Doing Keyword Research

Between Google and Facebook, we are constantly trying to figure out new algorithms. Chances are high by the time you feel like you get a handle on it, they change it again! The good news is, though, there are always a few key concepts that stay the same. Regardless how often Google changes its algorithm, your website still needs to contain the right kind of keywords. How do you choose your keywords, though? Here are a few tips to think about!

The first place to start is the niche/topic of your website. Choosing keywords or phrases that are irrelevant to your website or too vague are the biggest mistakes you can make. When it comes to keywords and phrases it isn’t about just bringing traffic to your site but being sure to bring the RIGHT traffic to your site.

Start by making a list of keywords and phrases that pertain to your site and products and services you offer.

Search for those keywords and phrases in the major search engines. By looking at the results, you will get an understanding of what sites rank for that particular keyword or phrase. It may also give you some insight on how hard it might be for you to rank with that phrase. Do you see a lot of ads to the right of the search results with the phrase? If so, that typically means it’s a high value or popular keyword or phrase and will have higher competition.

If you’re not sure how a keyword or phrase may do, you can use Google Keyword Planner (formerly Keyword Tool) in Google AdWords. It can help you find which keywords and phrases have too little or too many results. Be sure to compare them to the trend history as well to get the overall picture, though, before completely throwing them out!

You may still be scratching your head wondering – how many words do I use? One, two, three, more?

Single words are harder to rank because you’re counting on that one word that could be on millions of other websites to turn up your site in the search results. It’s a lot like playing the lottery. Having a few posts and pages with single keywords or a phrase with 2 keywords (called short tail keywords) may be beneficial if you have a sufficient amount of long tail keywords (3 or more words) as well. They both have benefits as short tail keywords target a broad audience (unless you use a very specific keyword such as a location, for example) and long tail keywords target a more specific audience. So the idea is to balance both!

If you’re looking for more keyword help get your business to the next level Schedule a consultation.  As an AdWords Expert, I’d be more than happy to show you how you can make an impact in the search engines.