What are the most important trends in keyword research for the next decade?

2 Voice Search

Voice search is the use of voice commands to interact with search engines, either through smart speakers, mobile devices, or desktop computers. Voice search is growing rapidly, especially among younger generations, as it is faster, easier, and more convenient than typing. Voice search also enables hands-free and multitasking activities, such as cooking, driving, or working out. To optimize your keyword research for voice search, you need to consider how people speak, not just how they write. You need to use long-tail keywords, conversational phrases, and questions that match the user's intent. You also need to optimize your content for featured snippets, which are often the source of voice search answers.

4 User Intent

User intent is the goal or purpose behind a user's search query. It reflects what the user wants to achieve, learn, or buy from the search results. User intent is one of the most important factors that influence the ranking and relevance of a website. Search engines use various signals, such as keywords, context, history, and location, to determine the user intent and deliver the best results. To optimize your keyword research for user intent, you need to understand the different types of user intent: informational, navigational, transactional, and commercial. You need to use keywords that match the user intent and the stage of the buyer's journey. You also need to create content that satisfies the user intent and guides them to the next action.

5 Long-Tail Keywords

Long-tail keywords are keywords that consist of three or more words and have a low search volume, but a high conversion rate. Long-tail keywords are more specific, targeted, and relevant to the user's query than short-tail keywords, which are generic and competitive. Long-tail keywords help you attract qualified traffic, reduce bounce rate, and increase conversions. Long-tail keywords are also more compatible with semantic, voice, and visual search, as they reflect the natural and diverse ways that users search. To optimize your keyword research for long-tail keywords, you need to use keyword research tools, such as Google Keyword Planner, Ubersuggest, or AnswerThePublic, to find long-tail keyword ideas. You need to use long-tail keywords in your headlines, subheadings, content, and meta tags. You also need to monitor and analyze your long-tail keyword performance and adjust your strategy accordingly.

6 Keyword Difficulty

Keyword difficulty is a metric that measures how hard it is to rank for a keyword on the first page of the search results. Keyword difficulty is based on various factors, such as the number and quality of competing websites, the domain authority and page authority of the ranking websites, the relevance and freshness of the content, and the user behavior and preferences. Keyword difficulty helps you evaluate the potential and feasibility of a keyword for your website. To optimize your keyword research for keyword difficulty, you need to use keyword difficulty tools, such as Moz, Ahrefs, or SEMrush, to assess the keyword difficulty score and the ranking factors. You need to choose keywords that have a low to medium keyword difficulty, but a high search volume and relevance. You also need to optimize your website's technical, on-page, and off-page SEO factors to improve your chances of ranking for your chosen keywords.