What Should You Do if You’re Unsure About a Keyword?

If you are uncertain about a keyword, a simple and effective step is to copy the keyword into Google’s search results and analyze what appears. This method helps determine if the keyword is a brand name or something else, guiding whether it’s worth targeting in your SEO efforts.

Full Explanation

When you face uncertainty about a keyword, inputting it into Google’s search engine provides insight into its nature and competition. If the results primarily show a brand’s official website or related brand content, this indicates that the keyword is closely associated with a specific brand name. Competing for brand name keywords might not be beneficial, especially if you aren’t that brand, because people searching for that keyword may be specifically looking for the brand itself.

Targeting a brand name can lead to visitors arriving at your website only to realize you are not the brand they intended to find. This causes them to leave your site quickly and return to Google, which wastes your advertising budget if you are running paid campaigns and does not build lasting SEO value.

Step-by-Step Breakdown

1. Take the keyword you are unsure about.
2. Paste the keyword into Google’s search bar and view the results.
3. Examine whether the results emphasize a brand’s official pages.
4. If it is a brand name, consider avoiding competition on that keyword because it may not bring valuable traffic.
5. If it is not a brand name, evaluate further but keep monitoring the search results.

Real Examples

For example, if you search for the keyword and the first few results are all related to a well-known brand, this is an indicator that the keyword is strongly tied to that brand. In such cases, visitors clicking your site might bounce back quickly if they don’t find the brand they expected, causing wasted clicks and budget.

Common Mistakes

• Ignoring the brand presence in search results and competing for brand keywords unnecessarily.
• Assuming all keywords are equal without checking what Google displays for them.
• Spending money on paid ads for keywords associated with brands you don’t represent, leading to poor returns.

FAQs

Why is it bad to compete for brand name keywords?

Because people searching brand names often want the official site or brand information, and if they reach your site by mistake, they will leave quickly, wasting your resources.

What should I do if the keyword is not a brand name?

If it’s not a brand name, you can consider targeting it but always keep an eye on what the search results and user intent reveal.

Key Takeaways

• Always test uncertain keywords by checking Google search results first.
• Avoid competing on brand name keywords unless you represent that brand.
• Prevent wasted clicks by ensuring your keyword choice aligns with user intent.