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