Key Takeaways
- Tech keywords play a critical role in the digital ecosystem of technology businesses, making them a necessity as you build your campaigns.
- Keyword research, analysis, and strategic application will always be necessary if your tech business hopes for sustained digital success.
- As a tech professional, it helps to keep your keyword strategies up to date to connect with your current audience and expand your customer base.
Keywords remain a surefire way to push your tech business forward, but finding the keywords people want to learn more about can be difficult. More so, making your content stand out when tackling popular keywords is also often a struggle for most companies.
However, mastering tech keywords isn’t optional. It influences your online visibility, the success of your content marketing campaigns, and your SEO positioning.
That’s why I’m here. My goal with this guide is to help you, fellow tech professionals, understand how to use tech keywords to enhance your company’s digital footprint. Let’s get going.
Table of Contents
Understanding Tech Keywords
Keywords are like beacons in the night. When someone searches for a term online, your beacon stands out, generating clicks. Once a user clicks onto your website, between your lead magnets and opt-in offers, they will hopefully feel inspired to subscribe to your email list.
And that’s how the journey from lead to conversion starts. You’ll continue to nurture them to get the ball rolling, moving them through the funnel until they eventually make a purchase.
The tech industry is a continually growing field, with global spending anticipated to hit $4.4 trillion in 2023. That’s a jump of 4.7% from the year prior.
With such a popular industry, the reliance on technology keywords is a lot higher. Bearing that in mind, let’s dig a little deeper into the types of keywords your tech business might explore.
Brand keywords
Brand keywords are keywords related to your company’s name, products, or services. Let’s use Apple as an example (there may not be a bigger tech brand on the market). If you want to learn about what Apple is up to these days, you can search “Apple news” or “Apple updates.” Those are brand keywords.
If you wish to discover news related to only one Apple product, like its iPhone, you would modify the search to “Apple iPhone news” or “Apple iPhone updates.” You could even get more specific by searching for iPhone models, like the iPhone 15 Pro. Even though you’re looking for specific things with each of these searches, since the brand name is part of the keyword, they’re all called brand keywords.
Technology trend keywords
Another popular area of tech keywords is centered around trends. For instance, “biggest tech trends of 2024” or “tech trends January 2024” will produce all the latest predictions for the year to come.
Product-specific keywords
A very popular type of tech keyword is product-specific. The iPhone keywords from before are good examples of that. As the name implies, these keywords are only about products from certain manufacturers, whether it’s a new tech product, one that’s recently been updated, or even a product that’s been recalled.
Well-chosen keywords that fit into the above categories can help your brand target the right audience, driving marketing and advertising campaign success.
How To Research and Find the Right Tech Keywords
Utilizing tech keywords makes you more discoverable, but how do you find the right keywords in the first place? You need to do research. Let’s go over the ins and outs.
Tips for tech keyword research
- Start by creating a topics list. The list can be broad but must be related to the tech industry. Try to keep your list to no more than 10 topics.
- Go through the topics you identified and add related phrases for each one.
- Next, identify related search terms. For example, if your keyword is the iPhone 15 Pro, someone might look for the iPhone 14 or competing devices from Samsung or OnePlus.
- Determine the search intent. When someone searches for the iPhone 15 Pro, what are they looking for? Do they want to read reviews about it? Scope out the latest news? Discover if it has any bugs or issues?
Tools and resources for discovering relevant tech keywords
Don’t discount the value of tools for keyword research. There are so many, including both free and paid options, that will help you uncover tech keywords you might have otherwise missed.
Here are some resources to get you started:
- Ahrefs
- Google Keyword Planner
- SEMrush
- Moz Keyword Explorer
- Google Trends
- Soovle
- Jaaxy
- TopicRanker
Strategies for evaluating the search volume and competitiveness of tech keywords
Before selecting a tech keyword, you have to gauge two important points: the search volume and competitiveness.
