips

• 🤩 Pros of Our Keyword Generator
• 🗝️ What Are Keywords?
• ️🔍 How to Choose Keywords
• 💡 4 Best Tips for Writing Keywords

🔗 References

🤩 pros of our free research paper keyword generator.

Our tool will present you with a list of keywords and phrases from any text you paste. There are several features that make it stand out from similar instruments:

🗝️ What Are Keywords in a Research Paper?

Keywords are phrases and words that reflect a research papers’ main ideas and topics . They help search engines and readers alike to quickly understand what the work is about. Such terms and phrases also allow researchers interested in your subject to promptly find your paper, share it, and cite it. Depending on the format of your work, keywords can be placed in its metadata or the abstract .

Why Are Keywords Important?

Oftentimes, students and professionals alike don’t take the time to choose the keywords for their research papers. They might be under the impression that if the work is good enough, others will find it anyway. In reality, that is not the case.

Choosing the most appropriate keywords has the following advantages:

• More precise search results . It ensures that your papers will be quickly found in search engines and academic registries. This way, researchers and other people interested in the topic have a better chance of coming across your work.
• Showing the paper’s relevance . Key words and phrases get across the main subject of the paper, summarize the main ideas , and make it easier for people to determine if they may be interested in the research.
• Quick communication with evaluators . Having keywords in your work lets your professors quickly comprehend the content and subject of your study.

🔍 How to Choose Keywords in Research Papers

This section will give you an understanding of the general rules about choosing keywords for academic works. There are several things we advise keeping in mind:

• Check the instructions . Before adding keywords, carefully read manuals provided by your professors or scientific journals. These materials should contain the volume of allowed keywords (3–5 on average, up to 10 in rare cases) and explain whether these should be picked from a pre-selected list.
• Choose specific words and phrases . When selecting your keywords, it is best not to use generic phrases. You should avoid abstract concepts or common words, since they can cause your paper to get lost in the search results. Instead, it is best to stay specific to the subject matter. For example, if you write about heart disease, use keys such as “ peripheral arterial disease ” or “acute coronary heart disease.”
• Search for optimized terms . Maximize the paper’s reach by optimizing terms. Google Scholar is a great way to discover the proper terminology for research in different fields.
• Include the methodology . Additionally, it’s essential to name the methodology used in the study. For example, regarding medicine, clinical trial types or experimental techniques are a perfect choice for papers on this subject.

Keywords Format: APA Style

APA is currently one of the most used formats for academic research papers. There are several things students should be aware of when writing works that follow its guidelines.

• Recommended fonts . In the APA style , it’s possible to use 10-point Computer Modern, 10-point Lucida Sans Unicode, 11-point Arial, 11-point Calibri, 11-point Georgia, or 12-point Times New Roman fonts.
• Placement . Students should place the keywords list on the research’s second page, one line below the abstract.
• Label . These words and phrases must be labeled as “Keywords,” intended like a regular paragraph, and put in italics.
• Text . In the APA format, keywords are on the same line and one space after the label. They are written in the lowercase, with capitalized proper nouns. Don’t use bold or italic and remember to separate them with commas. There’s no ending punctuation after the final keyword. Students can list them in any order and use double-space if the keywords run onto the second line.

💡 4 Best Tips for Writing Keywords for Your Research

Finding and incorporating the right keywords in research studies takes time and effort to perfect. We’ve decided to give several tips that will help you hone your research and article-writing skills .

• Avoid keywords that are too narrow or too broad . This is one of the trickiest things to pull off while looking for the perfect keywords. Make them excessively precise, and you will narrow your audience significantly. Make them too broad, and the article will be lost in search results.
• Steer clear of obscure search terms . If you want the work to appear in academic directories, don’t use terms people rarely seek. For example, people rarely search for Latin animal or plant species names, so keep things closer to plain English.
• Don’t mislead readers . Don’t use keys unrelated to your topic to get into the search results. Such things remove credibility from your writing and add unnecessary difficulties for people trying to find it.
• Use the appropriate format . When choosing your keywords, it is best to remember several general rules. For example, you should try avoiding abbreviations where possible. Additionally, it is best to use short phrases rather than singular words.

Our research paper generator will become a valuable tool for your academic pursuits. Also, we recommend you try our effective plagiarism checker ! If you have any questions, check out our FAQ section.

❓ Research Paper Keyword Generator – FAQ

• Consider words and phrases that expand or narrow the paper’s scope.
• Use phrases instead of single words without context.
• Avoid abbreviations.
• Check the guidelines.
• Find short phrases.
• Use general terms.
• Stay specific.
• Mention the methodology.

Updated: Oct 30th, 2023

• How to Write a Research Paper. – Lebanon Valley College
• Keyword Searching: Finding Articles on Your Topic: Select Keywords. – Walden University
• Research Foundations: Choose Keywords. – Seminole State College Library
• Guidelines for Selecting Keywords. – Kansas State University
• A Guide to Writing an Effective Abstract / Selecting Keywords for Discovery. – Cambridge University Press & Assessment

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Educational resources and simple solutions for your research journey

Identifying Keywords for Scientific Papers: A Simple 5-Step Guide

Academic writing is an essential component of research work, and one of the most critical elements is identifying the right keywords for scientific papers. As an author, you will want to ensure that your work is found, read, and cited by as many people as possible. But with the sharp increase in research output around the world, this is not always easy. This is where using keywords in research articles become invaluable, because online search results are directly related to which keywords you have chosen and how you have used it in your writing.

