Say you want to try a new coffee shop this weekend, but you’re not sure which one.
You’d probably head straight to Google, searching “best local coffee shops” or “best coffee in [your city]” to find some new recommendations.
Those search terms you’re Googling?
Keywords.
Keywords are how you find the information you’re looking for, and how brands and businesses — like coffee shops! — get that information in front of you.
In this blog, we’re talking about coffee shop keywords, from what they are and why they matter to where to use them for maximum impact.
We’ve also created a guide to coffee-related keywords to help you start optimizing your coffee shop’s online presence (but more on why that’s important later).
Let’s get into it.
What are coffee shop keywords and why do they matter for SEO?
So, you know that keywords are the terms people put into search engines like Google… but we’ll give you a more “official” definition, too.
Keywords are terms or phrases people type into search engines to find related information, products, or services. They can be divided into two main types — short-tail and long-tail keywords.
| Short-tail keywords | Long-tail keywords |
| 1-2 terms | 3+ terms |
| Broad topics | Specific topics |
| Example → Coffee | Example → Cold brew coffee beans |
Integrating keywords into your coffee shop’s online content is important primarily because of their impact on search engine optimization (SEO). There are a few ways keywords support SEO efforts, including:
- Search engine visibility — Using keywords on your coffee shop’s website, for example, increases the chances of it appearing in search engine results. And, the more likely you are to appear in a search, the more likely prospective customers will find you!
- Targeted traffic — Targeted keywords can help put your coffee shop in front of your target audience. By using keywords your target audience is interested in, you can get in front of people already looking for you (even if they don’t know it yet).
- Content optimization — Keywords aren’t just for website homepages. You can also use them to optimize other content creation efforts like landing pages, blogs, and product descriptions, ensuring your content answers what users are searching for.
Plus, keywords give your coffee shop a search engine advantage over competitors while delivering a stronger, more relevant user experience, too!
Ultimately, keywords are how you get your coffee shop’s online content seen and clicked on, so they’re definitely worth paying more attention to.
Not sure which keywords to focus on? Our Coffee Keywords Cheat Sheet can help.
The importance of local keywords for coffee shop SEO
Now that you understand the importance of using keywords in general, it’s time to get more specific — or rather, more local.
Local SEO is the same as “regular” SEO in concept, but uses location-oriented strategies and keywords to target local traffic, instead.
Your coffee shop’s local SEO efforts could look like ramping up your long-tail, location-specific keywords, such as “coffee shops in Atlanta” versus just “coffee shop”.
Or, it could look like a whole bunch of other SEO-focused strategies, from optimizing your Google My Business page to promoting more local content on your website.
No matter how your coffee shop decides to tackle local SEO, the key is actually doing it; with 3 in 10 Americans looking up local businesses daily, that potential reach is not something you want to miss out on!
Where to use coffee keywords for maximum impact
At this point, we’re all on the same “keywords are great” page, but you might still be wondering where to put all these great keywords.
That’s a good question — but a better one would be where can’t you put them?
Coffee keywords can live in tons of great spots, but here are the top 5 that’ll maximize their impact.
- Website pages — Use keywords on your website, both in the content, for the page titles, and in the URL. Your home page, menu, and about page are great places to start!
- Blog posts — Keywords and blogs go together like coffee and croissants. Use them strategically in your blog titles, subtitles, and body content.
- Meta descriptions — Also called “snippets,” these are the pieces of text that show up to describe or summarize a website. Add keywords here!
- Image alt text — Adding alt text to images is a great way to improve your coffee shop’s online accessibility while adding a keyword hit or two.
- Google Business Profile (GBP) — Creating a GBP is a huge asset for coffee shops, improving your online presence while boosting SEO.
Top 3 DO'S and DON'TS for using coffee keywords
✅ DO use a combination of short- and long-tail coffee keywords
Short- and long-tail keywords each have their pros and cons.
Short-tail keywords have lots of competition but can generate “serious traffic,” whereas long-tail keywords have less competition but generate more niche traffic.
So, how can you balance each keyword’s pros and cons? Use ‘em both!
✅ DO pay attention to what your URLs look like
We mentioned adding keywords to URLs, but that’s not just about getting a keyword hit.
Adding a keyword to your URL is the best way to keep the text descriptive and easy to understand — the two main things that make a URL user-friendly and strong.
✅ DO add coffee keywords to your social media
A lot of people hear “keywords” and think “websites.”
But, in reality, keywords matter in a ton of different places — social media included.
Bring your SEO efforts to your socials by adding keywords to captions, using links in video content, and working on “positive mentions.”
Ditch the keyword guesswork with Craver’s Coffee Keywords Cheat Sheet.
⛔ DON’T use keywords excessively
You might think using a keyword as much as possible is better for visibility, but it’s not!
Forcing a keyword into as many places as possible (no matter how unnatural) is called “keyword stuffing,” and it makes content seem low-quality and spammy… plus it’s bad for SEO, too!
⛔ DON’T forget to monitor your keywords regularly
It would be nice if keywords were a “set it and forget it” thing… but unfortunately, they’re not.
Keyword monitoring is an integral part of making sure your coffee shop’s SEO efforts are generating the results you want (and figuring out how to readjust if they’re not).
⛔ DON’T give up – patience is key!
Working on SEO is a great idea — it’s just not always a fast one.
Optimization efforts mean you could see better rankings in a few hours, but it could also take a few days, weeks, or months.
Keep your goals in mind, and don’t give up!
How to find the best coffee keywords for your coffee shop
At this point, we’re all on the same page about keywords, from what they are and why they matter to the best (and worst) ways to use them.
The only thing left to do now is find the best coffee keywords for your coffee shop… and luckily, there are tons of different ways to find that out.
You could use free tools like Google Keyword Planner, Google Trends, or Keyword Tool.
You could use paid tools like Semrush, Ahrefs, or Moz’s Keyword Difficulty Tool.
Or you could download Craver’s Coffee Keywords Cheat Sheet, a compilation of over 60 coffee keywords, organized by type of keyword, how difficult they are to rank for, and how high their search volume is.
Good luck with your coffee keyword adventures!
Craver’s Coffee Keywords Cheat Sheet is just a few clicks away.
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