Search volume refers to how much people look for that term. A high search volume means a term is popular. It may seem like a no-brainer to select these tech keywords, but beware. Since they’re high-volume, your competitors will take the same approach.
You may have a more difficult time getting noticed when exclusively targeting high-volume keywords.
Low-volume keywords have less competition, but that’s usually for a reason. However, you can sometimes find diamonds in the rough, capitalizing on the next hot keyword your competitors haven’t yet found.
Competitiveness and search volume go hand in hand. Keywords with a higher search volume are more competitive, and vice-versa.
You can use many of the tools I recommended above to determine the search volume of your keywords before you deploy them as part of your marketing campaign, including SEMrush and Google Keyword Planner.
Read more: A Brief Guide on Mastering Competition Keywords
Implementing Tech Keywords into Your Marketing Strategy
You’ve identified some viable keywords with a decent amount of search volume that you think could propel your next campaign into the stratosphere. The following best practices will cover incorporating technology keywords into social media, product descriptions, blog posts, website content, and other online materials.
Review how other sites and social media pages use their keywords
First, determine how other resources out there utilize the same or similar keywords, even your competitors. The goal isn’t to copy them directly, but rather, gain ideas about how you can insert your identified keywords in your marketing materials, from blog posts to social copy.
Incorporate keywords into alt tags and meta descriptions
When posting website content, do you use alt tags? What about meta descriptions?
Alt tags are image descriptors. If you go into WordPress or any content management system, you should see the option to add an alt tag when you upload images. Inserting the keyword into at least one alt tag on a page helps with SEO.
Another place to put your keywords is in the meta description. A meta description is a short (150 characters or fewer) synopsis of your blog post. It acts as a preview to incentivize people to continue reading.
Use keywords as hashtags on social media
When posting on social media, you can help your keywords stand out by hashtagging them. This can also increase the visibility of your post; if someone looks for the hashtagged keyword, your post should appear in their feed, even if they aren’t following you.
Just because social media platforms like Instagram allow you to add up to 30 hashtags doesn’t mean that’s how many you need. That’s far too many. Instead, you should curtail yourself to no more than five.
Insert keywords into webpage URLs
When publishing blog content, check that the keyword is in the URL and amend it if necessary. You can also use this trick when publishing website content, such as landing pages.
Google and other search engines use keywords in URLs as a ranking factor, so you can push your tech site’s rank through this practice.
Use one keyword for each page
If you’re writing a landing page, you never cram two or more products or services into the same page, right? The same logic must apply to your tech keywords.
To prevent confusion, each keyword should have its own separate webpage. You can insert the keyword into the title and then in the body of the content. Don’t forget to include it in your page URL!
Add keywords to anchor text
The links you build are anchor text, which website visitors can click. Most anchor text links are internal, but they can also be external. Search engines gauge the content you link to, as it helps them understand the crux of your website.
That’s why it’s especially important to avoid generic descriptors like “click here” or “check this out” for your anchor text. Instead, write natural text and link to useful, relevant content pages internally and to other websites.
Never indulge in keyword stuffing
Have you ever landed on a webpage that unnaturally inserted keywords in seemingly every paragraph? That’s keyword stuffing in action. Search engines care about the quantity of keywords you use. Keyword stuffing can hurt your rank, as it looks spammy.
You can sometimes end up keyword stuffing without even realizing it and certainly without meaning to. You must have a target keyword density for every piece you publish, then use keyword density checkers to confirm you’re within the desired range.
CheckSERP, SmallSEOTools, and The HOTH have free tools for determining the density of your keywords.
You can also try a formula to confirm keyword density: divide the number of times the keyword appears in the content by the number of words. Then, multiply that number by 100.
Use keywords in paid ad campaigns
Tech keywords are a valuable addition to your paid advertising campaigns, as they can help with conversion and targeting optimization. The rest of the tips in this section will help you develop your advertising strategy.
