Imagine you’re about to embark on a road trip across the country. You wouldn’t just jump in the car and start driving aimlessly, would you? No, you’d map out your route, decide on your destination, and maybe even plan a few stops along the way. The same principle applies to keyword research—it’s the roadmap that guides your content marketing and SEO strategy to ensure you reach your ultimate goal: more traffic, more leads, and more revenue.
Yet, many businesses start their journey without a clear map. They dive into content creation without dedicating enough time to understanding their target keywords. The result? Content that doesn’t resonate with their audience and fails to deliver the results they need. But with the right approach to keyword research, you can avoid this detour and drive straight towards your goals.
In this guide, we’ll take you through a strategic, goal-oriented approach to keyword research services. By starting with your end revenue goals and working backwards, you’ll determine the precise volume and positioning of keywords needed to hit your targets. Ready to chart the course? Let’s get started.
Why Keyword Research Is Your GPS in the Digital Landscape
Picture this: you’ve just opened a shop in a bustling city. You’ve stocked the shelves, set up an eye-catching display, and opened the doors. But there’s a problem—no one’s walking in. Why? Because your shop is tucked away in an alley, hidden from the main street. In the digital world, the "main street" is Google’s search results, and your keywords are the signposts that lead people to your door.
The phrase "Keyword Research Services" alone generates hundreds, if not thousands, of search queries on Google every month. And when you consider all the different variations of this search, the number skyrockets even higher. What does this tell us?
It tells us that there’s a large crowd of business owners and executives, just like you, searching for ways to increase web traffic, generate more leads, and ultimately boost revenue. But here’s the kicker—most of these people are starting to realize that traditional advertising methods, like billboards and TV ads, are becoming less effective. Today’s consumers crave a more engaging, personalized approach, and Google is the gateway to capturing their attention.
But here’s the thing: even if you check off all of Google’s ranking factors—like having a secure, mobile-friendly site with fast load times—you might still fall short of your goals. Why? Because success in the digital world isn’t just about showing up; it’s about showing up in the right place, at the right time, and with the right message. And that’s where keyword research comes into play.
Let’s walk through how to conduct keyword research services that don’t just lead to clicks but convert those clicks into customers.
Step 1: Begin with the Destination in Mind
Before you hit the road, you need to know where you’re going. Start by envisioning your ultimate goal. What’s the big picture? For example, let’s say your goal is to generate an additional $5 million in recurring revenue next year by launching a new product or service.
This isn’t just a random figure—it’s your North Star. Every decision you make in your keyword research should guide you closer to this goal.
Step 2: Break Down Revenue into Tangible Units
Now that you know where you’re headed, it’s time to break down that goal into manageable milestones. Think of it like plotting out rest stops along your journey. In this case, those rest stops are the number of units you need to sell to reach your revenue goal.
For instance, if the annual value of each customer is $50,000, you’ll need to secure 100 new customers to hit that $5 million target. Simple math, right? But this is where the journey gets interesting.
Step 3: Calculate Your Opportunity-to-Close Ratio
Not every potential customer who walks through your door is going to buy. Some will browse, some will ask questions, and others will walk away. This is where your opportunity-to-close ratio comes in. It’s the percentage of prospects who actually convert into customers.
If you’re launching a new product, you might not have historical data to rely on, so it’s smart to make both conservative and aggressive estimates. For example, if you close 1 out of every 10 deals (a 10% close ratio), that’s your conservative estimate. If you close 1 out of 4 deals (a 25% close ratio), that’s your aggressive estimate.
Think of it as planning for the worst while hoping for the best. This dual approach gives you a realistic picture of your potential outcomes.
Step 4: Determine Your Lead-to-Opportunity Ratio
Let’s take it a step further. Not every lead is going to turn into an opportunity. Some will drop off, some won’t be a good fit, and some just won’t be ready to buy. This is where your lead-to-opportunity ratio comes into play. It’s the percentage of leads that move down the funnel towards a sale.
Imagine your marketing team is casting a wide net, gathering leads from various sources. Now, picture sorting through that catch to find the ones that are actually worth pursuing. For instance, if you can convert 30% of your Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs) into Sales Qualified Leads (SQLs) within a year, you now know how many MQLs you need to generate to fill your pipeline.
