Do you know that keyword modifiers can drastically enhance your chances of ranking high on Page 1 of Google?
But not everyone knows about keyword modifiers also known as thematic modifiers.
In this post, we will tell you:
- What exactly keyword modifiers means
- Why they are helpful to gain higher rankings in Google
- How keyword modifiers can be used at various steps of a buyer journey
- What are the distinct types of keyword modifiers?
So, without further delay, let us begin by talking about these keyword or thematic modifiers.
What Does Keyword Modifiers Mean?
Keyword modifiers or thematic modifiers are terms or words, which you can add to your chief keyword to generate a more unique long-tail keyword.
Now, let us consider that the main keyword of your content is ‘sunglasses.’ When considering the long tail keyword ‘UV block sunglasses for women and men,’ the keyword modifiers can be as follows:
- For men
- For women
- UV blocking
Now, let us consider another example where your main keyword is SEO Tips. In this situation, the long tail keyword is ‘Best SEO Tips for Fashion Experts.’ In this case, the keyword modifiers are as follows:
- Fashion experts
- Best
Also, thematic modifiers can be defined as additional words, which people integrate into their vital search query in order to gain more appropriate or relevant results.
So rather than entering the word ‘cameras,’ an online searcher on Google may type ‘best DSLR cameras under a price of $1000.’ In this situation, the keyword modifiers are as follow:
- Under $1000
- DSLR
- Best
Hence, keyword modifiers are adverbs, adjectives, shopping terms and another sort of words that will fetch the search for more relevant and specific results.
Within the keyword structure, modifiers are primarily positioned at the beginning and at the end of a keyword.
The modifiers alter the overall aspect of a keyword but do not change its meaning.
Here, consider some examples where the modifier is highlighted in bold:
- Best chicken restaurants in Melbourne within walking distance of the Darling harbor
- Cheap affordable flights to Japan in 2019
- Best – selling packs of battery for Android in 2019
The keyword modifies are also called as ‘thematic modifiers,’ and are:
- Location-specific
- Related to the niche
- General
Location-specific keyword modifiers are the words, which mention or talk about a particular location such as Europe, France, New York, and more.
The keyword modifiers related to a particular niche are the words like a quote (insurance), tour (travel), track (music), RAM (computers), regime (fitness), diet (health), economy (air travel), recipe, economy (air travel), and more.
The keyword modifiers used for general words are as follows like cheapest, top, best, and others.
Considering these aspects, the keyword modifiers can aid you to rank on the number one page of Google and fetch you visitors who are looking out for exactly what you are providing or offering.
Why You Must Use Keyword or Thematic Modifiers?
The next thing is that why you must use keyword modifiers.
1. Less Competition:
The first reason is that the competition for keywords that do not use modifiers is very intense, which means the least.
For instance, the keyword finder rates the specific keyword ‘camera’ quite difficult to rank for.
Without a specific domain authority of at least 45, it is almost impossible to rank on Page one of Google for that particular keyword.
Here, you can throw some modifier keywords such as best cameras for underwater under $2000, and there you have a better chance of ranking on the first page of Google.
Now, let us consider the following SEO tips.
Keyword finders do not increase the chances of ranking on page one for this specific term.
But if you incorporate some of the keyword modifiers to this post and your prospects will look much better, and hence, you have a higher chance of ranking on Google’s first page.
2. Search Relevance:
Another reason for using keyword modifiers is that using them will let your searchers have exact and relevant searches as per their preference.
A person going to Google and entering the keyword ‘cameras,’ is at the very initial stage of the buyer’s journey. He is nowhere close to make a purchase.
But any person who enters the keyword ‘best cameras for underwater under $2000’ knows exactly what they require. They are very close to making a buying decision.
Such searches are much further down to the buyer journey and this means they have a higher chance to convert.
In this case, what kind of keywords indicates that someone is close or far from the sales funnel?
The answer to this question has been explained in the next section!
The Relationship between Buyer Journey and Keyword Modifiers
Some people consider it the buyer journey while others consider it the sales funnel. The main point of consideration here is that no one purchases something right away.
It means that every person has a specific process, which they follow before they finally purchase anything.
This process mainly consists of the following stages:
- Getting Aware – It means becoming aware of the various options available for purchase.
- Consideration – It implies considering the distinct options available in more detail.
- Decision – It is related to deciding on the final options to consider for purchase or shortlisting the final options.
Let us consider someone who intends to purchase a television.
At the above of the buyer journey, a buyer of television is still considering the different general terms, like:
- LCD or Plasma
- Which television is best
- TV reviews
This buyer is still at the stage of awareness.
In the middle of the buyer journey or sales funnel, the same person will be considering search terms, which display exactly what they are thinking to purchase:
- Best store to purchase televisions
- Televisions on sale
- Televisions on discount
That similar person is now in the stage of consideration.
At the bottom of the buyer journey or at the end of the sales funnel, the searcher tends to become highly specific indeed.
