There are lots of people out there who think keyword research is an exact science that can be easily calculated, formulated and measured. While some marketers would like it if you believed this, it simply is not the case. Keyword selection is really more of an evolving art form than a science.
Despite its real categorization, keyword research can be very important to a site's overall chances for success. It is very important to select solid, relevant keywords. Unfortunately, many webmasters fall pray to some very common mistakes when selecting their words. Having a handle on what they are can help you avoid them.
One of the biggest mistakes publishers make is not using keywords at all. These are some of the most valuable online marketing tools. Keywords help you tap into potential incoming traffic. They can also assist in targeting the focus of a site. It's certainly not necessary to hire a company to help you out. A little personal research and proper application can go a very long way in helping sites gain traffic.
Another stumbling block is the research process itself. The improper use of keyword research tools can lead to poor keyword selection. Keyword counts, for example, are only estimates. Tools that reveal these are useful. Just keep in mind they don't reflect the total searches from Google, Yahoo and MSN. The numbers they reveal are simply estimates taken from one source. Plus, some tools report different keywords. To compensate, you might consider using multiple tools for keyword selection. Using Wordtracker and Ad Word Analyzer both is a good idea. By doing so, you can discover more keywords.
Another big error that a lot of publishers make is using only a single keyword or phrase in their content. The trick nowadays is to create related words and phrases that fit the theme of the site. This helps take advantage of latent semantic indexing that is more common now. Tools such as WordNet can be useful for helping in selecting phrases to include.
Another sticking point centers on Keyword Effectiveness Index reliance. KEI is the ratio of the number of times a particular keyword is searched in regard to the number of sites ranked for that word. It is meant to help webmasters figure competition for a term. KEI is useful, but the thing to look for is how SEO strong the top sites on the list happen to be. Tools like SEO for Firefox and SeoQuake can help with competition checks.
Failure to use keyword management tools can also be a rather big mistake. Those who are really into keyword research can rapidly come up with thousands of keywords. A tool like Ad Word Analyzer can very much help with sorting, filtering, and analyzing the results.
Another pitfall is poorly timed research. If, for example, keywords are desired for a seasonal promotion, it's wise to choose them closer to the season. Programs like Wordtracker only store date for 90 days. This means research won't be reflective of the terms that are needed if the "season" in question has passed.
The last two major hurdles that get in the way of keyword selection are being too greedy with keyword selection and doing research, but never cultivating it. A lot of publishers pick the highest possible paying keywords and stick with them. The reality here is that lower paying, niche keywords and even long-tail keywords pay less per click, but they can pay off with more incoming traffic over the long run. This is true, because there aren't as many competing sites as with other high paying keywords.
The art of keyword selection is one that is important to a site's overall chances for success. Finding the most effective keywords does take time and patience, but it isn't an exact science.
About the author: Jeff Alderson specializes in boosting traffic and profits. He is also the inventor of numerous PPC and SEO software. Jeff suggests using a keyword generator like Ad Word Analyzer to find keywords for your website.
Internet Marketing: seo
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