Most search engine marketers at some point in their career are faced with the daunting question from upper management: “Why is our site not listed on the first page in Google?”

As you know, there are many steps to organic Search Engine Optimization. Your site must not only have logical navigation, as mentioned in our previous Blog, but one must consider the Meta tags, internal links, ALT tags, content, etc. All aspects to your organic SEO campaign are important, but what bring them all together to build a successful website are keywords. After all, your keywords and keyword phrases are used in your title tag, description tag, content, alt tags, links, breadcrumbs, etc. Your keywords are used not only to describe your organization and the products you offer, but they are also the portal in which your target audience finds your site.

So, how do you choose your keywords wisely? Well, you have to think like the customer. Say, for example, your organization sells shoes. The end user isn’t going to their search engine of choice and typing in “shoes”, instead, they’re typing in more descriptive phrases such as “men’s running shoes,” “kids’ athletic shoes,” “women’s casual shoes,” “designer dress shoes,” etc.

Also, it’s a good idea to look at your competitors’ websites and see what keyword phrases they are using. Now consider regional phrases, such as “brand name shoes in Portland Maine,” or “discount shoes in Boston.” Gather all these phrases and see how they rank using a keyword tool like the one found on Overture.com. Pick the phrases that rank well, but also directly relate to the content on your site. Obviously, if your company sells mostly athletic shoes, using a keyword phrases like “designer wedding shoes” will only hinder your site’s performance.

Once you have your list of keyword phrases, use them to your advantage by including them in all aspects of your site including Meta tags, ALT tags, content copy, internal links, and so on.

Remember, SEO is a continuing process so be sure to regularly monitor your keyword phrases and how they are performing using a web analytics tool. And don’t be afraid to re-evaluate and revise your list. The more you stay abreast of what keyword phrases your customers are using to find you, the better your site will perform.