Keywords are words or phrases (of 2-4 words) that provide information about your research; it allows search engines to sift through the large amounts of information available online to highlight your work. Hence, if you’ve chosen and used the right keywords in research articles, it will help readers locate your work when searching for relevant content. However, many authors neglect this step due to a paucity of time or a lack of understanding on how to effectively choose and use keywords in research articles. In this article, we outline a simple step-by-step process to create the most effective keywords for scientific papers.

Table of Contents

Step 1: Check your target journal’s guidelines

Most leading international journals have standard author instructions that describe the number of keywords allowed and sometimes even offer a predetermined list of keywords for scientific papers that authors can choose from. Journals usually require about 3-8 keywords, so it’s important to have at least 4-5 effective keywords for scientific papers. This is a good thumb rule to follow if you’ve not finalized your target journal. Depending on the requirements of your specific journal, you can add more keywords in your research article but don’t leave this too late.

Step 2: Examine your research question or topic

Keywords in research articles are designed to help readers locate your paper easily, so it is essential to choose the most relevant words that capture the essence of your research question or topic. That being said, it is advised not to use exact terms from the title of your research paper as keywords. For instance, if the main research question is, “What are the effects of social networks on mental well-being?”, the keywords for your scientific paper could be “social media” and “mental health.” These keywords are important because they are the most relevant to the research topic.

Step 3: Generate a broad list of related terms

Once you have pinned down the main research question or topic, the next step is to generate a list of related terms. Related terms are words or phrases that are related to the main keywords in research articles and are frequently used in the specific field of research. For example, related terms for the main keywords “social media” and “mental health” could be “social networking,” “cyberbullying,” “depression,” “anxiety,” and “self-esteem.” It’s important to note down these terms because they help to broaden the scope of your research paper and make it more discoverable to a wider audience.

Step 4: Evaluate and refine your keywords

After generating a list of potential keywords for the scientific paper, the next step is to evaluate and refine them for your study. You need to carefully consider the relevance, specificity, and uniqueness when shortlisting the most useful keywords to use in your research article.

• Relevance: The keywords you choose should be relevant to your research topic. They should accurately describe the focus of your paper and be helpful to readers searching for content related to your topic. Think from the reader’s perspective and ask yourself what keywords they would use and what could help them discover your article.
• Specificity: The keywords in research articles should be specific to your research topic. They should not be too broad or general, as this may make it difficult for readers to locate your paper. If your paper focuses on a particular region, experimental design, applications, or phenomena consider using these as keywords.
• Uniqueness: Your main keywords should be unique to the contents of your research paper. Consider using variants of terms or phrases that readers are likely to use. Remember, using generic or overused keywords may result in your paper being buried under a large number of search results.

Step 5: Use keywords in scientific papers correctly

Finally, once you have identified the keywords for your research article, it is essential to use them effectively in your paper. Apart from the main keywords, include words and phrases that are closely related to your topic, including acronyms, abbreviations, or full forms of shortened words. Adding keywords in research articles is key to making your research more discoverable, so be thoughtful and strategic in your approach.

Repeat important keywords in research articles to reinforce their significance, especially in the title, abstract and introduction sections to make it easier for readers to quickly find and understand your work. While adding keywords throughout your paper, avoid overusing or stuffing keywords into text in an unnatural way or it could impact the quality of your writing. Finally, remember that identifying effective keywords for scientific papers should be a priority, not an afterthought so make time to choose keywords for your scientific paper with care.

R Discovery is a literature search and research reading platform that accelerates your research discovery journey by keeping you updated on the latest, most relevant scholarly content. With 250M+ research articles sourced from trusted aggregators like CrossRef, Unpaywall, PubMed, PubMed Central, Open Alex and top publishing houses like Springer Nature, JAMA, IOP, Taylor & Francis, NEJM, BMJ, Karger, SAGE, Emerald Publishing and more, R Discovery puts a world of research at your fingertips.  

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Keywords for Research Article: an Effective Guide

Table of Contents

With the myriad of online resources, it can be challenging to find relevant information.

Keywords are a way we can cut through the clutter and discover what we are looking for quickly. This is why incorporating the right keywords into articles, blogs, and websites is crucial. Identifying relevant  keywords for research articles  and incorporating them into your paper is the best way to ensure a top search engine ranking. 

The more an article aligns with the keywords a user searches for, the higher it will rank on SERPs. Optimizing your content with relevant keywords that match users’ search terms improves the visibility of your research paper.

This post details how to choose relevant keywords for your research article.

What Are Keywords in a Research Paper?

Keywords are words or phrases searchers type into search engines to find specific information .

