Gather Relevant Data

First, you want to know what your audience is looking for:

• Which keywords and phrases are users typing into Google to search for your business or your products?
• What is their intent while searching?
• Is it to place an order right away?
• To learn more about the product?
• To compare your product against others?

Your initial goal is to come up with the top 40 most popular keywords and phrases that have high search volume and for which pages on your website are generating revenue. Jot down these terms in one column of a spreadsheet.

For big e-commerce stores that sell a wide range of products, there will be many top level categories, with complex URL hierarchies leading to sub-categories and smaller sub-divisions, each loaded with a range of products and brands. In this case, you’ll want to write up a top 40 list of keywords for each category.