Keyword Selection Strategies in Search Engine Optimization: How Relevant is Relevance?

We build an empirical framework using search queries and organic click data which provides model-based guidance to SEO practitioners for keyword selection and web content creation. Specifically, we study how search characteristics (search query popularity, search query competition, search query specificity, and search intent) and website characteristics (content relevance and online authority) interact to affect the expected organic clicks as well as the organic rank a website receives from the search engine result page (SERP). It is often thought that content relevance is a key factor to improve the effectiveness of SEO. We find, however, that content relevance is an important factor in driving organic clicks only when the consumer is farther along in the customer journey and searching for ways to purchase a product. Whereas, when the customer is at the awareness stage and looking for product information, online authority is the key driver of organic clicks.

Files

Metadata

Work Title Keyword Selection Strategies in Search Engine Optimization: How Relevant is Relevance?
Access
Open Access
Creators
  1. Mayank Nagpal
  2. J. Andrew Petersen
Keyword
  1. Search engine optimization
  2. Tobit Model
  3. Latent Semantic Analysis
License In Copyright (Rights Reserved)
Work Type Article
Publisher
  1. Journal of Retailing
Publication Date December 2021
Publisher Identifier (DOI)
  1. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretai.2020.12.002
Deposited August 20, 2024

Versions

Analytics

Collections

This resource is currently not in any collection.

Work History

Version 1
published

  • Created
  • Added 1-s2.0-S0022435920300944-main.pdf
  • Added Creator Mayank Nagpal
  • Added Creator J. Andrew Petersen
  • Published
  • Updated
  • Updated Keyword, Publication Date Show Changes
    Keyword
    • Search engine optimization, Tobit Model, Latent Semantic Analysis
    Publication Date
    • 2021-12-01
    • 2021-12