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KEYWORD RESEARCH
FOR LIFE SCIENCES COMPANIES
Selecting quality keyword research for life science companies is significantly more challenging than many other industries. The reason for this is because within life sciences there are many sub-fields targeting a variety of completely different audiences. For example, a large scale cGMP company is not going to be targeting the same audience as a commodity driven antibody company. Alternatively, often times one company might have both a clinical division as well as a products division. Therefore, they are targeting two very different audiences with both their keywords and website. To top it off, unlike many other industries, there is a large amount of online traffic coming from academics (eg. undergraduate biochemistry students) searching for broad keywords such as ‘monoclonal antibody’ or ‘crispr’ just to learn more. Alternatively, someone Googling, ‘shoes’ in the consumer commodities market, has a much higher relevancy rate. In short, focusing your time on optimizing for only ‘sequencing’ when your company sells RNA sequencing instrumentation or services probably isn’t the right keyword.
9. Utilize Google Keyword Planner to search for keyword suggestions.
10. Utilize Keywordtool.io ($79/mo) for long string keywords to target as well as utilize for future content marketing/AdWords.
11. Analyze the keyword suggestions, and select a target keyword (or related group of keywords) for each web page. The keywords that you select will depend on 4 factors:
- Average Monthly Search Traffic
- Relevance
- Search Engine Competition
- Your Current Rankings
A LIFE SCIENCE KEYWORD RESEARCH EXAMPLE:
Search Traffic
This factor is obvious. The higher the monthly search traffic, the better. Consider the key phrases below:
| Keyword | Avg. Monthly Searches |
|---|---|
| alkaline phosphatase | 90,500 |
| alkaline phosphatase staining | 390 |
Fig 1. A comparison of high traffic keywords versus relevancy.
“Alkaline phosphatase” has by far the most traffic, so it is the obvious one to pick. Right? Well, actually a life science specific SEO specialist may consider picking “alkaline phosphatase staining” depending upon the relevance of the keywords to the page that is being optimized…
Relevance
Sure, targeting the keyword with the most monthly search traffic seems appealing, but how relevant is that keyword to the page you are optimizing? In the above case, if you were optimizing a page of Alkaline Phosphatase Staining Kits, then a keyword like “alkaline phosphatase” would be far too general.
Fig 2. Google algorithmically ranks organic searches by searcher intent.
One of the major things to consider when choosing a keyword is the searcher’s intent. What is the searcher looking for when he/she searches “alkaline phosphatase”? A good assumption would be that they are looking for general information about the compound and enzyme. A look at the Google SERPs will tell you more:
As suspected, the top 2 results are Wikipedia pages giving general information about the enzyme. The remainder of the first page results are pages about the ALP Test, which are not relevant to staining kits.
Google has done an excellent job at configuring its algorithm to show search results that match the information that the searcher is looking for. The above results indicate that users searching alkaline phosphatase” are not looking for alkaline phosphatase staining kits. As a result, if these searchers landed on a staining kits page, they would click back or bounce to find the information they are looking for. A high bounce rate will result in lower rankings (more on that in later points).
Consequently, it would be wiser to pick a more relevant keyword like “alkaline phosphatase staining”.
It may even be worth considering targeting a longer tail keyword like “alkaline phosphatase staining kit”, which has only 10 searches/month. Of course this is very low traffic. But again, think about the searcher intent! A user searching for this keyword is clearly looking to buy a staining kit. Ranking number 1 for this keyword could be way more valuable than ranking for “alkaline phosphatase staining”, where searchers may in fact be looking for the staining method or protocol.
Which keyword you choose out of the two would be a matter of preference, but there are 2 more major factors that will help with your decision…
Search Engine Competition
When choosing between a selection of keywords, checking the competition in the search engines is a key step. An easy way to measure yourself against your competition is checking your Domain Authority against theirs.
Domain Authority (DA), in a nutshell, is a score out of 100 based on an algorithm developed by www.moz.com. It shows your likeliness to rank for a keyword. You can read more about DA here.
You can check the DA of each competitor in the search results manually using a tool like the Domain Authority Checker. A seamless way is by using the Moz SEO Toolbar.
If you have a website with a DA of around 20-30, and all page 1 results for your target keyword have DA 60+ (as search engine dominant companies like Thermofisher, Sigma and Abcam do), then it is not likely that you will rank if the content you produce is similar to theirs. If they are not effectively optimizing the target keyword however, or you know that your content is going to be significantly better, you could be in with a chance.
If a competitor with a low DA is ranking on the 1st page, then go check out their content and learn why they are ranking.
