Last Updated on May 6, 2025 by Caesar
Running advertisements, updating your website, and posting on social media are all strategies to reach a wider audience. But even with your best efforts, your website traffic may not be as high as you expect it to be.
Researching keywords allows you to determine the search terms that people use to discover your products and services. These keywords enable you to produce material that serves user intent, increasing your online presence.
In this article, you will learn the most common mistakes when doing keyword research so you can avoid them when creating SEO content.
1. Ignoring Search Intent
When users search online, they typically have a specific goal in mind, known as search intent. It could be to find a website, learn something, or buy something. If your content doesn’t match what the user is looking for, they’ll likely skip over it.
To make sure your content fits what people want, here are the main types of search intent:
- Informational: The user is keen to learn more about a topic, like “how to do keyword research.”
- Navigational: The user is trying to get to a specific website, such as “Facebook login.”
- Transactional: Users plan purchases like “purchase noise-canceling headphones.”
- Commercial Investigation: The user is comparing options before buying, like “best laptops for students.”
2. Forgetting To Look At The SERPs
If you don’t look at the SERP, you might miss the type of content Google prefers or what’s already ranking. This can lead to writing something that doesn’t match what people are clicking on.
To stay competitive, look at the common features you’ll often see on a SERP and why they matter:
- Featured Snippet: Top-of-page summary boxes answer questions.
- Top Stories: News articles that appear if the topic is trending or time-sensitive.
- Shopping Ads: Product listings with images and prices, usually for e-commerce-related searches.
3. Targeting High-Volume Keywords Only
It is simple to believe that going after the most-searched keywords will always lead to the best results. Keywords with a lot of searches are often very competitive, making it hard for new or smaller businesses to rank for them. Also, big search numbers don’t always mean those people are ready to buy or take action.
Aside from high-volume keywords, here are some other types to pay attention to:
- Long-Tail Keywords: These are longer phrases with less competition that usually produce higher conversions.
- Low-Competition Keywords: These are easier to rank for and still get focused attention.
- Local Keywords: Help attract nearby customers looking for something right now.
4. Not Knowing What Channels Your Customers Are Searching
It’s not just Google anymore—people search for information in many places today. It is possible to miss out on a lot of traffic if you only do keyword research on one channel. To connect with your audience, you need to know where they search and what they type there, along with:
- Google Keyword Planner: Excellent for checking search traffic and locating search phrases individuals use on Google.
- Amazon Suggest: Great for e-commerce; discover what consumers are typing in when searching for goods.
- AnswerThePublic: Visualizes typical inquiries and subjects people look for across several sites.
5. Neglecting Conversions
Customers may not be interested in your keywords if they do not lead to sales, sign-ups, or actions. It’s important to target keywords that match your business goals, not just ones with high traffic. For example, a product-focused keyword can lead to better conversions than a general one.
6. Overlooking Voice Search Optimization
Voice assistants like Siri and Google Assistant are being used to search by more people. Most of the time, these searches are longer and sound like normal questions.
If your keyword strategy doesn’t include voice-friendly phrases, you could miss a large group of users. Question marks and conversational phrases like “how do I” and “what is the best way to” can help your writing. Because these sound like how people talk, your page will show up higher in voice search results.
7. Leaving Out Keywords for Video Content
Videos make up a big part of the internet these days, and a lot of people use YouTube and other video sites to find information. If you do not use keywords in your videos, you may be missing out on significant visibility.
Include tags, titles, and descriptions of your videos that are related to what people are looking for. To find those keywords, you can use TubeBuddy or YouTube’s autocomplete.
In addition, make sure that the questions or issues your video addresses are frequently asked. That way, your videos become easier to find and more helpful to your viewers.
Aim for a Smarter Keyword Research Strategy
You do not just do keyword research once; you keep improving it as search trends and habits change. By avoiding common mistakes and using smarter tactics, you’ll bring in more of the right traffic and give your content a better chance to rank.
Need help refining your keyword research? Get in touch with iWriting Solutions today and let our SEO experts show you the ropes.