In research papers, keywords are the terms that define a given topic and make it easier for searchers to find the content. Keywords help search engines match relevant search results with search queries, providing users with the most relevant and valuable information. 

Importance of Keywords in Research Papers

Keyword helps search engines decide which research article is most relevant to a search query.

When an Internet user wants to find something online, they typically enter a keyword that describes what they’re looking for. Search engine algorithm scans webpages to find those with similar or the exact keywords searched for. The more matches a content has with the user’s keywords, the more likely the article will appear in search engine results. 

The goal of every researcher is to get their article on the first page of the search engine results page (SERP). Discovering and incorporating the relevant keywords into your paper will improve your chances of higher rankings on search engines.

How to Choose the Best Keywords for Research Article

Choosing relevant keywords will improve your search engine rankings and ensure your research paper is found . Here are some tips for selecting the right keywords for your research paper.

1. Follow the Guidelines of Your Target Journal

Every journal has specifications when it comes to selecting keywords. Take the time to learn and follow your target journal’s instructions on keywords. For example, most clinical papers use terms drawn from the  US National Library of Medicine’s Medical Subject Headings (MeSH).  Other fields have their guidelines and requirements.

Most journals ask authors to present 5-8 terms. Some journals request only  single-word  keywords, making it easy for publishers and databases to organize the article, while others request phrases . Ensure you understand the guidelines for your target journal and follow them appropriately.

2. Identify Terms Related to Your Topic

Consider the terms researchers may use to search for papers related to your topic. For example, if your research article is on climate change , your keywords may include climate , global warming , earth , and biosphere . Target these keywords in your manuscript to ensure your research paper appears in the results of relevant searches.

3. Identify Terms That Summarize Your Work As a Whole

Identify and use keywords that represent and summarize your article as a whole. Some of these terms may be the main features of your paper, like population, setting, or variables.

Remember to keep an eye on the bigger picture as well. Identify the theories, processes, or concepts your paper covers, even if the specific names do not appear in your manuscript.

4. Include Your Techniques or Methodology

You may use key methods or experimental techniques your research revolves around as keywords. Be careful with spelling and capitalization, and also ensure that you use the officially recognized form of each key term. This is so your paper isn’t left out of searches for that keyword.

You can find the official, correct, and most commonly used versions of field-specific terms using Google Scholar.

5. Include Both Generic and Specific Terms

Avoid single-word keywords that are too general and vague. Make sure your keywords aren’t too long and not too short. Too short keywords will make the search unspecific. On the other hand, too-long keywords may filter your article to the point where it will be unindexed in search engines.

Use specific and general terms your potential readers will look for. For instance, if your article is on climate change , you may use general terms like “Global Warming” and “Earth.” And also more specific long-tail keywords relevant to your study.

6. Perform a Search to Test Your Keywords

Search Google and academic databases like Google Scholar for the keywords you want to submit. Do the keywords bring up articles similar to yours? If not, you may need to make some changes. 

This technique will also give you an idea of who your competition is. Examine the keywords they target to get ideas on how to refine your keyword list.

Keywords are an integral part of every research paper. They’re the means through which search engines determine which content is most relevant to a search query.

Choosing the most relevant keywords for your research topic is critical. The wrong choice of keywords can be detrimental to your article and even cost you opportunities to get read! On the other hand, the right keywords can improve your search engine rankings.

When choosing keywords, follow the instructions of your target journal. Identify terms related to your topic, including those that summarize your work as a whole. Also, consider using the techniques or methodology your research revolves around as keywords. Avoid only single-word keywords; instead, use both generic and specific terms. Finally, perform a search to test your keywords and refine your keyword list if necessary.

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Co-Founder of INK, Alexander crafts magical tools for web marketing. SEO and AI expert. He is a smart creative, a builder of amazing things. He loves to study “how” and “why” humans and AI make decisions.

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How to Choose and Use Keywords in Research Papers

Academic writing is vital for PhD student and researchers, and identifying appropriate keywords in research papers is a crucial part of the process. However, not many academics understand the importance of keywords in research papers and why you need to get this right. When used well, keywords in scientific papers ensure more accurate indexing and allow search engines to find your work from the large amounts of information available online.

With more research articles and journals available to researchers, it is important to choose and use keywords in research papers effectively to maximize the reach and impact of your research article by making it easier to discover, access, and reference by a diverse audience. In this article, we’ll discuss how to choose and effectively use keywords in research papers to improve your visibility and help you reach your intended audience.

How to choose keywords in research papers

Choosing the right keywords in research papers is critical because the quality of online search results is directly related to the quality of the keywords used. A well-chosen keyword can help your paper get discovered, while a poorly chosen keyword can lead to your paper being overlooked. Here are some simple steps to choose the right keywords for your research paper. 1

Understand the research question or topic

Know the central theme of your research paper and write down keywords that are most relevant and will capture the essence of your work. Examining your research question or topic closely can also help you identify keywords in research papers that are frequently used in your field of study.

