Most NZ business owners pick the keywords for their website based on how they describe their own service. The problem is, their customers describe it completely differently.
If your title tags and website copy use industry language but your customers are searching in plain English, you'll never show up. Below is the free tool that shows you exactly what your customers are typing into Google, and how to use it.
Quick refresher on SEO titles and descriptions
SEO titles (title tags) and descriptions are the information your website gives Google about each page. Google reads them to figure out what your page is about, and whether to serve it up when someone searches.
Every page on your site should have its own title tag and description, themed to whatever that page covers. Homepage gets the main business keyword. Service pages get the specific service plus the region. Contact page gets "Contact [Your Business Name]."
We covered the structure of these in a separate post on title tags. This article focuses on the bit before that: choosing the right keywords to put in.
The "describe it the dumbest way" rule
One mistake business owners make with keywords is using technical industry language.
For me, what I do is "website strategy and lead generation." But my customers don't search that. They search "website builder" or "website designer." Plain, simple, obvious.
Your customers will use the simplest version of your service when they search. Match that, and you'll start showing up.
Use Keyword Surfer to see what people actually search
Keyword Surfer is a free Chrome extension. Once it's installed, every time you do a Google search it shows you:
The search volume for that term
Related keywords people are using
Search volumes for each of those related keywords
Search "Keyword Surfer" in the Chrome Web Store and add it. Takes 30 seconds and it's free.
A real example - Garage Doors
If you're a garage door business in Hamilton, you might Google "Garage Doors Hamilton" and look at the Keyword Surfer panel.
You'll see related keywords like:
Garage Door Hamilton
Hamilton Garage Doors
Waikato Garage Doors
Garage Doors Waikato
Each one with a real search volume. You can ignore brand-specific terms (like specific garage door brands) and focus on the ones that match what you do and have decent search volume.
Pick one or two that have real demand, and use them in your title tags, descriptions, and throughout your website copy.
Another example - Arborists
Search "Arborist Hamilton" with Keyword Surfer running and you'll see related keywords like:
Arborist
Arborist Hamilton NZ
Treescapes / treescaping
Arborist Wellington
If you're an arborist in Hamilton, "Arborist Hamilton NZ" has decent search volume and clearly matches what you do. That's the one to target. Add it to your homepage title tag, mention it in your service descriptions, sprinkle it through your website copy naturally.
How to use the keywords once you've found them
Once you've found two or three keywords that fit your business and have real search volume:
Title tags - Use them in the title tag for the relevant page (homepage and service pages especially)
Descriptions - Mention them naturally in the description tag
Website copy - Use them in headings and body text throughout the relevant page. Not stuffed in awkwardly - written naturally so it still reads well
The same keyword should appear in the title, the description, the main headline on the page, and in the body content. That tells Google clearly what the page is about.
The bottom line
Stop guessing what to put on your website. Install Keyword Surfer, search the simple, plain-English version of what you do, look at the search volumes, and pick the keywords that match what your customers actually type. Then use those keywords consistently in your title tags, descriptions, and website copy.
If you want a check on how your overall website is doing on this stuff, the audit link below will give you personalised feedback in about 90 seconds.
