After reviewing your lead generation options, you’ve decided to proceed with search ads which is understandable — PPC is one of the best ways to generate a constant stream of new customers for your business. One of your first steps then should be to conduct thorough PPC keyword research and put together a proper keyword list. Keywords are essential to the success of your campaign. A careful research process will help you to unearth the best keywords, which is especially important since mortgage keywords can cost over a hundred dollars per single click.
Understanding the Buyer’s Journey
The buyer’s journey is an important concept in marketing, and successful keyword research relies on understanding where your target customers are. What’s your goal? What’s the landing page? People will search differently based on their knowledge about the subject, so we’ve got some pointers for you that will aid you in your keyword research.
Awareness.
Keywords here will be very broad and general, like “mortgage” or “home loan.” People are only getting to know the industry, the language used, typical offers and terms. You should consider carefully whether you want to get these customers as your leads. Clicks are expensive, and so are leads. It may take a lot of time for them to get ready.
Consideration.
People are starting to understand the industry. Their searches become more specific, customers are looking for solutions, e.g. “mortgage lenders rates today.”
Decision.
They know exactly what they want and are looking for where to get it. “15 year mortgage refinance san francisco” is an example. These long and very specific keywords are called “long-tail” keywords. They will have lower volume, but often they cost less AND have very high conversion rates.
Pick the Right Query Type
There are multiple ways to formulate the search engine query. You can explain your problem, describe symptoms, specific product, or specialist. Luckily, it’s a bit easier in the mortgage industry, since the majority of your queries will be product-based, like “home loan calculator” or ”30-year fixed mortgage.” Another option is a service provider type, like “mortgage broker in buffalo.”
Start gathering ideas
Once you have some basic direction, it’s time to work on your seed list. A seed list is a list of unfiltered keyword ideas. The goal is to get as many ideas as you can (the seed list can be dozens or even hundreds of keywords long) and then filter them down. There are a few ways to get your keyword ideas:
Google’s autocompletion.
When you type a query in Google’s search box, you will get suggestions. You can use these as your keywords.
“Searches related to” section.
Many searches will trigger “searches related to” section at the bottom of your results page. These can be a valuable source of new ideas.
Google trends.
Google’s free tool to analyze the popularity of keywords over time. The “related topics” and “related queries” boxes will provide you with some pointers.
Keyword planner.
Google’s free keyword research tool available from your Google Ads account. It allows you to search for new keywords, analyze stats like volume and price for an existing list, and manage lists. One neat feature of this tool is its ability to enter your page’s URL and automatically analyze the keywords there. Not all of them will be relevant, but you may find some gems this way.
Search Console.
While this Google service is mostly used by webmasters, you can view what search queries lead to visits to your site. Sometimes it makes sense to bid on keywords which are relevant to your pages, but you don’t rank well for them organically.
AnswerThePublic.
ATP is a service used to explore many possible search queries. Paid version is pretty expensive, but the free plan is usually enough.
Keywords Everywhere.
This browser extension, as the name suggests, lets you see keyword suggestions right on your search result pages, YouTube, Google Analytics, and more. It offers a good free plan.
Organize your lists
After your seed list is ready, you can proceed to grouping your keywords into lists. One of the simplest ways is to pick the root word and have a list of its variations. For example, for a root “mortgage broker” your list can have keywords “mortgage broker near me” or “mortgage broker refinance.”
Another good technique at this stage is keyword mixing. Let’s say you operate in Albuquerque. By adding the city’s name you can effectively double your number of keywords. “Home loan refinance” and “home loan refinance in albuquerque” are two different keywords.
While you’re putting your lists together you’ll find keywords that don’t reflect your business and aren’t relevant to you. Instead of throwing them away, save these as you can use them as your negative keywords list. Negative keywords are a vital part of any good PPC campaign as they stop the budget from bleeding on irrelevant searches.
Keyword research may take some time, but done right it provides a solid foundation for your future success. Keep your eyes open for new ideas, keep digging and you’ll get there.
Have you ever done keyword research? What’s your favorite tactic?
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