This document discusses how keyword research and strategy has changed with updates to search engines like Google Hummingbird. It recommends focusing on entire concepts and keyword groups instead of single keywords. Reverse keyword research using tools like SEMrush can help understand what keywords search engines associate with content. Proper implementation involves naturally distributing keyword groups throughout pages like titles, headings, links and descriptions. Results should be measured at the domain or page level to track ranking for multiple concepts instead of single keywords. Keywords are still important but the approach needs to consider related groups and how search engines understand queries.

1. DON’T BELIEVETHE HYPE
KEYWORDS AREN’T DEAD!
A DIFFERENT APPROACHTO KEYWORD RESEARCH

2. DAVID BLACK
CUSTOMER SUCCESS DIRECTOR
SEMRUSH, USA
DAVID_BLACK@SEMRUSH.COM
TWITTER: @THEGUYATSEMRUSH

3. ORIGINAL BROADCAST DATE - FEB. 25, 2014

4. GOOGLE HUMMINGBIRD
• MOST RECENT ITERATION OFTHE
GOOGLE ALGORITHM
• DESIGNEDTO BETTER INTERPRET
CONVERSATIONAL QUERIES
• ENHANCED MOBILE EXPERIENCE

5. IMPACT ON KEYWORD RESEARCH
• SHOULD NO LONGER FOCUS ON RANKING FOR ONE, SINGULAR
KEYWORD - FOCUS ON AN ENTIRE CONCEPT
• ALTERYOUR APPROACHTO KEYWORD RESEARCH -THINK LIKETHE
AUDIENCE AND LIKETHE SEARCH ENGINE
• MEASUREYOUR RESULTS DIFFERENTLY -TRACKING POSITIONS FOR ONE
KEYWORD MAY NOT BETHE WAYTO GO

6. EXPECTATIONS
GOOGLE LIKESTO RANK WEBSITES/CONTENT FORTHEMATIC
KEYWORD GROUPS - SCHOLASTIC.COM EXAMPLE

8. “REVERSE” KEYWORD RESEARCH
• WITH SOFTWARE, LIKE SEMRUSH,WE CAN GET INTO THE MIND OFTHE
SEARCH ENGINETO SEE WHICH KEYWORDS IT ASSOCIATES WITHTHE
CONTENT
• NOW,YOU CAN WRITE FORTHE AUDIENCE AND FORTHE SEARCH ENGINE
• FINDTHE KEYWORDS GOOGLE DOESN’T LIKETO ASSOCIATE WITHTHE
CONTENT
• IFYOU CAN’T BEAT EM’ , JOIN EM’

9. IMPLEMENTINGYOUR KEYWORDS PT. 1
• PAGE TITLE TAGS - USE “MAIN” KEYWORD AS CLOSETOTHE BEGINNING
AS POSSIBLETO REINFORCE RELEVANCY AND POSSIBLY INCREASE CTR
• H1 / HEADLINE - SAME IDEA AS ABOVE. PSYCHOLOGY KEEPSVISITOR FROM
BOUNCING. BUT DOESN’T NECESSARILY HAVETO MATCHTHETITLE
• BODY TEXT/CONTENT - OLD RULES APPLY. OVERUSE OF A KEYWORD MAY
RESULT IN PENALTY. HAVE ATHIRD PARTY GIVEYOUTHEIR OPINION
• URL - AGAIN, REINFORCES RELEVANCY AND PEOPLE OFTEN PASTE RAW
URLS WHICH, PLACES KEYWORDS INTHE ANCHORTEXT

10. IMPLEMENTINGYOUR KEYWORDS PT. 2
• BACKLINKS -THESE KEYWORDS MAKE FOR GREAT, RELEVANT ANCHORS
ANDVARIETY ALLOWSYOUTO EVENLY DISTRIBUTETHEM.
• MISC. - ALTTEXT FOR IMAGES, INTERNAL LINKS (MENUS), META
DESCRIPTIONS
• OVERALL IDEA - DISTRIBUTEYOURTHEMATIC KEYWORD GROUPS EVENLY
AND NATURALLY. HAVING A GROUP OF KEYWORDS,AS OPPOSEDTO ONE,
PROMOTES HEALTHY DISTRIBUTION

11. MEASURINGYOUR RESULTS
• YOU CANTRACKYOUR RANKING FOR ONE KEYWORD. BUT, WHY?
• SEMRUSH POSITIONTRACKING SOFTWARE ALLOWSYOUTO CREATE DOMAIN
AND URL-LEVEL CAMPAIGNS.
• STRUCTUREYOUR CAMPAIGNS IN SUCH A WAYTHAT LENDS ITSELFTOYOUR
ULTIMATE GOALS.
• URL LEVEL CAMPAIGNS FOR CONTENTTHAT MAY RANK FOR MULTIPLE
GROUPS OF KEYWORD CONCEPTS
• DOMAIN LEVEL CAMPAIGNS FOR E-COMMERCE OR SERVICE ORIENTED
WEBSITES

12. KEYWORDS AREN’T DEAD!!
• IT’STHE APPROACH AND ATTITUDE - NOTTHE KEYWORD ITSELF
• FOOD FORTHOUGHT:
• KEYWORD PLANNER SUGGESTS KEYWORD GROUPS
• ADWORDS ENCOURAGESYOUTO BID ON KEYWORD GROUPS FOOD
• SMART SEARCH ENGINES - GOOGLE LEARNS IN ORDERTO ACCURATELY
PREDICT
• NO MATTER HOW SOPHISTICATED, IT WILL ALWAYS NEED KEYWORDS