You probably know that keywords are everything when it comes to SEO blogging. Google uses a lot of information to determine your rankings, but keywords are, well, key. 

So how do you know a keyword is worth using? For that, we head to Ubersuggest! I use Ubersuggest every time I create SEO blog posts for Brandcendent’s clients. It’s a great tool for keyword research, which is really the starting point for building your optimized blog. 

Many people aren’t sure how to use Ubersuggest, though. I’m here to demystify Ubersuggest. While this website provides an incredible amount of data, the two numbers that you really need to understand are Search Volume and SEO Difficulty.

What even is Ubersuggest?

Like I mentioned above, Ubersuggest is a keyword research tool. It has lots of helpful capabilities, including overviews of keyword information and ideas for related keywords. Each month, Ubersuggest updates its proprietary database to give you updated information on rankings and keywords.

Ubersuggest has different levels of service depending on whether you have a paid subscription. You can subscribe for $29 monthly. If you’re not a copywriter or service provider in an SEO-related field, you may be able to get away with the three free daily searches. 

Now that you know what Ubersuggest does, let’s dive into how to use Ubersuggest. This keyword research tool provides a lot of information. I’m going to focus in on the two numbers that matter most for your SEO blogging: Search Volume and SEO Difficulty.

What is Search Volume on Ubersuggest?

On Ubersuggest, Search Volume refers to the number of times search engine users search an SEO keyword in a month. When you’re learning how to use Ubersuggest, start by looking at this number.

If you’re looking for an SEO keyword for your blog, the higher that number is, the better. What qualifies as a “good” number for Search Volume depends on the keyword and your goals, though. The more you niche down, the smaller the Search Volume of your keywords may be.

For example, if you’re a wedding vendor, you might do a roundup using the keyword “best wedding venues in St. Louis.” The Search Volume for this will likely be in the thousands. You can expect it to be much lower for a keyword for a single wedding venue. Both can be worth your time. This is about reaching your dream clients, not every single person planning a wedding.

What is SEO Difficulty on Ubersuggest?

While high SEO Search Volume is ideal, you’re aiming for low SEO Difficulty. SEO Difficulty refers to how competitive it is to rank for that keyword. Lower numbers are easier to rank for and take less time to show up in the top 10. 

Again, this is just a general guideline. You may find that as you niche down, you need to target SEO keywords with somewhat higher search difficulty. Be open to some trial and error and check out the tips below to help you decide whether a keyword is worth your time.

How to Use Ubersuggest for Your SEO Blog Post

Now that you know what these two numbers are, you’re ready to learn how to use Ubersuggest. The general goal is to pick a keyword that has high Search Volume and low SEO Difficulty. 

Let’s look at an example. Say you’re a wedding photographer. You photographed a wedding at Music Box Village and want to do more work there. How would you pick the best keyword? 

1. Start by typing a keyword phrase into the search box. I used “Music Box Village wedding.”

2. Check the Search Volume and SEO Difficulty. For this keyword, the Search Volume is 30, and the SEO Difficulty is 9.

3. Repeat the process to compare at least one similar SEO keyword, and choose the keyword that has the biggest difference between Search Volume and SEO Difficulty. 

When I searched “Music Box Village New Orleans,” I found that this keyword had a Search Volume of 3,600 with an SEO Difficulty of 37. Even though the SEO Difficulty is higher, I’d say the drastically improved Search Volume makes the second keyword a better fit for an SEO blog post.

What else goes into a good keyword?

Knowing how to use Ubersuggest is the biggest piece of the puzzle in doing keyword research. Here are some other questions to ask yourself when you’re doing keyword research:

1. What’s the user intent? In other words, what are people actually looking for when they search that keyword?
2. Is this keyword relevant to my main products or services? If your keyword isn’t clearly related to your business, it could hurt rather than help your SEO.
3. Does this match where my prospective clients are on their journey? Before clients invest with your brand, they’re probably researching the questions that lead them to you. Ask yourself what they’re thinking about before they even get to you.

Are you fired up about keyword research? Wondering what the next step is? Brandcendent has DFY and DIY solutions for small businesses. If you’re interested in outsourcing your SEO blogging to a pro, grab my pricing guide here!

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