Current Rankings
The next thing to check is where your domain is currently ranking. The best and quickest tool for this is Moz Rank Tracker which is free with a Moz Pro subscription.
If you are currently ranking #12 for a keyword that you are not optimized for, then optimizing for this keyword will likely push you to page 1.
Another reason to check your current rankings is because another page on your website could already be ranking. If this is the case then you may not want to disturb that ranking and create competition by optimizing another page for the same keyword.
A LIFE SCIENCE EXAMPLE
Our client Vector Labs wanted to rank the below Lectins page for the keyword “lectins”, which has an avg search traffic of 14,800. Pretty good!
We found that Vector’s Lectins and Glycobiology Reagents page was already ranking #12 for “lectins” and therefore this page (rather than the Lectins page) should be optimized for that keyword instead to push it to page 1.
Considering the Lectins page was in fact a page for Lectin Binding Assay products, we chose to optimize the page for the very relevant keyword “lectin binding assays”. This keyword only has 20 searches/mo, but these are searchers looking to buy these assays.
Fig 3. An example with VectorLabs and preventing keyword cannibalization.
12. Create a keyword map across your content.
This will help you to build a base of content designed around contextually relevant and interconnected topics. Similar to building a house, you can build your SEO bricks by:
- Defining the requirements of what your house needs to have.
- Design a blueprint to figure out where things will be built.
- Develop the structures needed to support your requirements.
- You can learn more on how to create a structured keyword map across all of your content by reading this guide.
Fig 4. An example of a keyword map template.
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FAQs
What are keywords for optimization? ›
Keyword optimization (also known as keyword research) is the act of researching, analyzing and selecting the best keywords to target to drive qualified traffic from search engines to your website.
How do you find keywords for article optimization? ›- Step 1: Make a list of important, relevant topics based on what you know about your business. ...
- Step 2: Fill in those topic buckets with keywords. ...
- Step 3: Understand How Intent Affects Keyword Research and Analyze Accordingly. ...
- Step 4: Research related search terms. ...
- Step 5: Use keyword research tools to your advantage.
So, when you're building out your keyword list, it's important to be strategic and disciplined in your approach while focusing on a few core elements of each phrase. While conducting your SEO keyword research, there are three factors you must consider: the individual keyword's relevancy, search volume and user intent.
How many keywords should I use for SEO? ›It's much more likely that you'll want to target two or three keywords per page, even if they're just close variations. Any more than four is a bit crowded; after all, each page only has one title tag and meta description.
What is keyword research example? ›If you already have a product or business that you want to promote online, coming up with seed keywords is easy. Just think about what people type into Google to find what you offer. For example, if you sell coffee and coffee-making equipment, then your seed keywords might be: coffee.
What is a good keyword? ›Your target keywords need to meet four criteria — significant search volume, high relevance, strong conversion value, and reasonable competition. If any of these are missing, your SEO is likely to fizzle.
What are the examples of keywords? ›Keywords are the words and phrases that people type into search engines to find what they're looking for. For example, if you were looking to buy a new jacket, you might type something like “mens leather jacket” into Google. Even though that phrase consists of more than one word, it's still a keyword.
How do you find profitable keywords? ›- Understand Where You Expect Profit to Come From. ...
- Do Keyword Research to Generate Ideas. ...
- Match Keyword Search Intent with Your Profit Strategy. ...
- 9 Free SEO Certifications to Add to Your Resume.
Answer Socrates keyword tool – A free Answer the Public alternative with unlimited searches. Exploding Topics – A Google Trends alternative with curated results. Statista – Trends and statistics collected by a business intelligence company. Similarweb – Traffic estimates for competitor websites in your niche.
Do keywords still matter for SEO? ›In 2021, keywords are still important and useful in SEO, but they aren't the most important factor. This is because SEO is far more complex than putting keywords on a page. Also, because SEO is always changing with search engines continuously updating algorithms, marketers need to change how they are using keywords.
Do SEO keywords need to be exact? ›
How important is exact keyword match in SEO? The short answer is yes. It is good practice to use exactly the keyword you are targeting, especially if it is a specific long-tailed keyword. This is because it will help you better rank for high-converting phrases that users are searching for to find your content.
What are the 4 types of keywords? ›When researching to discover a user's intentions behind making a search, we can classify all keywords into four main categories of intent: commercial, transactional, informational, and navigational.
How do you create a research keyword? ›Keywords should ideally be phrases of 2-4 words; single word keywords are acceptable, but they may lead to many false matches. 3. Keywords should contain words and phrases that suggest what the topic is about. Also include words and phrases that are closely related to your topic.