Check standard author guidelines

Most reputed journals mention specific instructions regarding the number and length of keywords in research papers. Be sure to check the author guidelines carefully as some even suggest that authors choose from a set of predetermined keywords for scientific papers covering specific research topics.

Create a pool of relevant keywords

When shortlisting keywords in research papers, consider your target audience and keep in mind what they typically use to search for articles on topics like yours. A good idea would be to use phrases or word clusters that are used repeatedly in your manuscript as readers will also likely be using these to search online. Add synonyms and different phrases that describe your concept (avoid newly coined terms or unusual abbreviations) to increase the chances of your research being discovered. You can also ask your supervisor or consult experts in your field to identify the most relevant keywords in research paper.

Pick specific, 2-4-word phrases as keywords

Single words often lead to false matches or are misconstrued so it’s advised to choose keywords that are phrases with 2-4 words, and not longer. It’s important also to be specific when choosing keywords in research papers to ensure your work stands out. For example, if the paper is about leg pain, use alternative and more specific phrases like leg cramps, spasms in the leg, or muscular leg pain to help your work stand out from generalized online searches on pain.

Use optimized keywords in research papers

Maximize your potential visibility by using optimized keywords in research papers. For example, authors writing on medical and health-related topics can find help with keywords and terms by looking through the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) thesaurus. The MeSH thesaurus also includes effective and popular keywords and terms that are used in PubMed and other databases. 2 Similarly, online search engines also index scholarly literature across an array of disciplines.

How to include keywords in research papers

Once you have identified the most relevant keywords for your scientific papers, the next step is to include them effectively. Optimizing your academic writing with keywords is a straightforward process that requires some attention to detail. Here are some tips on how to include keywords in research paper and what to avoid.

Include keywords in title and abstract

The title and abstract are the first sections people read when searching for scholarly articles and understanding the relevance of your work. Include keywords in research paper titles and add the most important keywords in abstract of your research paper. This will help search engines and academic databases quickly identify the central theme of your research paper and categorize your work correctly. However, note that some journals do not advise using keywords that overlap with words used in your research paper title. 2

Add keywords across all sections

Try to use keywords strategically in all sections of your research paper, including the introduction, methods, results, discussion, and conclusion. However, while adding keywords in research papers, ensure they read naturally and are in context to maintain the quality of your academic writing. Subheads are another good way to use keywords as they allow readers to quickly scan your paper. Creating descriptive subheadings that include the main keywords in research papers work well to guide readers smoothly through your article.

Use variations of main keywords

Apart from the list of shortlisted keywords for your topic, make sure you also use variations of your keywords in research papers to ensure it is easily found by readers. Using synonyms and related terms that describe the same concept can help increase the visibility of your paper in online searches while ensuring the main keywords in scientific papers don’t seem spammy and make your writing seem repetitive.

Refer to highly cited works on similar topics

Check relevant journal databases or conduct a quick online search to see how keywords have been used in previously published papers in your field. If you can find the right papers for the keywords you are searching for, you know that it has used keywords effectively. This may give you an idea not only on how and where to use keywords in research papers but may also help you formulate or add to your chosen keywords.

Avoid irrelevant keywords and overstuffing

Finally, it is important to use only relevant keywords in research papers as irrelevant keywords can mislead readers and result in your paper being excluded from relevant searches. Also make sure you are not using too many keywords in research papers. Force-fitting keywords could make your writing seem cluttered and confusing; your work may also be penalized for keyword stuffing by online search engines. It’s best to stick to a few specific, relevant keywords that accurately reflect your research and use them strategically to ensure your article is coherent and engaging for readers.

Identifying effective keywords for research papers must be a priority for researchers and not an afterthought in their manuscript writing and publishing journey. The use of right keywords not only offers readers easier access to your paper through online searches, but it also significantly increases the frequency of citations. Therefore, be sure to choose and use keywords in your research paper with care. All the best!

Keywords are specific terms or phrases that encapsulate the essence of a research paper’s content. They represent the main ideas, concepts, and themes addressed in the paper. These terms aid in categorization, indexing, and searching for relevant articles in academic databases. Typically located in the abstract or article header, keywords provide a quick overview of the paper’s focus, helping researchers and readers gauge its relevance to their interests.

Identifying keywords is vital for effective research because it enhances discoverability. Researchers use keywords to navigate vast databases efficiently, ensuring they find relevant papers on their topic. Precise keywords ensure that articles align closely with a researcher’s needs, saving time and effort. Well-chosen keywords improve a paper’s visibility, increasing its chances of being found and cited. Accurate keyword selection improves the dissemination of knowledge and facilitates collaboration among scholars by facilitating access to related works.

Keywords serve several key purposes in research papers. Firstly, they aid in information retrieval. By including relevant terms, researchers make their work easily discoverable by peers. Secondly, keywords enhance the paper’s visibility, increasing its chances of being cited and referenced. Thirdly, keywords establish a common language for researchers within a particular field, facilitating communication. Lastly, they offer a concise snapshot of the paper’s core themes, assisting readers in quickly determining the paper’s applicability to their own work or interests.

