Website Design & SEO Blog | Tips for Online Success

It’s no secret that the first step of any SEO or PPC campaign is keyword research. Similar to the Adwords tool, Google’s new Search-based Keyword Tool works equally well for SEO as for pay-per-click.

Just like Superman it’s faster than a speeding bullet and more powerful than a locomotive. In fact the only thing it can’t do that Superman can is leap tall buildings.

Tried it out for our Directory One’s main website marketing site, and, if nothing else, it’s really fast. In less than two seconds after entering the URL and a small sampling of key phrases, it returned 800 more related key phrases – and that was without being logged into our Adwords account.

Similar to the Adwords tool, my first task was to eliminate the non-relevant key phrases. For example, I couldn’t really see a need for keeping seo spider, seo Japan, or seo chester. In fact, I don’t even know what seo chester is. And those were just some of the ones on the first page I deleted.

The easiest way to edit your keyword list is simply check the ones you want to keep and click the Save to draft button. These key phrases can then be found by clicking the My draft keywords tab in the green row at the top of the page. Unfortunately for me, however, I got the following error message when I clicked the Save to draft button: An error occurred while processing your request. Try again later. So, of course, I did, and it worked fine.

Probably the Search-based Keyword Tool’s best feature, other than the fact that it’s 100% free, is that if you sign into your Adwords account, it will generate new keywords related to your site that are not already in your account.

In addition you’ll find the tool’s filters both powerful and helpful. You can show partial matches to keywords already in your account, set a range of monthly searches and/or suggested Adwords bids, say for example, from x to y. You can choose between low, medium or high competition, and even see keywords matching only a specific page of your site.

Final Thought

Even though this was only my first time using the tool, it was easy to see exactly how it will help come up with long tail key phrases that have reasonable numbers of monthly searches but low competition.

The post Google’s New Search-based Keyword Tool appeared first on Search Engine Marketing & Optimization Blog.

1. Brainstorming- While a number of SEOs out there like to let keyword research tools do all the dirty work, I still believe in the power of brainstorming. Long before I ever sit down in front of the computer, I get out a piece of paper to being my brainstorming session. I then write down every word or phrase I can think of to describe my products and services. As a writer, I’m typically able to come up with a large number of key phrases simply by writing down descriptions on paper.
2. Dictionary and Thesaurus- My two best friends as a writer- the dictionary and the thesaurus. Without these 2 resources, I never would have been able to crank out those 15 page term papers in college. Now, in my life as an SEO writer, I still find these books to be quite handy. Using them helps me generate a wide range of keywords I would never think of on my own. It helps me gain a deeper understanding of the terms, and it gives me insight into what phrases potential visitors might use should they be searching for my services.
3. Trade Journals- Virtually every industry has a trade journal of some sort that covers relevant topics surrounding the industry. Reading through one of these documents can open your mind to a whole new world of terminology. Typically, the content in these journals is highly targeted. So, the phrases used in these journals could be the exact terms your target audience would be using to find you. Stay up on the latest industry lingo by regularly reading trade journals in your field.
4. Competitor’s Websites- By no means is this a new idea for keyword research, but it’s necessary to mention. Keyword tools or not, you simply have to study the websites of your competitors if you want to have any success in the search engines. You need to analyze what they’re doing right, and what they are doing wrong. Look at their source code to find keywords that are repeated often. Remember, everyone has a different voice and a different way of describing things. The more voices you study, the more successful you will be at covering the most effective keywords.
5. Traffic Analysis- Lastly, you should be using a website traffic analysis tool to determine how visitors are arriving at your website. Sometimes, a person will land on your website by typing a keyword into the search engine that you’d never think of. Take careful notes of any trends you find in your traffic analysis. After all, who better to tell you what keywords to optimize for than the visitors typing them into the search engines?

The post 5 Ways to Research Keywords without Using a Keyword Suggestion Tool appeared first on Search Engine Marketing & Optimization Blog.

Anyone who knows a little bit about search engine marketing will tell you that content is a necessity. What few people realize however, is the importance of high ranking keywords in titles, page headings and throughout the body of the content itself. Without the strategic use of keywords in such areas, websites are just blank properties in cyberspace, that don’t often see visitors. While this can be frustrating, increasing traffic to your site can be made easier by using keywords appropriately.

For instance, if I am a personal injury lawyer in Houston that specializes in DUIs, I may word the title of my article to read “Houston DUI & Personal Injury Lawyer”. While this doesn’t seem at all imaginative and pretty generic, this simplistic approach will lead search engine users directly to me when they search for a Houston personal injury lawyer who specializes in DUIs. Placing keywords, within the body of an article, will also help maximize the number of site visitors you receive.

In the end, websites are marketing tools that pitch a company or a service to site visitors by means of cyberspace. If your site doesn’t have visitors, your content isn’t being read and your products and services aren’t being marketed–and without marketing the end of your company can’t be too far behind.

The post Strategic Use of Keywords Is Pivotal When It Comes To Search Engine Marketing appeared first on Search Engine Marketing & Optimization Blog.