Step 5: Calculate Your Web Traffic to Lead Ratio
At this point, we’re getting closer to the heart of keyword research. You’ve got your sales goals, your lead goals—now you need to understand how your current web traffic feeds into this equation.
In many industries, the conversion rate from web traffic to leads typically ranges from 1% to 5%. Let’s say your website converts 3% of its traffic into MQLs. This conversion rate tells you how many visitors you need to attract to hit your lead targets.
Think of your website as a fishing net. The more visitors you attract (and the better your net is designed), the more fish you’re likely to catch. But attracting the right visitors—those most likely to convert—depends on the keywords you target.
Step 6: Connect Keyword Search Volume to Web Traffic
Now that you’ve mapped out your journey, it’s time to choose the right route. This is where your keyword strategy comes in. The keywords you choose must align perfectly with the products and services you offer. They need to generate enough volume to bring in traffic, but not be so competitive that ranking for them is like trying to climb Everest without a rope.
Several tools can help you navigate this terrain. I’m a big fan of SEMRush—it’s like a GPS for keyword research. But if you’re just starting out, Keywords Everywhere is a great free tool that provides search volume data right in your browser. Combine these with insights from Google Search Console, and you’ve got a solid map to guide your efforts.
Step 7: Set Realistic Keyword Performance Expectations
Let’s be honest—every road trip has its detours. You might aim for a top 3 ranking on Google for all your keywords, but that’s not always realistic, especially if your domain is new or you’re up against heavy competition.
Take a moment to assess your website’s authority and the competitiveness of the keywords you’re targeting. If you’re going after highly competitive keywords, be prepared to invest in link-building strategies, like guest posting, to boost your chances. For this example, let’s assume you’ll hit a top 3 ranking for 50% of your targeted keywords. This gives you a more conservative, yet achievable, benchmark to aim for.
Step 8: Calculate Your Average Selling Price (ASP)
Before we wrap up, let’s take one last critical measurement: your Average Selling Price (ASP). This is simply the average amount of money your customers spend when they buy from you.
For example, if you sold 100 units and generated $100,000 in revenue, your ASP is $1,000. This figure will help you calculate the revenue potential of the keywords you’re targeting and determine whether you’re on track to hit your goals.
Step 9: Evaluate Your Strategy
Now that you’ve done the math, it’s time to evaluate your strategy. Let’s run through a best-case scenario: you’re targeting a set of high-volume keywords and assuming that all of them will rank in the top 3 positions on Google. While this might be possible, it’s not likely unless you’re prepared to invest heavily in SEO and content marketing.
Next, let’s consider a more conservative scenario. Here, you’re planning to secure top rankings for only 50% of your keywords. You assume a 3% conversion rate from these keywords to MQLs, and that 30% of those will become SQLs. With a 10% close ratio and an ASP of $50,000, this scenario would generate $2.5 million in revenue—half of your $5 million target.
What’s the takeaway? If your assumptions hold true, you have two options. First, you could target more keywords to increase web traffic. Second, you could focus on boosting your rankings for the selected keywords by investing in backlinks or other SEO tactics. Often, the best approach is a combination of both strategies.
By having a clear content strategy that includes rigorous keyword research, you can evaluate whether you’re on the right track before you even publish your first piece of content. Remember, while data is crucial, it’s not infallible. Give yourself enough margin for error to ensure you don’t fall short of your traffic, conversion, and revenue goals.
Conclusion
Thorough keyword research is like plotting the perfect route for your road trip—it’s what gets you from point A to point B with minimal detours. By starting with your revenue goals and working backwards, you can pinpoint the exact keywords needed to drive traffic, generate leads, and boost sales.
Make sure your expectations around rankings and conversions are realistic. Evaluate whether targeting more keywords or improving your rankings will get you closer to your goals. This clarity will help you build a content strategy and SEO roadmap that’s tailored for growth. And as you gather performance data, don’t forget to revisit and refine your keyword research to keep your strategy on course.
When you approach keyword research with the same care and precision as you would any major business decision, you set yourself up for long-term success. So, what’s your next move? It’s time to map out your strategy and hit the road towards achieving your digital marketing goals.
