| Online "experts" are always offering conflicting | | | | and a million search results has a better ratio, but can |
| keyword advice. This is because different keywords | | | | you really get on the first page of search results? |
| are good for different reasons. Once you know the | | | | Whatever the ratio, you have to be able to compete |
| factors involved, you can decide which ones are best | | | | against the total supply. Nobody will find you on the |
| for your web site. | | | | tenth page of results. |
| I have a page of my backpacking site optimized for | | | | 4. Consider the type of keyword. Good search engine |
| the term "dirtbagging." I think I get half the world traffic | | | | placement is one thing, but what type of visitor are you |
| for that keyword, but that only means ten visitors a | | | | getting? Who's more likely to buy something or click on |
| month. I was new to online marketing when I put up | | | | your affiliate links, a searcher for "fishing stories," or |
| that page. Obviously you need decent keyword | | | | "fishing poles?" You'd probably make more money |
| demand to get much traffic, but demand is just one | | | | with the second term, even if it had half the traffic. |
| factor. | | | | 5. Look for keyword variations. My site was optimized |
| My Keyword Advice | | | | for "brain power." I later found there was even more |
| 1. Make sure there is enough total demand for a | | | | traffic for "brainpower." I have since optimized for both. |
| keyword. This will vary according to the nature of your | | | | By the way, both spellings are in the dictionary. Look |
| site. If you are making a few cents per visitor an | | | | for odd search phrases too, but be careful about |
| average, you need more traffic than sites that | | | | optimizing for misspellings and bad-grammar keywords, |
| average a dollar per visitor. I won't optimize for a | | | | if it might hurt the reputation of your site. |
| keyword that is searched less than a few hundred | | | | 5. Consider the value of keyword ads. If you rely partly |
| times per month. | | | | on pay-per click advertising, like Google's Adsense |
| 2. Look at keyword demand/supply ratios. Last month | | | | program, for revenue, you may want to consider the |
| there were 289,000 searches for "fishing," but with 35 | | | | ads that will be diplayed for a given keyword. Ads for |
| million results showing up on a Google search for the | | | | "surveilance cameras," pay four times as much per |
| term, can you compete? Probably not. A Keyword | | | | click as those for "hidden cameras." |
| term like "bass fishing tips," with 3,700 searches, and | | | | 6. Consider your interest and expertise in the topic |
| 31,000 results is a more likely winner. | | | | represented by the keyword. Do you want to write a |
| 3. Consider total supply. Google shows 300 results for | | | | page on that topic? Can you deliver what a searcher |
| "dirtbagging," 15 times the 20 monthly searches for the | | | | of that term is looking for? Giving real value while doing |
| term. Still, it is easy to get on the first page of results | | | | something you enjoy - that's my final keyword advice. |
| for the term. A keyword with a demand of a million, | | | | |