Read also: How to Find Business Keywords to Rank Better on Search Engines
Advanced Strategies for Tech Keyword Optimization
You’ve got the basics down, so now it’s time to delve into more enhanced techniques to take your tech keywords further.
Try niche keywords
If you’ve had a hard time tracking down high-volume keywords that aren’t done to death, may I suggest exploring niche keywords? These smaller-scale, ultra-specific search terms only appeal to a subset of your audience, but that’s okay.
These website visitors will be more qualified, meaning they’ll enter the sales funnel with knowledge about your industry and what you do best. They’re usually readier to make a purchasing decision.
Make the most of long-tail keywords
Most keywords are short-tail, meaning they’re a word or several as part of a brief phrase. The opposite is long-tail keywords. The main difference between the two is specificity. For example, “iPhone 15 Pro” is a short-form keyword, but “iPhone 15 Pro repair near New York City” is a long-tail keyword.
These keywords are more targeted and niche. Their specificity also reduces the search volume, reducing the amount of competition. Ultimately, your marketing assets should use a good mix of short- and long-tail keywords.
Read also: The Secrets to Writing a Killer Product Description
Expand to global SEO with tech keywords
Your tech company might have begun with a local SEO campaign, but it’ll be itching to expand as it grows. Tech keywords can help you broaden your SEO strategies on a global level, allowing you to reach more international markets.
The key is to create localized long-tail keywords and insert them, where possible, from your metadata into your URLs, anchor text, and content. Building backlinks from reputable brands in international environments will facilitate the growth you seek.
Adapt your keyword strategy
Keyword research and strategizing are not one-and-done approaches. Consumer needs, preferences, and interests will always change, meaning the keywords you target will change as well.
Keep up to date on your keyword research, updating your terms as necessary. Be ready to adapt your keyword strategies based on technological advancements, changes in consumer preferences, market trends, and analytics.
Read also: Everything You Need to Know About Marketing Keywords
List of Popular Tech Keywords to Target Today
Having a ready-to-go list of technology keywords will help you ideate and execute your marketing and advertising campaigns more successfully.
Here’s a curated list of tech keywords. It includes industry trends, product categories, and emerging technologies.
- Tech news
- Artificial intelligence
- New technology
- Machine learning
- Virtual reality
- Science and technology
- Cloud computing
- Latest technology
- B-tech
- Tech news
- Nanotechnology
- Cool tech
- Adobe Cloud
- Technological advances
- Technology review
- VUT ITS
- Newtech
- Gadget news
- MIT University
- Technology articles
- Virtual reality headset
- Technology meaning
- LIDAR scanner
- Computer news
- Smart glasses
- Tech websites
- Haptics
- CNN Tech
- Virtual lab
- High tech
- Fashion Institute of Technology
- California Institute of Technology
- L3Harris
- Nanyang Technological University
- 5G Network
- Personal computer
- Edtech
Read also: Direct Mail Marketing Ideas Inspired By Global Brands
How To Improve Your Online Presence
Following the guidance above, you’re ready to integrate keywords into SEO and digital marketing efforts. The following strategies and tips will help you boost your online visibility.
Subscribe to tech news
This might seem like an unrelated tip, but staying abreast of what’s happening in the tech industry is the only way to keep the keyword train chugging forward. Discovering what’s on the cutting edge can help you jump on rising keywords before your competitors.
You’ll also produce more content on the concepts and topics your audience cares about before your competitors can do the same. They’ll be following in your footsteps rather than vice-versa.
Study tech industry keyword trends
On that note, it also helps to pay attention to trends in the tech industry, in which there’s never a shortage. That doesn’t necessarily mean that every trend you see will become the basis of your keywords. Trends come and go in tech just as they do in other industries.
With time, you’ll become skilled at identifying trends with potential staying power. You might not get it right 100 percent of the time, but if you can begin building keywords around growing trends in those instrumental early stages, you can again gain a stronger foothold against your competitors.