References:

• George, E. Identifying keywords for scientific papers: A simple 5-step guide. Researcher.Life Blog. Available online at https://researcher.life/blog/article/identifying-keywords-for-scientific-papers-a-simple-5-step-guide/
• Herron, C. How to Choose the Best Keywords for Your Research Manuscript. Redwood Ink. Available online at https://redwoodink.com/resources/how-to-choose-the-best-keywords-for-your-research-manuscript

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How to Do Keyword Research for SEO: A Beginner's Guide

Published: September 04, 2024

Keyword research has remained a constant in a rapidly changing search landscape. If you’re an inbound marketer looking to optimize your website, understanding how to do keyword research is a must.

In this post, we’ll define what keyword research is, why it’s important, how to conduct your research for your SEO strategy , and how to choose the right keywords for your website.

Table of Contents

What is keyword research?

Why is keyword research important, elements of keyword research, how to research keywords for your seo strategy, how to find and choose keywords for your website, best keywords for seo.

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Keyword research is the process of finding and analyzing search terms that people enter into search engines with the goal of using that data for a specific purpose, often for search engine optimization (SEO) or general marketing. Keyword research can uncover queries to target, the popularity of these queries, their ranking difficulty, and more.

Keyword research helps you find your SEO sweet spot — the overlap of keywords that aren’t too hard to rank for and keywords that you can confidently produce excellent content on. It also identifies the queries that your target audience is actually searching on Google.

I talked to HubSpot Growth Manager Amal Kalepp , who says that keyword research “determines who your competitors are and which area of the search landscape you can rank for. Doing keyword research and understanding where your blog or website sweet spot is — that’s what gives you rankability.”

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Drill down into your website’s traffic sources and sift through your organic search traffic bucket to identify the keywords people use to arrive at your site.

Repeat this exercise for as many topic buckets as you have.

Remember, if you’re having trouble brainstorming with relevant search terms, you can always head on over to your customer-facing colleagues in sales or service. Ask them what types of terms their prospects or customers have questions about.

Those are often great starting points for keyword research.

Here at HubSpot, we use the Search Insights Report. This template is designed to help you do the same and bucket your keywords into topic clusters, analyze MSV, and inform your editorial calendar and strategy.

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Step 3. Understand how intent affects keyword research and analyze accordingly.

User intent is now one of the most pivotal factors in your ability to rank well on search engines like Google.

That means it’s vital that your web page addresses the problem a searcher wants to solve rather than simply including the keyword the searcher used.

So, how does this affect your keyword research?

It’s tempting to take keywords at face value, but they can have many different meanings.

And because the intent behind a search is so important to your ranking potential, you need to be extra careful about how you interpret the keywords you target.

Let’s say you’re researching the keyword “how to start a blog” for an article you want to create. “Blog” can mean a blog post or the blog website itself, and the searcher’s intent behind that keyword will influence the direction of your article.

Does the searcher want to learn how to start an individual blog post ? Or do they want to know how to launch a website domain for a new blog?

If your content strategy only targets people interested in the latter, you’ll need to determine the keyword’s intent before using it.

To verify a user’s intent, it’s a good idea to simply enter this keyword into a search engine yourself and see what types of results come up.

I did a quick search for “how to start a blog,” and it looks like most users are searching for info on how to start a website with a blog, not an individual blog post:

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Keyword Searching: Finding Articles on Your Topic: Select Keywords

Introduction to keywords.

Keywords, also commonly called search terms, are the words that you enter into the database search boxes. They represent the main concepts of your research topic and are the words used in everyday life to describe the topic. Without the right keywords, you may have difficulty finding the articles that you need.

Selecting keywords is a multi-step process that involves:

• identifying the main concepts of your topic
• brainstorming synonyms and antonyms that could also be used to describe your topic
• spell out abbreviations

It is very rare that your first search will bring back perfect results. It takes trial and error to determine which keywords work best for your topic. Be prepared to run multiple searches in your quest for the keywords that will help you find the materials you need.

Turn your topic into keywords

When doing an internet search in Google or Bing, you can enter your complete research question in the search box and get a bunch of results. However, if you enter your entire research question in the Library databases, you probably won't get any results. This is because the library databases look for the exact words that you enter in the search box(es). If the database can't find all of the words that you entered in the search boxes in the information about an article, it won't bring back any results. That's why it's important to search only for the main parts of your topic.  

Here is an example of a research question:

What is the relationship between test performance and the retention of ESL students?

The keywords for this topic are listed below:

• test performance
• ESL students

Avoid abstract or implied concepts

Because the databases search for the exact words that you enter, certain types of words can be unhelpful to include in your search. These include:

relationship words : words that get at the relationship between two topics

examples: compare, contrast, correlation, causation, relationship  

judgment words : words that judge something to be better or worse than something else

examples: best, worst, pro, con, advantages, disadvantages

There are many ways these ideas can be expressed or even implied. Using these words in your searches may exclude relevant articles on your topic simply because they don't include the exact word that you entered. By leaving out these words, you allow the database to find all of the articles on your main topics, which you can then evaluate to see if they fit your needs.

