Six Top Mistakes People Make when Doing Keyword Research

The Psychology of Search Engine Optimization

Now that we’ve looked at the human side of keyword research and selection, let’s explore the other side of keywords – faring well in organic search engine listings.

All of the major keyword research tools, such as Wordtracker, Keyword Country, and Google’s keyword tool, give you both the average number of monthly searches for a particular keyword, and the number of competitors who are targeting the same keyword.

This can give you an idea of how effective a particular keyword will be – that is, how likely it is that the keyword will generate traffic and push your site to the top of the search engine rankings. In theory, a keyword with high search volume and low competition will result in more traffic and enhanced site visibility.

If it was that simple, though, we’d all be internet millionaires.

Search Volume Isn’t Everything

All keywords are not created the same, regardless of search volume. It’s easy to select frequently searched keywords, and assume that you will at least get a share of the traffic. As you learned in the last post, though, traffic doesn’t necessarily translate to sales, unless you know what to do with it.

It is very important not to ignore keywords that have moderately low search volume. A particular keyword might only generate a few thousand searches per month, but it can often do wonders for your internet marketing business. These are often “long tail” keywords – that is, very specific keywords that are a bit longer and more precise than general keyword terms.

Because long tail keywords are more specific, they can mean that the searcher has a very clear idea about what he or she wants. People searching for these keywords are more apt to take action. Whether that action is opting in to a mailing list, making a purchase, or filling out a contact form, it improves your ability to turn the person from a visitor into a customer.

You Probably Have Less Competition than You Think

It is also important not to let high competition scare you away from good keywords. A high level of competition means that the keyword appears on many sites; it does not necessarily mean that every site is actively targeting that keyword.

Think about the keyword “car insurance”. Sure, there are quite a few websites out there trying to sell car insurance through affiliate programs. There are also insurance company websites where consumers can purchase insurance directly. But there are many more sites that just happen to have the words “car insurance” on a page – blogs complaining about insurance rates, insurance regulatory sites, and so on. Then, there are all the abandoned blogs and sites started by internet marketers who started with a “get rich quick” mentality. Not every site that includes the keyword is an active competitor.

It is important to use search volume and competition as factors in selecting effective keywords, but it is equally critical not to use these factors as the sole basis for your keyword strategy. You could easily miss out on valuable search terms that could bring in targeted, motivated traffic.

When most new internet marketers begin learning how to select keywords, they assume that they only need to please the search engines. However, human psychology can have a significant impact on the effectiveness of your SEO efforts – those who understand the psychology behind how people search can achieve greater success with less work.

What Are Your Visitors Looking For?

In order to make the most out of your keyword research, you need to understand why people conduct particular searches. You can use this information to design a number of strategies to increase sales and keep visitors coming back to your site.

Let’s say, for example, that an internet user conducts a search using the phrase, “antique cars”. What does this person hope to find?

Since “antique cars” is a fairly general term, he or she probably wants general information on the topic. Maybe the searcher just wants to read articles about different types of antique cars, or perhaps he or she is looking for pictures of these automobiles. Maybe the user has a friend or relative who is interested in antique cars, and wants to be able to carry on an intelligent conversation about the topic.

Whatever the case, it’s unlikely that the person is in the market to buy an antique car – yet. While you won’t get an immediate sale, this person is a great candidate for your email list. You can bring him or her in the door using this keyword, and then educate the visitor through newsletters, informational emails, and mini-courses. Over time, you can increase the visitor’s interest in antique cars, and eventually, he or she may buy from you.

Now, let’s say that the user searches using the phrase, “antique car listings”. This person is most likely interested in purchasing an antique car. If you’re lucky, the visitor might decide to buy from you right away, but it is more likely that he or she is in the “information gathering” stage. You should drive this person to a separate mailing list that offers updated antique car listings via email, as well as tips for choosing, financing, and restoring antique cars.

