Keyword research, creating copy, fixing on-page optimisation - what next?

[WhitewallGlasgow]

Hello -

Wondered if I could get people's thoughts.

We/I have started working on a client's website to improve everything - a general overhaul across SEO, on-page optimisation etc. I'm relatively new to this although picking things up and learning on the job which is great, and Moz is so helpful!

So far we have conducted a review of the website, created a large list of keywords and analysed these, started overhauling the copy and adding the new keywords within this, have plans to overhaul the other elements of the site (headings, tags etc) and improve the design, functionality and customer journey through the website.

My question is: where do I go from here in terms of keywords and SEO? Is it a case of plugging in the keywords we've researched, watch how they perform, and then switch things up with different keywords if they aren't performing as well as we expected? Is it really a lot of trial and error or is there an exact science behind it that I'm missing? I just feel a little as though we've pulled these keywords out of thin-air to a degree, and are adding them into our copy because the numbers on Moz show they should perform well, and they are what we are trying to promote on the website. But I don't know if this is right?!

Perhaps I'm over-thinking it...

[Linda-Vassily]

It's great that you are working so hard on the SEO elements of your client's website but you should also keep your focus on the actual content. Rather than choosing what Moz or any other service has identified as the "best" keywords and writing around those, spend some time thinking about what the site's users would find interesting/informative/useful, write about that and then use what you have learned about SEO to help optimize those posts.

For clues about what the site's users want, look at your Analytics and see which current posts drive a lot of traffic and have good engagement numbers. Search Console (formerly Webmaster Tools) can show you search terms that are already doing well for you and you can build out content around those. Speak to people who work for the company and have contact with customers for insight into what questions they are being asked and what topics come up in conversations with buyers.

It's not an exact science, but it's not totally trial and error either.

[WhitewallGlasgow]

Thanks, Linda! That's great advice and will definitely chat with the client so we can start creating useful and meaningful content.

Unfortunately the analytics wasn't set up correctly until we took the client on, so the only data we have is from the last week or so since it's been set up! Hopefully we'll start seeing some useful data going forward so we can action that!

Thank you

[Linda-Vassily]

That does make it harder, not having the relevant data. (You can also take a look at successful competitors' sites and see what they write about, as another source of ideas.)

[julie-getonthemap]

Have you asked the customer to describe their ideal customer? Often they say something completely broad like "everyone who wears shoes" but your task will be much easier if you know exactly who they want to walk in the door.

I think it's easier to do this with small business because they know their customers. Ask them to describe, in detail, their 4 best customers. How old are they, what do they do for a living, their hobbies - the more detailed the better. Then think of those people when you're selecting your keywords.

[WhitewallGlasgow]

What a great idea! I'll definitely schedule in some time with the client to ask those questions. Thanks so much!