Build keywords into your ads
Don’t forget to use keywords in your advertising when crafting a digital marketing campaign. Consider basing your keywords around phrases and terms customers would choose when explaining your tech product or service to someone else.
Theme your ad around the keyword, or at least double-check that there’s alignment between your keyword and the ad theme. Limit your keywords to a max of three. If you have similar keywords you plan to target, you might expand your advertising efforts with ad groups.
Rely on metrics to tweak your keyword usage
Performance metrics and analytics will clearly depict whether your keyword usage propels or hampers your marketing campaigns.
Here are several keyword-centric KPIs to track:
- User engagement (measured in pages per session, session duration, average time spent on the page, and bounce rate)
- Organic click-through rate, which refers to the percentage of people who saw your SERP website and clicked it
- Backlinks, including the total number of links earned, the total number of links you lost, the number of referring domains, and the total backlink count
- Keyword rankings to determine if the terms you’re targeting are still viable
- Non-branded and branded traffic, with the former referring to searches for services and products you already have a ranking for and the latter being traffic from someone who’s referred you
- Organic session growth — a strong indicator of improving your SEO rank
- Organic visibility, which measures how visible you are (without ads) online
- Return on investment to gauge how cost-effective your campaign is
- Cost per acquisition to help your business control costs related to acquiring customers
- Customer lifetime value, which dictates the maximum earnings your tech business can make from a customer while they’re in the sales funnel
- Lead and sales conversions to determine if your audience has grown
Read also: IKEA Marketing Strategy: A-Z Analysis of the Winning Formula
Conclusion
Proper utilization of tech keywords can transform your business, elevating your business growth and boosting your online visibility. Tech businesses must prioritize keyword optimization in their digital marketing strategies moving forward, and now you know how.
FAQ
What exactly are tech keywords, and why are they crucial for my tech business?
Technology keywords are short- or longer-form search terms catered to the tech industry. Using them can help your business rank better, increasing your visibility and brand positioning. You can also connect with more engaged potential customers by using keywords.
How often should I conduct research on tech keywords?
Plan for keyword research at least every three months and no more seldom than every six months.
Is it beneficial to use the same tech keywords as my competitors?
Sometimes, but for the most part, it’s better to separate yourself from your competitors by not following in their tracks. This doesn’t mean you should target random, low-search-volume keywords just for the sake of being different. However, you should always be on the lookout for ways to differentiate yourself.
How can I determine the effectiveness of my chosen tech keywords?
You must study campaign analytics, digging deep into KPIs related to keyword rankings and organic traffic. Keywords may be effective for only a limited time, or perhaps they never work for your business. In both scenarios, be ready to pivot.
What distinguishes short-tail tech keywords from long-tail tech keywords?
The length is one determining factor, but it mostly comes down to specificity. Long-term keywords are ultra-niche, whereas short-tail keywords are more general and broader.
How do I incorporate tech keywords without compromising content quality?
Use a keyword density checker to ensure you’re not stuffing tech keywords into blog posts, meta descriptions, alt tags, social media copy, and landing pages too much. That will maintain content quality.
What tools can assist in tracking the performance of tech keywords?
The same reliable keyword tools you used to ideate can also gauge performance, including Google Search Console, Ahrefs, Google Analytics, Moz, Rank Tracker, and SEMrush.
Can tech keywords improve my website’s search engine ranking?
Yes, they absolutely can, but only if you target the right keywords for your campaign.
How do tech keywords help in targeting a specific segment within the tech market?
Technology keywords, especially the long-tail variety, are specific and thus only appeal to niches in your market that are looking for those products or services.
What strategies should I employ to adjust my tech keyword approach in response to industry trends?
Consider that SEO is a long game and that your rank might not change for months following a tech keyword upgrade. Thus, rather than exclusively relying on trends, you should also review your metrics to see if your tech keyword approach needs tweaking, then update as required.