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Keyword Research and Analysis Strategies 1: Overview
By Anthony Yap (c) 2007

Good search engine optimization experts perform extensive
keyword research and analysis prior to starting any SEO
campaign. Much like PPC marketing, obtaining a large list of
related keywords gives a search marketer the opportunity to
select the most profitable and high traffic terms. Without a
large list of keyword phrases, choices for optimization are
slim and probabilities for success decline along with it.

Armed with a good research tool (which is usually a paid
version), a SEO collects a large subset of related terms in a
list and analyzes the competition levels for the ones with
higher search traffic first. It is important for web marketers
to understand that keyword research tools are not perfect in
their data by any means. This is because many of the search
tools available gather data from meta search engines. Unless
the search tool is directly linked to the actual search engine
database and outputs data in it's entirety, there is always
room for possible error since the data collection method is not
perfect in itself. For search engines to provide direct access
to this data without limitations would be any SEO's dream come
true. This, however, is unlikely to happen because the
potential for abuse is just too high.

There are two ways keyword research tools may not report
completely accurate data. First, your tool of choice may output
incorrect daily or monthly search traffic. Second, it may not
list other keywords that are actually being searched for. Just
because the data isn't perfect doesn't mean it isn't useful. We
can still deduce relative search traffic strengths from the
numbers given so you can feel reasonably safe, in general, when
viewing traffic potential on relative terms.

Great SEOs, though, are not only looking for the most targeted
and relevant search terms but are also seeking keywords and
search phrases that have a decent chance of getting ranked in
the search engines. Like any marketplace, there are gaps and
opportunities which competent SEOs will seek out before
expending a large amount of resources on optimizing similar
good search phrases. This is because similar, yet relevant,
search terms have varying levels of difficulty and competition
levels. After collecting a large subset of related terms in a
list, a SEO analyzes the keyword competition levels for the
ones with higher search traffic first.

For websites starting their optimization, it is highly
recommended the internet marketer goes after the low-hanging
fruit. Why? This simply means to quickly rank for terms with
the least competition levels and reasonable traffic volume.
Many inexperienced to the SEO game, naturally lean towards the
highest search traffic terms first. This is the single biggest
mistake newbies make and sets them up for failure before the
SEO campaign even gets started.

Let's say you sell diamond jewelry. An amateur would go for
"diamond jewelry" as their first target since this keyword
yields a higher number of searches. In most cases, however, the
keyword which is the most intuitive is not the one to go after
because it is the most generic term for that product. Rather
than going after "diamond jewelry", you have a choice of related
terms such as "black diamond jewelry", "blue diamond jewelry",
"discount diamond jewelry", "blue diamond wedding jewelry" and
so on.

Of course, you'd generally only optimize for products you
actually sell so as to increase sales conversion and not mislead
your visitors. Thus, if you don't offer "blue diamond jewelry",
you don't want to go after it unless your expertise as a diamond
retailer tells you that black diamonds are far superior to blue
diamonds and you are attempting to sway potential buyers of blue
diamonds to black diamonds as a strategy.

With a more straightforward approach to optimization, these
search terms "black diamond jewelry", "blue diamond jewelry",
and "discount diamond jewelry" show significantly lower search
numbers relative to "diamond jewelry". These keyword phrases
are considered tier two search terms. Jewelry and diamond
jewelry are considered tier one search terms.

For most niche markets, optimizing for more specific terms and
directing the visitor to the related subpage of the website
converts a whole lot better than general terms. Therefore, it is
a great strategy to go ahead and optimize for these tier two
keywords (after you've confirmed the competitiveness of the
keyword search phrase). By building up traffic for the a bigger
basket of lesser competitive terms, you will be able to have the
equivalent traffic levels as if you were going after one or two
difficult search terms. You'll reach your goal of getting higher
search rankings faster and with less resources.

There is also another benefit many fail to realize. Notice also
that the terms above have the base term "diamond jewelry" in
them. As an experienced SEO company, we have found that you are
getting credit for the base term even though you aren't
specifically going after it in your inbound anchor link text.

Furthermore, in terms of business cashflow, it is going to be
much easier to rank the lower search traffic terms first and
therefore start getting some sales to generate more profit that
can be channeled into the tougher key phrases. Rather than
hoping to rank a tougher search term which usually takes longer
and costs more, it makes sense to generate profits that can be
applied towards further aggressive Internet marketing and
ensure that your pool of marketing funds don't dry up before
getting higher search engine rankings. Once you reach the top
ten rankings for the tier two or tier three search terms, your
attempt to rank your website for tier one terms, jewelry and
diamond jewelry or even gold jewelry, will be an easier climb
to the top.

We'll cover how to perform detailed keyword and competition
analysis in part two of this article. In the meantime, here are
some useful free online keyword tools for starters (search for
these terms specifically and the top result will be what you're
looking for):

WordTracker Free Keyword Tool
Google Adwords External Keyword Tool
Overture Search Suggestion Tool

More search engine optimization resources are available on our
SEO tools page.
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Anthony Yap is the Phoenix SEO for
http://www.SearchMarketingROI.com They offer customized
programs for online business. For local marketing,go to
http://www.searchmarketingroi.com/Local_ Marketing.html To learn
practical, up-to-date SEO tips, read his blog at
http://www.anthony-yap.com
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