How To Use Google Autocomplete For SEO | Rockstar Marketing (2024)

Many businesses or SEO marketers are unaware of how to use Google autocomplete for SEO. They fail to realise the potential this little-known feature has. It can be a very effective tool in improving a website’s search engine ranking.

Google autocomplete is a powerful tool that can be used to your advantage. It offers a wealth of information about what people are searching for online. When used right, it can help you to determine the best keywords to target.

Today, we’ll explain how to use Google autocomplete to improve your SEO. We will also discuss some of the benefits as well as potential drawbacks.

What is Google Autocomplete?

Google knows it all, they say. Type a search phrase into the Google search bar. The engine offers you predictions of what you might be looking for. This is called Google autocomplete.

Google says that it was designed to make it easier for you to search for things. But that’s not the only thing it can do. It can also be used as a tool for SEO marketers.

The autocomplete feature relies on algorithms that take into account a variety of factors. The predictions offered are based on the most popular searches related to the words or phrases you have typed.

So, if you’re in London, you might get a different set of autocomplete predictions than someone in Sydney. The same is true if you are searching for something at night as opposed to during the day. However, all of this information is very useful for businesses writing content or SEO marketers. Today, we’re going to show you how to best use Google autocomplete. Stay tuned.

How to use Google Autocomplete for SEO

Now that we know what Google autocomplete is and how it works, let’s take a look at how to use it for SEO purposes.

Finding intent-based keywords

One of the best ways to use autocomplete is to find intent-based keywords. This is a term used to describe keywords that reveal searcher intent. For instance, informational keywords. Or buyer keywords.

Let’s say you’re a web hosting services company. You might want to target the keyword ‘web hosting UK’. But you might also want to target keywords that are related to different intents.

Some of these keywords could include ‘small business web hosting UK’, ‘green web hosting UK’ and ‘best web hosting uk for WordPress. Targeting these keywords gives you easier traffic. You can make sure that your website is coming up in Google search results more often.

Search rankings are increasingly-linked to fulfilling search intent in your copy. At Rockstar Marketing, we use Google autocomplete to help us generate a list of intent-based keywords for our clients. You can also use Google autocomplete to help you come up with new blog post ideas. Simply type in a broad topic related to your niche. Google will offer you a range of predictions.

How to use Google Autocomplete for SEO – Finding long tail keywords to incorporate into your content

Google autocomplete works in two ways. The first is prediction. When you type any search phrase or even a few letters, Google predicts what you’re trying to search for. The second is refinement. Once you have entered the complete search phrase, Google refines the search phrase. This shows a whole new set of related keywords.

This is where you can find some nuggets to target for organic search. It’s a given that the broader the keyword, the more difficult it becomes to rank for. However, with autocomplete, you can find a long-tail keyword (a 3-5 word phrase). You’ve got yourself a targeted keyphrase to work with.

You can use Google autocomplete to help you come up with some of these long-tail keywords. Simply type in your main keyword. Google will offer you a range of related predictions. You can then target these long-tail keywords in your content.

SEO FAQ

Moz calls an FAQ page an ‘organic search asset‘. That’s because questions have a high propensity to rank in Google. And if you can answer those questions on your website, you’re golden.

But finding related questions is not an easy task. Unless, of course, you’re using Google autocomplete. Type in a question into the Google search bar. Autocomplete offers you a list of predictions that are based on the most popular searches related to that question. This makes it easier for you to find questions. What’s amazing is that you also get their corresponding answers.

You can then add these questions to your FAQ page, and provide answers. Use proper schema markup and relevancy. You’ll be able to rank for those questions in Google search results.

Local SEO

Local businesses must know how to use Google autocomplete for SEO. Google autocomplete is highly geographical. This means that the predictions that show up are based on your location.

For example, let’s say you are a baker in Slough. You type in ‘bakers near me’. Autocomplete will offer you a list of related keywords like the ones shown below. Do you offer home delivery? Target those keywords for local traffic. Do you specialise in cakes? You’ve got a keyword for that.