What is a keyword research tool? ›What is a Keyword Research Tool? A keyword research tool helps you find topic ideas that people are searching for on search engines like Google, Bing, Amazon, etc. This helps you find content ideas that your customers are looking for.
Which keywords are best to target in SEO? ›Long tail keywords are long (usually 4+ word) terms that searchers use in Google and other search engines. And they tend to have a lower keyword difficulty compared to 1-3 word “head terms”. So for people that are new to SEO, long tails are usually the best keywords to start with.
How many keywords is too much? ›How many keywords are too many? The ideal keyword density preferred by both readers and search engines is around two to five percent. Even in longer pieces, the best practice is not to exceed 20 uses per webpage.
How many times should I use a keyword? ›Generally speaking, many SEO professionals agree that a keyword should not appear more than once per 200 words of copy. This means that for every 200 words of copy on a webpage, a given keyword should not appear more than once.
What is keywords example? ›Keywords are the words and phrases that people type into search engines to find what they're looking for. For example, if you were looking to buy a new jacket, you might type something like “mens leather jacket” into Google. Even though that phrase consists of more than one word, it's still a keyword.
Are keywords important for SEO? ›In 2021, keywords are still important and useful in SEO, but they aren't the most important factor. This is because SEO is far more complex than putting keywords on a page. Also, because SEO is always changing with search engines continuously updating algorithms, marketers need to change how they are using keywords.
What is an organic keyword? ›An organic keyword is a keyword used to attract free traffic through search engine optimization (SEO). Organic keywords contrast with pay-per-click (PPC) keywords, which are bid on through paid search marketing campaigns.
What makes a website optimized? ›
The key ranking factors to consider when doing search engine optimization (SEO) include: changing page titles, decreasing page load speeds, minimizing poor user experience, using the right keywords, and producing well-written content.
How do you write a research keyword? ›Keywords should contain words and phrases that suggest what the topic is about. Also include words and phrases that are closely related to your topic. (For example, if the paper is about heart diseases, use words like stroke, circulatory system, blood, etc.
What are searchable keywords? ›KEYWORDS: The search terms used by people to find what (or who) they want in a search engine, social network, applicant tracking system, or other database.
How do you write keywords? ›- You must have at least one keyword. ...
- Capitalize the first letter of keywords. ...
- Use full phrases rather than acronyms or abbreviations. ...
- Add a keyword if the concept or concepts covers at least 20% of your dissertation or thesis. ...
- Ask yourself what your dissertation or thesis is about.
Long tail keywords are long (usually 4+ word) terms that searchers use in Google and other search engines. And they tend to have a lower keyword difficulty compared to 1-3 word “head terms”. So for people that are new to SEO, long tails are usually the best keywords to start with.
Does Google care about keywords? ›At least for Google's web search results currently (September 2009), the answer is no. Google doesn't use the keywords meta tag in our web search ranking.
Are keywords important in SEO 2022? ›Importance of Keywords in 2022
Keywords are vital to your content marketing because they give you the ability to improve both the user experience and organic search engine rankings of your website or blog. They include details about a business, such as products, services, benefits, and education.
- Step 1: Lay the Groundwork. ...
- Step 2: Do Your Initial Keyword Research. ...
- Step 3: Check Out the Competition. ...
- Step 4: Consider Intent. ...
- Step 5: Conceptualize the Content. ...
- Step 6: Execute. ...
- Step 7: Optimize for Your Keyword. ...
- Step 8: Publish.
A keyword strategy contains every decision you take based upon your findings in your keyword research project, whether it's about the content you're planning to write or how you are going to track the results in Analytics. Keyword strategy is about how you want to target those keywords, now and in the future.
How do I improve my organic keywords? ›- Create a backlink strategy. ...
- Create unique and original website content. ...
- Have a mobile-friendly site. ...
- Create a relevant keyword list. ...
- Write content around those keywords. ...
- Create meta descriptions that boost clicks. ...
- Create longer cornerstone content.
What are optimization strategies? ›
Optimization strategy is used to search and optimize the transform parameters for the maximization of the similarity value between the warped source image and the target image.
How do I SEO optimize my website? ›- Publish Relevant, Authoritative Content. ...
- Update Your Content Regularly. ...
- Metadata. ...
- Have a link-worthy site. ...
- Use alt tags.
- Analyze all of your website data. ...
- Conduct thorough keyword research. ...
- Produce long and value-rich content. ...
- Optimize for on-page SEO. ...
- Optimize for off-page SEO. ...
- Optimize the website for mobile. ...
- Speed up the pages. ...
- Get quality backlinks.