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms are words that have the same or similar meaning. Antonyms are words that have the opposite meaning. Both can be helpful when trying to determine relevant keywords for your research topic.

Some topics have many different terms that can be used to describe them. For example, here are some additional keywords that could be used for test performance :

• Tests     
• Exams     
• Test-Taking Skill
• Test Anxiety     
• Academic Achievement     
• Test Preparation

Sometimes when you are researching a specific topic, it can also be helpful to search for the opposite of your topic. For example, if you are interested in student retention, you'll also want to look at student dropouts . Here are some possible synonyms and antonyms for student retention :

• Student Persistence     
• Graduation     
• School Holding Power     
• Student Attrition     
• Dropout Prevention

Abbreviations

Abbreviations are shortened forms of words or phrases. For example, PTSD is an abbreviation for post-traumatic stress disorder. When searching the library databases, you'll always want to spell out abbreviations and search for the complete word or phrase. 

Searching for both the abbreviation and the complete word or phrase will help ensure you are finding all of the relevant results. You can do this by connecting the terms with OR.

Do not include parenthesis when searching for both the abbreviation and the full name.

Example: If you are looking for information on Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), you would search for: Cognitive Behavior Therapy OR CBT

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How to Write a Research Paper

• Formulate Questions/Thesis
• Identify Keywords
• Find Background Info
• Search Strategies
• Dissertations
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• Statistics This link opens in a new window
• Primary | Secondary
• Scholarly | General This link opens in a new window
• Creative Commons
• Cite This link opens in a new window
• Quote, Paraphrase, Summarize

Generate Keywords

• Keyword Generator University of Texas. Tutorial that walks you through generating keywords.

Image source: Powernowllc. CC0 1.0.  Wikimedia Commons.

What Are Keywords?

Keywords are important words/concepts found in your research question or thesis. 

A quick and dirty way to pull keywords from a research question/thesis is to choose the most important nouns ; all other words are irrelevant.

Using keywords to search will always retrieve more results than phrases or sentences.

Image source:  Producer.  CC BY-SA 3.0. Wikimedia Commons

Find Keywords

• within your research question or thesis
• in encyclopedias used in background research
• in bibliographies found at the end of books and  articles
• in a thesaurus (or in Word's thesaurus under the Review tab)
• by asking a librarian

Image source:  Evan-Amos .  Public Domain.  Wikimedia Commons.

Chart Keywords

• Keyword Chart

Keywords have a profound impact on search results. Using the right words will speed up the research process, while the wrong ones can bring to it to a painfully screeching halt.

If the keywords you initially choose do not give good results, try others on your list, try search strategies , or ask a librarian for help.

Use the chart above to document keywords related to your topic.  Keep it by your side when you start your research.

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• Last Updated: Aug 21, 2024 1:53 PM
• URL: https://libguides.lvc.edu/researchpaper

How to Find Keywords Effectively: Tools at a Glance

Academic research was once the domain of librarians in universities. Their expertise and ability to make analytical connections among and within fields of study played a critical role in the research process . While their expertise is still useful to researchers, keyword search results have replaced some of their functionality. Researchers can now find much of what they are looking for by plugging keywords into a search engine.

Keyword search results help researchers to find articles that are relevant to their own research interest. These results also let researchers know what other scientists are working on similar projects and what journals may accept their submissions. Conversely, authors will need to select appropriate keywords or phrases (“long tail keywords” – usually 3 words) to use in their work in order to increase readership.

Keyword Research Tools

First-time authors or those who simply prefer to employ technology can choose from a variety of keyword planners and other tools that help to analyze a document and select the keywords.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)

• MeSH on Demand – automatically identifies relevant MeSH terms from text using Natural Language Processing and the National Library of Medicine’s Medical Text Indexer
• The MeSH Browser – allows users to search directly for MeSH terms and conduct text-word searches of the Annotation and Scope Note fields of records

Google Keyword Planner

• Finds the keywords that are most pertinent to your field of study/area of interest
• Shows trends in keyword searches

Google Trends

• Shows how often a particular search-term is entered relative to the total search-volume across various regions of the world, and in various languages

Keyword Tool

• Generates long-tail keyword suggestions based on Google trends

Boolean Search

• Method of searching rather than a tool, per se
• Allows searchers to refine their search to specific pairings of words with the use of quotation marks and capitalization of “operators”
• Uses logical relationships between search term

All of these tools are based upon continuously changing and improving algorithms and claim to be reliable and effective. Add the expertise of a seasoned research librarian and authors can feel secure in their keyword selection process.

How to Select Keywords

Selecting keywords for research articles is not difficult, but it does take some strategizing. The most important component of the article is the title – “The search engine assumes that the title contains all of the important words that define the topic of the piece, and thus gives higher weightage to the words appearing there.” Therefore, the words of the title represent the main concepts of the article. In addition, the title should be clearly stated.

