Keywords are like compasses. They provide you direction. They are essential in a good SEO program and provide you an intentional approach to your marketing program.

Once you’ve identified words and phrases your customers are seeking, you have developed an overarching theme, vision, pointing you in the direction you want to go.
So look at how you organize your content. Find out who your clients are and get into their heads. How would your potential client look for an answer to the problem you solve or the products you sell? Then type the phrase the way your client would into a search engine, create a keyword strategy around that phrase, and sprinkle it throughout your website. But, don’t overdo it.
Google has become intelligent over the past couple of years. Google wants to offer the best possible service to its clients, who in most cases, are people searching online. So, use the keywords in a way that doesn’t look like spam. For example, don’t make the keyword every third word in keyword phrase.

An important factor when supporting your keyword strategy is ensuring you organize your site in a way that focuses on one primary message per page. For example, if you have three products or services, create three product pages as opposed to having all products on a “products page.” This will allow you to write content to support a keyword dedicated to each product or service.

Keyword strategies should focus on new clients. People are using search engines to solve problems and your existing clients already know you exist.
It comes down to dollars and cents. You may have three sales representatives on staff cold calling or visiting people to bring in leads. A keyword strategy is equivalent to having a sales representative on staff, but one who works 24 hours a day. At 5 o’clock when your sales representative goes home, your website is still there and so are your keyword strategy and SEO program.
You may have a great web developer or web designer who designed a website that ranks for keywords and phrases your clients are searching for. In that case, you lucked out. But for the most part, if you don’t have an SEO strategy, your website is a sitting duck. Your main focus should be to have a resource to get new leads. A keyword strategy will eliminate a passive and stagnant website and turn it into a sales representative on-call 24 hours a day.
Where do you start? Research, research, research.

Using tools such as Google Keyword Tool is an important starting point in understanding how potential customers find your website. It’s a free service that allows you to see your website and the keywords currently being indexed on your site.

Focus on keyword phrases versus keywords. Keywords must be used in conjunction with great, original relevant content. As part of your ongoing search strategy - your plan should call for continual creation of content. Search engines prefer and recognize sites that provide fresh, new information for visitors.

Remember, keywords are the compasses.
If you’re going to start an SEO program, the first thing you need to do is focus on your keywords because they’ll guide you toward the path you wish to go.