When it comes to your search engine ranking, keywords can make or break your performance. As a result, the growth of your online status hinges on your success with keywords.

Finding winning keywords doesn’t have to be as challenging as it may seem. If you think about it, all keywords consist of are the terms and queries people enter into the search engine.

No one knows your business or brand better than you. Therefore, you have an edge and advantage that no one else online can compete with.

You’ve already done the leg work in developing your brand. Now all you have to do is translate your brand into the phrases you and I type in every single day on Google.

Here is an easy-to-implement strategy to help you pick keywords that will get you ready to win your SEO ranking every single time.

Make a list of relevant and related topics to your business.

What are your primary objectives as a company or brand? Grab a clean sheet of paper or an empty spreadsheet, and start jotting down words and phrases that come to mind when describing your business. Consider terms that you use in pitching your business to others. What do you say? You can also consider what you are most likely to blog about.

What common themes continue to emerge? As you notice trends, begin to use concise language and organize your queries into topics, grouping similar ideas together. Then begin to refine the language you use.

Know your target audience, and think like them.

Now that you have a frame of reference, begin to think like your buyer persona would while looking for you online. If your ideal client was looking for you online, what would they be searching for? Knowing your audience and the target you want to reach can further refine the process. If you haven’t yet developed a buyer persona, consider asking close friends and relatives what terms they would use to search for your product or service, and take note of any trends.

Develop a list of potential keywords.

With general topics and queries in mind, it’s time to start generating a list. Begin to jot down 15-20 words that you can begin testing to see what potential leads may be generated for your business.

Don’t rule out long tail keywords.

Long tail keywords can consist of queries any more than three words, and also include phrases. Though their search volume may not be as high as shorter words, the traffic generated from long tail keywords is significantly more relevant.

Use low competition keywords.

Low competition keywords are considered by some to be a type of long tail keywords, as they are more specific than general searches. Compare the query “marketing” to “digital marketing strategies”. Marketing is a broad enough term that will generate more traffic, but digital marketing strategies will reach a niche market that is more closely related to a type of company.

Know your competition.

It’s important to know what your competitors are using on their websites. Look at their meta tags and gauge keywords off of their descriptions. You can use similar ones or some of the same queries to boost your traffic. Also, be mindful that your competitors may do the same to you, so it is important to ensure you are monitoring them to see if adjustments must be made on your end as well.

Consider using negative keywords.

Negative keywords are a factor to consider when advertising with a search engine. Because ads typically charge based on the number of clicks on your ads, it is important to generate the right kind of traffic to bring in quality leads. For instance, let’s say you’re a digital marketing agency that specializes in WordPress plugins.

Your ad may focus on web development plugins for your site, and as a result, you may draw in traffic from prospects that use other web development platforms. If you want to target WordPress users only, you could use “Squarespace” or “Wix” as negative keywords.

Review and analyze your performance.

Review, review, and review. Monitor your analytics and any ad campaigns you generate to monitor the words and phrases that perform well. The words that do lead to more clicks are ones you want to continue to incorporate in your web descriptions and future ads.

Take advantage of your keywords, and be mindful to incorporate them across your social networks, blogs, and content. Your keywords will only help distinguish your digital footprint to lead your dream clients directly to you.