Keywords are a Cornerstone of Online Marketing

Now if you’ve ever attempted search engine optimisation (SEO), pay per click (PPC) or any other form of online marketing, chances are you will understand that keywords are important.

So if you haven’t heard of keywords before, you’re probably thinking of these as trigger words, or buzz words, things that trigger an emotional response that can lead to an action. On your CV you probably put words in such as teamworking, time management, people management, efficient, motivated and so forth. Actually, that’s exactly right, the only difference between this notion and search engine marketing (SEM – the umbrella term for SEO/PPC), is that keywords relate to what people search for to find information. If search is an art, most people are at the level where they do potato prints (no offense, I’ve seen some fantastic potato print art!) Basically, you need to make it easy for them (MIEFT – yes this will surely catch on) to find you.

Methods

Keyword research tools
Of these there are many. It is wise to use online tools to generate ideas and look at search volumes using tools:

• The Google AdWords Keyword Suggestion Tool is a great way to generate ideas, however don’t be restricted to this alone.
• Keyword Discovery offers a comprehensive service.
• Wordtracker is becoming easier to use than ever before.

Remember, no tool will have a definitive set of data, the latter 2 tools work based on data samples. All of them will vary in results and the metrics offered, so it is best to get data from more than one source.

Users
What better source of keywords could there be than your current clients and customers. Start asking clients what terms they used to find you rather than just how they found you. Anyone can be a good source of ideas, if you have kids, ask them! Remember, people using the internet have the attention span of doughnuts, so revertting to childlike phrases is not uncommon (less verbose language, not ‘gaga’!). Simplified, concise terms are generally the ones that will bring home the bacon (or quorn, if you’re vegetarian).

Analytics

If you are not using analytics, you really should be, it’s included free with your weblaunch. It can tell you what keywords people search to find you. So why should you ask people if you can already see how your site is found in analytics I hear you ask? Well analytics is great for identifying how people find you, but by asking people, you stand to learn more about potential terms that you don’t currently rank for in search engines rather than only existing ones. I will elaborate on how to utilise your analytics.

Branded terms

If you are like me, you still search for companies you already know because it’s easier than typing the address in, but remember, branded keywords are a hygiene factor. You should rank top for your company name and main products (if they are unique to your company), if not, simple search engine optimisation steps should get you there.

Other uses for keyword research

So you can find words that people use to find what you offer, but you can also find words that people use to find what you don’t. If there is a niche for something that you could be providing, you can easily identify the online demand for it and factor your keyword research into your projections.