By this time, the buyer has done extensive research. She now knows what she is looking for. Now she is searching for the finest place to purchase. She is in the stage of decision-making:
- Purchase 70 inches plasma TV
- Where to purchase Samsung 46 inches plasma TV
There are long-tail keywords, which go with each of the following stages in the sales funnel.
In the stage of awareness, the focus of buyers is on the opportunity or issue related terms like:
- Issue
- Risks
- Improve
- Troubleshoot
- Optimize
- Resolve
- Upgrade
When the buyer is in the stage of consideration, these types of terms are considered:
- Provider
- Supplier
- Device
- Appliance
- Software
- Tool
- Service
- Solution
When the buyer is in the decision stage, this type of terms are found:
- Versus
- Comparison
- Benchmarks
- Test
- Review
- Pros and cons
- Compare
The other end or bottom of the sales funnel includes keyword modifiers which are as follows:
- Coupon
- Best price
- Best deals
- Pricing
- Best range
- Geo terms like specific area, city, town, and more
- Brand names
- Prices
- Ratings
- Where to buy
- Promo code
- Discount
Generally speaking, the number of keyword modifiers you use in a search phrase, the further along a person is in the sales funnel or buyer journey.
Search Volume and Keyword Modifiers:
By this stage, you may be wondering what exactly the catch is.
And you would be right if there is a catch always.
This is the same:
Keywords with modifiers are far less as per the monthly search volume than the main keywords.
But that is the trade-off with thematic modifiers, which means less competition in exchange for less traffic.
Where to Search Keyword Modifiers
The top places to search for the keyword or thematic modifiers in Google are as follows:
Start entering the main keyword and use the Google Auto Suggest feature that will come up with associated keywords consisting of thematic modifiers.
It is best to create a note of the keywords. The repeat and rinse process will bring you some more alternatives and great suggestions.
Consider the example, ‘beginners tips for outdoor photography,’ and contain three modifiers.
This means that there is very little competition in order to rank on page 1. Moreover, the traffic is going to be highly targeted and people who wish to enter that particular term are completely clear about what they exactly need.
It is much simpler to rank on page 1 of the search results for keywords with modifiers than otherwise. And since you know exactly what the buyers or searchers are looking for, it is better to be able to offer them what they require.
One thing that is great about Google Auto Suggest is that it does not include the keywords, which someone has conjured up or brainstormed. These are the actual terms for search, which people are entering into Google.
Hence, you now know that if you create content around such keyword or thematic modifiers, you are going to search for an audience.
By this time, you have probably had a fairly good idea about where to search thematic modifiers and the way to perfectly use them.
But let us consider some of the distinct sorts of keyword or thematic modifiers.
Different Sorts of Keyword Modifiers:
1. Question-Based Keyword Modifiers:
As per JumpShot, around 8% of the questions on Google are termed as questions. So, the question-based keyword modifiers are a good bet.
Simply, you need to substitute it with the main keyword.
How do I make or build (x), where is the finest place to search (x), what is the simplest way to (x), how to (x), what is the highest voted (x), what is the best ranked (x), what is the most popular(x), and more?
2. Brand, Size, and Color Keyword Modifiers:
Any kinds of physical product will hold attributes such as brand, size, and color, which can be used as keyword modifiers, such as red, green, blue, and more, or Pentax, Fuji, Nikon, and more, and size like 10, 9, 11, and more.
3. Keyword Modifiers Based on the Kind of Person:
Most of the products can be narrowed down by utilizing a keyword modifier, which refers to the type of person who will be utilizing it:
- Kids
- Children
- Women
- Men
- Adults
- Students
- Teens
4. Keyword Modifiers Based on Price Range:
The other popular kind of keyword modifier is the price range. It is used when people buy online they mainly define a price range they are searching for:
- Under $10
- Under $100
- Under $1000
For example, people purchase the best digital watches for kids under $100
5. Keyword Modifiers Based on Verbs:
You can use the other kind of keyword modifier in the form of CTA or call to action like find, list, locate, compare, get, and buy.
For example, compare digital watches under $10 for kids
6. Keyword Modifiers Based on Adjectives:
The adjectives based keyword modifiers are the most searched one.
And they are positioned right as the initial word of the keyword. So, they consider a huge role in search results as it is the first main word in SEO title.
Here are a few examples of the popular adjectives that are used as keyword modifiers like, cool, best, fastest, cheap, popular, affordable, lightest, smallest, quickest, and more.
For example, the most popular digital watches for kids under $100
So, these are the various kinds of thematic modifiers.
You must be thinking about which keyword or thematic modifier you must use.
In this case, you must follow a general principle – The number of thematic modifiers you use, the narrower will be your target audience. And the simpler it will be to rank on the number one page of Google.
Where to Use the Keyword Modifiers?
The best place to use keyword modifiers is in your article’s title.
For example:
- 10 SEO tips that will set up Success
- 32 Best WordPress Plugins for Marketers,
and more.
To Sum Up:
Keyword or thematic modifiers are an excellent way to generate long-tail keywords, which can help you, rank on page 1 of Google. Usually, they appear in keywords that hold lower monthly search volume. Also, they are helpful to target searchers who know exactly what they want. Just use them wisely!