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When creating effective SEO, keyword research is paramount.

When starting your website, you know what area you are focussing on. However there are many different ways of describing this area through keywords. What you need to do is find the right keyword that describes your business as well as ranking well. However you need to choose a keyword that is a popular search term – but not too popular that you will not have a chance to rank on this. You need to find a happy medium in your keyword research.
This along with appropriate website design, traffic tools and marketing will ensure a good and successful website.

Researching Keywords
When researching keywords, its crucial that you get the right one for your business. It’s easy to lose focus in your research as you move off on a tangent. Stay close to your business topic. Check out the websites of your competitors and see what keywords they are focussing on. You want to be different and unique, however at the same time available and searchable online.
During keyword research – remember these important rules:

• Short tail keywords (i.e. one word) will generally be more competitive than long tail keywords.
• Try to steer clear of overly long keywords – these are unlikely to be searched on a regular basis, and you should see this through your keyword research figures.
• Try to use everyday language rather than scientific or overly intelectual words.

Keyword Insertion
When completing SEO remember the following things:

• Include the keyword in the headings
• Include the keyword in titles
• The keyword should appear in the first paragraph
• The keyword should appear in the URL
• Be bolded and italicized once each in the text

A final word on keywords – less is more. Do not get carried away and place your keyword in your text too many times. Enough times to SEO adequately is enough!