Keyword usage in the body of the article or abstract should follow these guidelines :

• Keywords should represent key concepts
• They should be descriptive
• Keywords should reflect a collective understanding of the topic
• Limit keywords/phrases to 3-4
• Use synonyms of keywords throughout
• Reuse keywords and phrases throughout article or abstract

The best keywords are proper names, specific procedures or techniques, outcome areas, capitalized events and eras, titles of books or articles, and definitions. Once keywords and phrases have been determined, the author will need to incorporate them into a well-written piece. Although it is useful to repeat keywords and phrases throughout the article, the repetition should not impair the article’s readability, which is paramount.

Another element to consider, potentially before any thought has been given to keywords and phrases, is the requirements of journal(s) to which the article will be submitted. Journals often have specific policies regarding submissions, including the usage of keywords. Online manuscript submission forms will generally have an area for keywords.

Online Visibility Impacts Citations

Another important aspect of keyword selection is its impact on citations. An article that is easy to find is more likely to be cited. Within the realm of citations and increasing online visibility, Google Scholar is a tool that allows users to search for digital or physical copies of articles. Results appear in order of the author’s ranking, the number of linked references, and their relevance to other scholarly literature. Furthermore, appearance of results are also based on ranking of the publication in which the article appears. This tool is useful when investigating an article’s position among others of similar content. Have you used the tools mentioned in this article for identifying good keywords? Do you have any suggestions for your peers? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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Keyword Research: The Complete Guide to Find the Best Keywords

Keyword research is the first and most important part of your SEO strategy.

Before you start writing content for your website, you will need to identify suitable high-volume search terms .

The SEO keywords will inform the direction of your content, ensuring that the content produced will be relevant and easily searchable on Google. And that is, in summary, what keyword research is all about.

It’s usually a pretty time-consuming task and involves a lot of effort to pour through details, numbers, and comparing long lists of keywords. But it’s incredibly important to do it well. A thorough keyword research will be the foundation of your SEO strategy and content development.

What is keyword research?

Keyword research is defined as the activity of analyzing and finding a list of valuable keywords for the purpose of SEO copywriting . The keywords, or search terms, often become a guide for the direction of your content and marketing strategy.

A keyword can consist of a single word but more often than not it’s made out of several words. For example, “ search terms ” is a keyword, as is “ best keyword search tool “.

Why is keyword research important?

Finding high-volume search terms itself is not enough. You need to ensure that the SEO keywords used in your content matches with your brand, product, or service to the keywords that your customer use. And this is where keyword research happens.

Once you have performed adequate and thorough research, only then will you be able to craft a viable SEO strategy. With a good strategy, you can then create a detailed plan of action to achieve your goals.

For example, if you are in the business of leasing out vacation homes, you may choose your focus keyword as “ vacation house. ” However, by doing a quick keyword research, we find out that the keyword ‘vacation home’ is much better to use in terms of search volume data.

Both terms might mean the same thing, but your target audience is searching for something different, as you can see above. Search volume for ‘vacation home’ is 33,100, whereas search volume for ‘vacation house’ is 6,600.

You would have never guessed the difference if not for keyword research.

Keywords that you choose to use should be those that your target audience is searching . Only then will it make the effort of optimizing your page worthwhile.

But more importantly, two similar keywords often have different search volumes, trends, and competition levels. Choosing a more relevant, higher volume keyword could give you better results compared to its other semantic or related keywords.

How to do keyword research

There are many ways to do it, either manually or using a keyword research tool like Keyword Tool . But whichever way you choose, there are a number of important steps that you need to take.

From outlining your goals to executing your keyword plan, follow these detailed step-by-step guide to performing a proper and thorough keyword research:

Step 1: Study your niche

Before you figure out what are the best keywords to optimize your page, it’s best that you start by diving deep to learn more about your topic or niche. It can give you out-of-the-box ideas and help discover angles to your marketing and SEO strategy that you might not have thought about before.

Here are a few ideas on how to study your niche :

• Talk with your existing customers and get to know them better. Find out the terms that they use when describing your brand, company, product or service.
• Try to think from the perspective of your potential customers. If you were to share the brand’s offering to a friend, how will you talk about it?
• Get involved in your topic or niche’s online communities, like forums and social media networks. Read the discussions and find out any pain points that are mentioned regarding your niche.

Step 2: Define your goals

A plan needs to always begin by defining the end goal . But before that, you should ask important and introspective questions like:

• Who are you?
• What is your brand about?
• What makes you special?
• What is your website about?
• What promises do you make on your website?

Once you have effectively answered these questions, then you need to specify what is your brand’s mission . Do you want to increase the number of subscribers? Or do you have a sales target by a certain date?

It’s important to define your goal because it will provide a direction for your SEO strategy and plan. The search terms that you will eventually use should be aligned to your goals, ideally segmented into different content marketing funnels . Your goals will also inform the purpose of your SEO copywriting and content.

Write down your goals. Draw charts. Document them. These will provide the framework and direction needed for your top-level content and online marketing strategy.

Step 3: Make a list of relevant topics

Based on your the main category of your brand and the goals you aim to achieve, break it down to smaller topic buckets . Make a list of all the topics related to your brand that you want to rank on Google.