This is because Google knows your location. It’s using it to predict the most popular searches related to your area. You can use this feature of autocomplete to your advantage by targeting local keywords.

The advantage of local SEO is that it’s much easier to rank for keywords that are related to your area. You are no longer competing against businesses from all over the world. You are only competing against businesses in your area.

By targeting local keywords, you can improve your website’s search rankings. This helps bring in more traffic from your local area. That’s not all. It will also increase footfall for brick and mortar outlets. Users will also leave positive reviews on Google. It’s a great way to increase brand visibility.

We have used Google autocomplete to help one of our clients rank for local keywords in Inverness, Scotland. It was relatively easier to rank for keywords that were related to Inverness than it was to rank for keywords that were related to Scotland or the whole of UK.

How to use Google Autocomplete for SEO – Online reputation management

Your brand’s online reputation is important. It can make or break your business. In all probability, it’s the first thing people see about your brand when they look up on Google. So, you need to be vigilant about what people are saying about your brand online.

Sometimes, competitors can try to tarnish your brand’s reputation by leaving negative reviews and comments. This is where Google autocomplete can help.

Type in your brand’s name into the Google search bar. Autocomplete offers you a list of predictions that are based on the most popular searches related to your brand in your area. Take a close look at the predictions. If the top few suggestions are negative, then you might have a problem.

You can use this information to your advantage. Just monitor what people are saying about your brand online. You can also take steps to suppress the negative search results from Google autocomplete. Rockstar Marketing helps our clients with ORM with a combination of positive press and social media targeting.

The ‘people also ask’ section

Hidden in the Google search results is a goldmine for content ideas – the ‘people also ask’ section. This section contains a list of questions related to your search query.

The ‘people also ask’ snippet can appear at the top of the search results, or it can be found by scrolling down. The questions in the snippet are based on the most popular searches related to your query. This means that these are the questions that people are actually searching for. And, if you can provide answers to these questions on your website, then you can come up with new content ideas that are relevant to your business. You can also use them to improve your website’s SEO.

5 Tips on how to use Google autocomplete for SEO

Like all things SEO and Google, there are a set of best practices that you need to follow. This will help you make the most out of Google autocomplete. Here are 5 tips on how to use it for your SEO benefit:

1. Use every letter

Many SEOs will enter complete words into the Google search bar to get autocomplete suggestions. But you can also use every letter of the alphabet. Just type and wait. Sometimes, the suggestions can change dynamically based on the spellings too.

2. Use different alphabets after the keyword phrase

If you are targeting a keyword phrase, try using different letters after the keyword. For example, the keyword phrase ‘SEO services’. Try typing ‘SEO services a’. This will give you a list of keyword suggestions like SEO services agency, agreement and so on. Swap a with b, and the suggestions change. This is a great way to collect more keyword ideas for your website.

3. Try misspellings of your target keyword

Not everyone spells words the same way. So you can try misspelling your target keywords to see if there are any new suggestions. Sometimes autocomplete predictions will be based on popular misspellings of certain words.

4. Search in Incognito mode or use a VPN

You do not want your personal search history to influence the Google autocomplete predictions. So, you can try searching in Incognito mode or use a VPN to mask your identity. This works exceptionally well for us when we are working for clients in different countries.

5. Use the underscore

A lot of businesses are unaware of how to use the underscore. It’s a form of a wildcard search. Typing in a keyword phrase and using the underscore between a word will give you more suggestions. For instance, ‘doctors_Birmingham’ will throw up a different set of suggestions as compared to ‘doctors Birmingham’.

Conclusion

Google autocomplete is a powerful tool that can help you with your SEO efforts. But it’s cumbersome and often difficult to understand the suggestions it throws up. The tips mentioned in this article should help you make the most out of this tool.

But ideally, you should work with a skilled SEO marketing team that can help you get the most out of Google autocomplete and other search engine features. Rockstar Marketing is one such team that can help you achieve your SEO goals much quicker. Speak to us now.

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