Keyword research (10 min)

Search engine optimisation in the past was very much focused on keywords: users mainly searched on a desktop browser and only entered a few words. With the growth of mobile and tablet search as well as the arrival of Apple’s SIRI and other apps, the way we search has changed. We tend to search for “which is the most kid friendly restaurant in Brisbane” instead of just “kid friendly restaurant Brisbane”.

To answer this shift in search and deliver the best possible results, Google needed to understand content better and faster.  Search results are much more focused on the searcher and presenting information that Google has collected about them (e.g. search history, shares on social media sites, where they are located) instead of just the keywords they have entered.

For a tourism operator, this means that you really need to get into the mindset of your customers, research what they search and how they search (words, phrases, jargon etc) and create rich, compelling content that corresponds to their needs.

Moz.com, the worldwide authority on SEO, has designed a hierarchy of SEO needs pyramid that shows that content is part of the foundation of a successful SEO strategy.

As you see, compelling content that answers the search query is one of the foundation elements of the pyramids.

Let’s reverse engineer how we can get to compelling content.

Find the pillars of your compelling content, using keyword research

Keyword research is what you should be doing prior to writing content for your website. It should be first and foremost centred around the needs of your customers. We’ve provided a few exercises below to help you understand what your keyword sets should be for your content.

The exercise below will assist you with framing the content that you will require for your website pages. Each page should have a unique purpose.

Step 1 Think about your customers and get inspired by the work of your competitors. 

My business

First, start by identifying the core offerings of your business, these are the offerings that you do best and what sets you apart from your competitors. You should try to really pinpoint these offerings and have no more than three or four keyword combinations.

Example: if you were a small hotel in Queenstown New Zealand, one of your core offerings would be ski accommodation Queenstown

If you have an existing site, go through its pages and identify at least 3 offerings (3 x combinations of 3 to 4 keywords). Do not just focus on your main activity (e.g. accommodation for the Queenstown example above) but also what other services you offer (ski hire? ski tours?).

If you’ve worked on your personas previously and have a clear understanding about how your services complement their needs, this should be an easy exercise.

My competitors

Repeat the task above. However, this time use a competitor’s or another website that provides a similar service. If you are unsure of your competitors, Google your three core offerings and look for someone similar to you in the search results. Try and identify 3 more keyword combinations (that differ from your own).

Step 2: Use SEO tools to find out what you’re missing. 

You should have 6 keyword combinations as well as their respective list of keywords. It is now time to broaden your search and run your core offerings through other free online tools to complete your list, such as Ubersuggest. Ubersuggest allows you to get insight into the SEO strategies that are working for others in your market so you can adopt them, improve them, and gain an edge.

Here is a video that explains how to use Ubersuggest.

We’re recommend you use the Keyword Ideas functionality of Ubersuggest to expand on your keywords.

Below is an example of the suggestions for the keyword ‘Kuranda”. You can also click on related, questions, prepositions and comparisons to get more ideas.

Step 3: Listening to your consumers

Now that you have some ideas about keywords, try the following techniques to move away from keywords into keyphrases and questions:

• Monitor email enquiries: what questions are people asking? This should help you understand how to organise the content in different sections on your website
• Monitor phone enquiries: what questions are people asking? Ask the person who answers the phones to make a note of the keywords and the questions that hold those keywords
• Monitor live chat: what people are questions asking? If you use a live chat software on your website monitor keywords and questions once again.

Your head should now be buzzing with a growing list of keyphrases that you previously hadn’t thought of. Complete the diagram below. Only keep the keywords and keyphrases relevant to your business.

Type of services you offer (e.g.accommodation, tour, etc)

Keyphrase 1: ……………….. (e.g ski lodge accommodation)

• ……………….. (related keywords)
• ……………….. (related keywords)
• ……………….. (related keywords)
• ……………….. (related keywords)
• ……………….. (related keywords)

Keyphrase 2: ……………….. (e.g ski accommodation Queenstown)

• ……………….. (related keywords)
• ……………….. (related keywords)
• ……………….. (related keywords)
• ……………….. (related keywords)
• ……………….. (related keywords)

Keyphrase 3: ………………..

• ……………….. (related keywords)
• ……………….. (related keywords)
• ……………….. (related keywords)
• ……………….. (related keywords)
• ……………….. (related keywords)

Accompanying activities (e.g what supplements or facilitates your core offering?)

Keyphrase 1: ……………….. (e.g ski hire)

• ……………….. (related keywords)
• ……………….. (related keywords)
• ……………….. (related keywords)
• ……………….. (related keywords)
• ……………….. (related keywords)

Keyphrase 2: ………………..

• ……………….. (related keywords)
• ……………….. (related keywords)
• ……………….. (related keywords)
• ……………….. (related keywords)
• ……………….. (related keywords)

Keyphrase 3: ………………..

• ……………….. (related keywords)
• ……………….. (related keywords)
• ……………….. (related keywords)
• ……………….. (related keywords)
• ……………….. (related keywords)

Local tourism icons (Are there any well-known icons/monuments/attractions nearby that your target market might search?)

Keyphrase 1: ……………….. (e.g lake Wakatipu)

• ……………….. (related keywords)
• ……………….. (related keywords)
• ……………….. (related keywords)
• ……………….. (related keywords)
• ……………….. (related keywords)

Keyphrase 2: ………………..

• ……………….. (related keywords)
• ……………….. (related keywords)
• ……………….. (related keywords)
• ……………….. (related keywords)
• ……………….. (related keywords)

Keyphrase 3: ………………..

• ……………….. (related keywords)
• ……………….. (related keywords)
• ……………….. (related keywords)
• ……………….. (related keywords)
• ……………….. (related keywords)

Reason behind trip (What is the theme behind the holiday)

Keyphrase 1: ……………….. (e.g honeymoon)

• ……………….. (related keywords)
• ……………….. (related keywords)
• ……………….. (related keywords)
• ……………….. (related keywords)
• ……………….. (related keywords)

Keyphrase 2: ………………..

• ……………….. (related keywords)
• ……………….. (related keywords)
• ……………….. (related keywords)
• ……………….. (related keywords)
• ……………….. (related keywords)

Keyphrase 3: ………………..

• ……………….. (related keywords)
• ……………….. (related keywords)
• ……………….. (related keywords)
• ……………….. (related keywords)
• ……………….. (related keywords)