CitrusKiwi's Phoenix AZ web design log

5 questions to ask yourself about keywords

  • Last updated: June 29 2016 11:25
  • Created: December 18 2013 17:09
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I guess I'm getting ahead of myself by assuming you know what keywords, or phrases, actually are. In a nutshell, they're the words or phrases people are using in their searches to find you, or businesses like you. So, for me, that's phrases like "website design", "web site design", "web development".

Often, there's a tendency to want to rank for EVERY keyphrase you can think of or keyphrases that are too vague. Examples of vague keyphrases/words are (again, using myself as an example) design, internet, marketing. Design could be architectural, graphic, boat, aeroplane, automobile!

So here's 5 questions to ask yourself about your keywords & phrases BEFORE you talk to your website designer.

  1. How would you describe what you do?
  2. In your opinion, what makes your product or service special? What makes you different from your competitors? In other words, what's your USP (Unique Selling Point)?
  3. What services or products do you consider similar, but aren't your competitors?
  4. Which of your services or products are most profitable for you? Are there any reasons why you would want to push one over another (seasonal, inventory, location, etc)?
  5. Pick you top 10 keywords (in your opinion).

Once you've answered these questions you should have a good list of keywords or phrases that fairly represent your business and what you think people are using to find you. Don't forget to check with your wife, husband, GF, BF, aunt, neighbor, dog, cat, or anyone you think may have a clue! They're all potential clients and will search differently. Once you have that list sorted out, you're ready to talk SEO with your designer, and it will make his/her job easier and their job smoother.

So, do yourself a favor, do your keyword due diligence first!

 

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Authors

Ian Shere

Ian has been in the web design world since the early 2000s. At that time, he was living in New Zealand and was operating a successful architectural design business that won a number of awards. He was an early adopter of web-based marketing for the business, and after having a local designer unsuccessfully complete a website for him, Ian took it upon himself to learn HTML and launch his own site.

25 years of web designing

The first iteration of the site appeared on April 1, 2001 (and it wasn't an April Fool's joke!), meaning Ian has been designing websites for over 25 years.

Web design in the early 2000s was pretty crude by today's standards. Basic HTML and hard-to-manage layouts made building and managing websites tough going. One positive was that, with the advent of an internet-connected phone in everyone's pocket still a few years away, no allowance had to be made to design for mobile-friendliness. How times change.... And there have been changes aplenty! As mentioned, mobile-friendliness isn't a nice-to-have; it's a critical part of the overall web design process. Back then. SEO didn't exist! With so few companies existing on the web, anyone with a presence, no matter how bad, was front-and-center.

When Ian moved to America in 2009, he'd had a fill of architecture and dealing with city processors and planners, and was looking for a new challenge. He naturally transitioned into website design, having already been in that world for 8 years, and, in early 2010, he and his wife set up CitrusKiwi Web Solutions. The name comes from his wife being a Californian girl (hence the Citrus part), and Ian is from New Zealand, where residents are called Kisis (after the national bird).

CitrusKiwi Web Solutions founded 2010

For over 15 years, CitrusKiwi Web Solutions has been providing cutting-edge web design and hosting solutions to America and around the world!

Since its foundation, CitrusKiwi has delivered quality website design to a range of business industries, from the trades to aviation, to legal and non-profit organisations. When they set up CitrusKiwi, Ian and his wife looked to bring website design to every business, regardless of size, with a particular emphasis on small businesses and non-profits. They were also one of the first design houses to offer a monthly subscription model to enable even more businesses to benefit from fully-managed websites.

As the senior web designer, Ian has personally overseen hundreds of websites, from building and redesigning to hosting, SEO, and more. He has kept pace with the changes in the industry, always learning and reinventing how CitrusKiwi meets the current challenges and opportunities that are available in the marketplace. Whether it's utilizing new technologies like responsive web design or carefully using AI and Large Language Models to enhance client websites, Ian is constantly researching new methods and technology to give their clients the very best in website design.