The same psychology would hold true if the user searched for a specific type of antique car. A keyword like “1957 Ford Thunderbird” would be used by curiosity seekers, while motivated buyers would search using a phrase like “find ’57 Ford Thunderbird” or “Ford Thunderbird for sale”.

Subtle Differences, Big Impact

Another way psychology affects keyword selection is much more subtle. Whether a user searches for a term using a singular or plural form can give you valuable clues about his or her mindset.

Let’s say that a person searches using the phrase, “food processors”. Chances are, this person is not ready to buy a food processor – instead, he or she is gathering information about the various types of food processors available. You can use website and email content to help this person make an informed choice, so when he or she is ready to buy, your site is the first one that comes to mind.

Now, suppose that the person searches using the singular form, “food processor”. This person is probably more ready to buy, if the right price and information is available. The good thing about this type of search engine user is that he or she can generate a quick sale. If you get the person to opt in to your list, you have another advantage – you can cross-sell related items to help the buyer make sure that his or her kitchen appliance arsenal is complete.

This subtle difference is often ignored by internet marketers, but it can make a huge difference in your earnings. By knowing how to approach visitors according to how they search, you can greatly improve your online success.

Many website owners believe that keyword research is simple, and that they are using the correct techniques for researching and choosing keywords. However, people often make common mistakes that can impact their ability to drive traffic and achieve online success. Understanding these mistakes is an important part of building an effective keyword research strategy.

Here are the six top mistakes people make when conducting keyword research:

1. They do not choose correctly targeted keywords. Choosing untargeted keywords is a bit like throwing spaghetti against the wall to see what will stick. Although this may bring in traffic, you can be sure that many of the people who visit your site will not be interested in the products and services you have to offer. If they are not specifically interested in your niche topic or subject matter, they will quickly leave your site and go elsewhere.
2. They expect immediate results. Building targeted traffic through organic search engine listings is a long term process. When your site is new, you need to have a bit of patience when using keywords to bring in the types of visitors who will buy your products or services. Many website owners expect keyword research and usage to yield  instant results, and give up when they don’t see floods of traffic coming in after a week or two. Remember, search engine marketing is not a race – it is a marathon. Those who persevere are the ones who achieve long term success.
3. They don’t conduct keyword research with list building in mind. Many bloggers and website owners write keyword based content that gives visitors all of the information they need. As a result, visitors derive the maximum benefit from the site on the first visit, and never return. Effective keyword research should focus on selecting keywords that arouse curiosity and interest, instead of simply giving away valuable information. Your keywords should make visitors hungry for more information, so they will be compelled to subscribe to your opt-in list.
4. They target too many keywords. New internet marketers often think that more keywords will bring in more traffic, but this isn’t necessarily the case. Unlike Google Adwords campaigns, which can bring in substantial traffic through the use of dozens of keywords, organic search engine traffic fares best with a small number of well-chosen, highly targeted keywords. It can take quite a bit of content centered around a particular keyword to propel your site to a first page ranking. Focus on getting great results from a few keywords, instead of mediocre results from a massive keyword list.
5. They do not track keyword results. Keyword research is of little use if you do not track results to find out which ones are working, and which ones are not. Proper tracking allows you to refine your keyword strategy as you go along, so you can consistently build more highly targeted, responsive traffic.
6. They rely on only one keyword research tool. Although there are many good keyword research tools available online, they all tend to produce different results. If you rely on a single tool, you may be missing out on valuable keywords that could produce more traffic and improve your internet marketing success. It is a good idea to use multiple tools, and import the results to a spreadsheet to eliminate duplicates. This will help ensure that you find the best keywords possible for your search engine marketing strategy.

Learning to avoid these mistakes will help you achieve search engine marketing success in less time, and maximize your sites potential for making you money. When you understand how these mistakes can negatively impact search engine optimization efforts, you can easily propel yourself ahead of 99% of the other internet marketers out there.