Tool
Step 1 - Put your keyword phrase or root keyword into the tool. I suggest
one phrase at a time, 1-4 words in length. Click: Get Keyword ideas and wait
for the results.
Another option is to click Website Content and let Google pull suggestions
from your website content.
Step 2 - IMPORTANT, change the Match Type to Phrase, which adds quotes to
the keyword results. This makes the tool's impressions more closely match
organic search, ignoring the "loosey-goosey" broad match phrases for
AdWords.
And under the Show/Hide Columns make sure your settings display Approx Avg
Search Volume. (If you're marketing a seasonal product or service you might
change to a different setting.)
Step 3 - Analyze the results. What we're all trying to find is the low
hanging fruit: the best balance of traffic volume, ease to perform SEO and
traffic that will likely convert.
I suggest targeting phrases that are at least 5,000 to 10,000 monthly
average impressions. Conversely, keyword phrases with very high monthly
impressions may prove too competitive in organic search. Find the best
balance for your organic optimization skills and for your industry.
If your sales goals require 200,000 monthly organic impressions and you
choose keyword search phrases with between 5,000 and 10,000 monthly
impressions each, then you'll need between 20 to 40 keyword phrases to
deliver you that 200,000 monthly impressions.
Of course, as you discover opportune phrases that are offer greater monthly
impressions and that you're comfortable optimizing for, that will lower the
number of phrases needed to reach your monthly goal.
Make your keyword list from this criteria. I like to copy and paste into my
email program.
And to determine the number of monthly impressions needed, you'll need:
good organic listing click-through rate data - what percentage of searchers
will click on your listing? (and)
conversion rate data either from your own website or for your industry -
what percentage of your site visitors will BUY?
You will find an experienced Internet Marketing Consultant | Coach who
specializes in Keyword Research can help you formulate a keyword list that
will deliver BOTH the traffic and sales conversions that you need.
Step 4 - Evaluate the competing number of pages in organic search from
Google. Is this a number you're comfortable optimizing for?
While you're on the SERPs looking over the search results, look at the
AdWords ads and the organic results.
Does your service or product sound like it belongs on this page, for this
keyword? Or, does it sound out of place?
And for a search phrase to be good, normally you'll want to see several
AdWords ads appearing for the search phrase.
Make your list from this criteria, setting aside any keyword phrases from
the previous step (at least for right now) where the competition is too
steep. Phrases that look good but with too much competition, save for the
future.
This brings up a good point: Keep good notes! Otherwise, you'll come back
for the next round of research and have to re-do things.
Step 5 - Evaluate the phrases still on your list for their likely commercial
intention using the Microsoft Online Commercial Intention Tool (Google it).
If you're using an SEO Consultant, make sure they use this tool and evaluate
commercial intent for the keywords you are considering.
Now, this is a Microsoft tool.I use it and am glad for the data, but I don't
make decisions about any keyword phrase off data from just one tool or from
just one step in my process.
Having said that, I wouldn't select 15 phrases for optimization where each
of them shows there's not commercial intent.
Keep your list of phrases that still meet your criteria and move onto the
next step.
Step 6 - Evaluate your remaining list in Google's Traffic Estimator. What I
look for is the relationship of average monthly impressions to estimated
daily click throughs in AdWords. Do they make sense and suggest commercial
intention?
If one phrase has twice the monthly impressions, but only 1/2 the daily
AdWords clicks, something may be wrong. You may want to look closer.
The goal isn't just traffic, it's traffic that converts - buys, sign up to
your email list, calls or emails your company and becomes a sales lead, etc.
When you complete these steps, you should have whittled your initial keyword
list down to the "lowest hanging fruit", the most opportune phrases (easiest
to rank well in) COMBINED with the largest amount of quality traffic,
COMBINED with traffic that should convert.
The Windows into Your Website
Keywords are the windows into your website. If you target the wrong ones for
your business, you won't have the traffic, Internet sales or sales leads
that you need.
If you're using an SEO Consultant to perform your work, make sure they do it
the correct way - not the lazy way - and oversee their work. Your site, your
responsibility!
If you're doing d-i-y Keyword Research, be really educated about what you're
doing OR your d-i-y effort could cost you more than hiring a qualified
company.
NOTE: Another option available from some Internet Marketing Consultants
today for those watching their budget is to offering Coaching services. This
is sort of a hybrid between the retail price, full-service option and the
go-it-alone, time consuming do-it-yourself option.
Achieving the search engine ranking for your chosen keywords doesn't have to
be difficult or expensive if you follow my formula. And if performed
correctly, the end results will be keywords that work for your business.
If you have any questions or comments please contact me.
Regards Gerald
Website: http://www.webcraft.ws
E-mail: gerald@webcraft.ws
Twitter: WebcraftGuru
Facebook: Webcraft Guru
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