For example, if you’re an FMCG brand specializing in men’s personal care products, some topics that are related to your brand can be:

• men’s facial wash
• antiperspirant deodorant
• male pattern baldness

They need to be topics that are important to your business and related to your buyer personas . Think about what type of topics will your target audience search for on Google? These topic buckets can then later be broken down to keywords that are related to those topics.

Step 4: Create a list of seed keywords

Now that you’ve broken down your main category to different buckets of sub-topics, you can start creating a list of seed keywords. These keywords need to be related to your various topics , and more importantly, are terms that your target audience might be searching on Google.

Seed keywords, or focus keywords, are important as they will become the foundation of your keyword research. They define your niche and identify your competitors.

If you’re wondering how to find the seed or focus keywords of your brand or product, it’s actually a lot easier than you think. All you need to do is describe your offering as simple as possible and brainstorm how other people might search for it on Google.

Step 5: Use good keyword research tools

You might assume, “ shouldn’t keyword research begin with using a keyword tool? ” There’s no right or wrong answer there, to be honest. But there is an obvious advantage to researching search terms from your brand or business perspective first and foremost .

It avoids you from getting too bogged down with keywords and helps you gain a wider perspective for your content and SEO strategy.

Once you have identified your goals, topics, and a list of seed keywords, it’s time to use keyword research tools to further refine your search terms .

One option is to use Google Keyword Planner . Unfortunately, Google only gives approximated search volumes. Instead, you can use a tool like Keyword Tool . It will give you a lot more details and help you narrow down on the right direction for your search terms. On top of that, it can also give additional ideas on related keywords.

All you need to do is type in the topic (or seed keyword) into the search box and it will give you a list of alternative keywords, including those that contain prepositions and questions :

Step 6: Study the search intent

Plugging in high-volume keywords to bump up rankings for a page used to work pretty easily. But it’s not so simple anymore these days. Today, Google’s machine learning search algorithms compare search terms with user queries to learn about search intent.

Search intent is defined as the intent or reason behind why people search for a specific term. There are many driving factors behind people’s search habits, such as:

• Why are they searching?
• Are they searching because they have a question and want an answer to that question?
• Are they searching for a specific website?
• Are they searching because they want to buy something?

Try to put yourself in your target audience’s shoes. Why would they search for your topic? How will they key in the terms? Are they looking to buy something? Or are they looking for a service to solve a specific problem?

Once you have a good idea of the search intent behind potential readers or customers, you will be able to use it to fine-tune your keyword research . Getting a list of high-volume keywords related to your brand or topic is great. But finding keywords that directly match  your target audience’s search intent is even better.

Step 7: Identify long tail keywords

Seed keywords are often shorter search terms that are closely related to your brand’s main topic or category. Long tail keywords , on the other hand, are more descriptive and often related to your brand’s smaller buckets of sub-topics. Matching your target audience’s search intent to long tail keywords is far easier compared to seed keywords.

For example, if your website published content about golf equipment reviews, using long tail keywords like “ what is the best 9 iron golf club ” will attract a more relevant audience compared to the seed keyword “ golf club .”

Long tail keywords usually get fewer clicks, but since they are focused on a specific topic or product, they often get a higher conversion rate .

Step 8: Find out about your competitors

Doing keyword research on Google about your brand alone is not nearly enough. You also need to be aware of what your competitors are doing . The better you understand the content landscape of your industry, the better it will be for your SEO.

Understanding the competitiveness of different keywords will also allow you to identify search terms that might be too difficult to rank . But most importantly, you will be able to find keyword opportunity gaps . These opportunities occur when you find related keywords that are related to your brand or industry with low to medium competition level .

To find these keyword opportunities, you can perform a keyword search on your competitors . The paid version of  Keyword Tool Pro  has a competitor analysis function that does exactly that. Key in the URL of your competitor into the search box and the results will show all the keywords that the page ranks for.

Once you’ve gone through these steps, you should have enough insights to craft a good content and SEO strategy . You would also have gotten adequate data for SEO copywriting for your content.

Whether you’re running a content-focused blog, a small business, or a brand marketer, you will need keyword research to kick-start your content and marketing activities.

Doing keyword research can be a tedious and time-consuming task. But more often than not, it pays off handsomely in the long run.

Frequently Asked Questions

⭐ what is keyword research.

Keyword research is the process of finding keywords that people use when searching online. Keywords can be used to create content that will attract visitors from the search engines.

⭐ Why keyword research is the most important part of SEO?

To get more traffic from search engines, you need to understand what people are searching for online and produce content that targets popular keywords. If you produce content without doing a prior keyword research, your chances of getting meaningful traffic from the search engines are slim.

⭐ What is the best source of keywords?

The search engines themselves are the best source of keyword ideas. To easiest way to find good keywords from various search engines is to use the tools like Keyword Tool .

⭐ How do I know how many people search for a particular keyword on Google in a given month?

The easiest and probably the cheapest way of getting this data is using Keyword Tool Pro . Alternatively, you can start running paid Google Ads, and might be able to eventually see the number of searches for a keyword in Google Keyword Planner.

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