Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Finding the Right Keywords, Part I




“Because Words Matter.” That was one of my ideas for what to call this blog. It lost out to “Style AND Substance,” because design is important, too. Your website needs to have the right combination of aesthetically pleasing qualities, easy navigation, and meaningful content. No one will ever see that meaningful content, however if you don’t choose your words carefully. Keyword research is an important step of the process.

The right keywords must be targeted and in the right order. In addition to checking search volume, find the keyphrases that will get you the most traffic and highest return on your investment. Look for keywords that have low competition for faster gains. More competitive phrases will have a slower return.

Assuming that your site is well-developed and your content is good, the next step is research. Initial research should take you to Google’s AdWords Keyword Tool. You’ll want to search for each exact phrase (product type, brand name, etc). Also search any common abbreviations. When you have a list of keyphrases you’ve researched, evaluate them for value. What brand and product keyphrases have the highest ROI potential? Which items have the highest profit per sale? Which are most likely to lead to additional purchases?

Grouping and Prioritizing

Look for phrases that include words like “buy” or “online.” Very specific phrases including a color or model number indicate someone who already knows what they are looking for (and is therefore close to buying). Look for words with the right combination of search volume and profit margin. Put the keywords and their search volume, profit margin, and any other info you’ve gathered into a spreadsheet. Then look at competition levels of each of your phrases. That should give you a good indication of which keyphrases you’d like to target first.

Stay tuned for Part II.

You may also wish to read, Improving your Online Visibility.

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