Is Keyword Research Boring?

There are some tasks that are just a part of running a website that you would rather not do. Usability testing is a big one for me, and so is finding content for sharing on social media profiles for marketing, in between posting links to my own material. This can take ages, and it is a quick road to Snoresville. I cannot imagine anyone liking either of those tasks, or a handful of others that come with the territory, and can’t be ignored.

Funny enough, there is one task everyone else seems to find horribly boring, but I actually like. That is keyword research. In fact, I find all of SEO fascinating, and even calming in how methodical and focused it is. A lot of it doesn’t take much thought, just time for the leg work as you trudge through data.

But there are some elements that are admittedly slow and tedious. Here are a couple of tips for getting through those parts more quickly, for those who don’t find keyword research as stimulating as I do.

Prioritize

Those who have been in the SEO game for awhile will already have their favorite sources for keywords that are their go-to spots. They also have those that aren’t. You should be prioritizing your research as much as possible, starting with the most consistently profitable sources and listing back to the least. You should always have a handful of good spots, and if you don’t then you should find some more to add to the list before researching again.

Once you have this list, always start from the top of the list and work your way backward. You might find that you don’t have to search anything out on the lower numbers on the list, because you got what you needed from the top.

Compromise

There are some really great search terms out there you have been obsessively watching forever. Always hoping for a change as you beat it into submission, wanting to eventually rank using it. But this is almost always a waste of time, because even if you see returns on that term, it is going to take years to get there. Years that could have been spent exploiting keywords better aimed at your level.

Rather than getting bogged down in researching ‘wishful thinking’ keywords, focus all your attention on those that will bring you more immediate results you can build on.

Automate…Kind Of

When I say automate the process, I am talking about the initial part of the research process. Using the tool KeywordExaminer.com to generate a list to work from is just fine. Not adding your own research based on that list is not. Automation only goes so far, and leaving it all up to a generator will not end well.

But you should definitely utilize these resources to the best of your ability in the beginning stage. It saves you time, manual effort and more than a bit of your sanity. Even I, someone who enjoys keyword research, find gathering a list dreadfully monotonous.

Keep Calm

Guess what? Keywords, and even SEO, are not the end-all of online traffic. Yes, they are important, but there are many other elements involved. Marketing, social media use, the quality of content, networking…these are just a few of the pieces to the wider puzzle.

Don’t stress out about finding the perfect, highest ranking keywords.

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By Jessy Troy

Jessy Troy is the social media and search professional. You can follow her as @JessyTroy