Bloggers Workshop

This is the third post in a series on how to properly use keyword research to build your internet marketing business. In case you haven’t read the first two posts in this series, you can find them here:

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.