Keyword research is the most important but an under-appreciated aspect of SEO and may be that’s why few mistakes are often ignored during the keyword research process. Being the blueprint of any successful SEO campaign, Keyword research should be an error free activity.

Here are some of the common mistakes people make during the process of keyword research:

Mistake #1: Setting unrealistic goals

Something is better than nothing – always!

Keyword research seems to be a very clear-cut task. Use a research tool and find industry specific keywords that have highest search volumes. Well, sadly it is not as easy as it may seem. If you really want to see “real” results, target the keywords with medium competition that take into account the age of the website, current authority and any optimization that will take place in future. Targeting one word keyword or very competitive keywords are often unrealistic and can be unprofitable. A good keyword research is when you are realistic and select appropriate keywords. Less competitive keywords are a best way to do it.

Mistake #2: You think broad match is better than exact match

A mistake that is simple but yet people continue to make…Of course, search volume is a major metric in keyword research process but a large number of SEOs make the mistake of looking at broad search volumes rather than the exact match, which of course has a huge difference. Instead, using exact match will give you the best data accessible when assessing how feasible a keyword is to target.

Mistake #3 – Targeting Plural keyword phrases instead of singular

Often it is seen that people are targeting the plural version of a keyword but in various cases the singular version of the keyword is searched. Of course, the company sells more than one product but that does not mean you should naturally focus on the pluralized keywords as they get 90-91% less searches as compared to singular products.