Choosing Keywords

here is my strategy

[metaman]

Here is how I go about finding new keywords to target. I mainly use Goto's search term suggestion tool to actually find new keywords, but there's more to it than that. I spend a lot of time using that tool and here is why.

I find that with extensive brainstorming, you can find phrases and terms that don't have a lot of competition but are still targeted. I try to put myself in the searcher's shoes.

For instance, with the phrase "home business". This is a very competitive term so it's unlikely I will get a top 10 position because I'm not a pro (yet!). So, in thinking like someone who is searching for a home business, what do I think some other phrases would be?

For one thing, you can type in "home business" and see what other terms show up underneath it. You will find more phrases that are searched on but they all contain the words "home" and "business". So while they are additional phrases there is still a good bit of competition.

If you don't belong to the market who searches for your target terms or phrases, look at some ads in magazines, on TV, or in e-zines where people in your market hang out. Pay attention and you will find some more search terms and phrases.

Going back to the home business example. If you check in to some opportunity seeker's magazines or publications you will see ads for things like medical billing or stuffing envelopes.

This is when you go back to the search term suggestion tool and search for things like "medical billing" or "stuffing envelopes". See how many people are searching for these terms. If it's more than 200 in the Goto tool, I'd say it's worth targeting for the bigger engines.

I would also test what kind of competition you have in the big engines by typing in the search phrase and seeing how many documents are found.

This has been a way that I've discovered quite a few new keywords to target that aren't too competitive but are searched on quite a bit. Find a bunch of them and you could end up with a heavily trafficed site without obsessing over a top 10 for an extremely competitive term/phrase.

[stcrim]

And don't forget common misspellings. We have a couple that bring in more traffic than the correct spelling. We also have one where "I" reversed two letters and it's slammin' Didn't know I had misspelled it until someone e-mailed us about it. Based on the traffic, I'd say I'm not the only one who can't spell or type, or proof read...

There's no telling how much traffic spell check has cost us.

Steve

[tedster]

Regional variations in spelling can also be big, but we tend to not think of them becuase they are not in our everyday experience within our own local area.

For instance, I just took on a homeopathy site as a client. Obviously the number one word they want is homeopathy. But they never considered homoeopathy (extra "o").

That's a spelling variation that is common in Canada, Europe and Asia. In fact, it gets many more searches than any two word phrase I've found so far. And that's on the US based search engines -- imagine the results from the Euro and Asia/Pacific engines.

But that spelling variant did not occur anywhere in this US based site. Just incorporating it should mean a huge boost in their search engine traffic, and it's certainly a step toward globalization of the business.

[stcrim]

Taking a touch from metaman - a great place to check you misspellings is:

[inventory.go2.com ]

Steve

[Brett_Tabke]

The last thing I think there is to remember is to check the logs. They are what will tell you what it is the search engines want to 'eat'. Almost every great kw and kw combo I've ever used has been discovered in logs and then going back and reverse engineering the page for those kw's.

[metaman]

Misspellings are very important, I forgot to mention them. I definitely recommend that keyword research tool stcrim provided the link to.

According to that tool, one of my keywords (quixtar) is misspelled a whopping 15% of the time (quixstar). Tricky company names like this are commonly misspelled. For one as tricky as Quixtar you get terms like quickstar and quickstart.

[Billythekid]

I also get more traffic from a mispelled keyword. Isn't illiteracy great! (I think I mispelled that.) :)

[Mike_Mackin]

>Isn't illiteracy great!

goto.com is now using "Match Drive" to resolve KWs that are not spelled correctly.

Someone put in the wrong word.
515747 book
72529 kelly blue book
29032 blue book

#2 has always been there but kelley blue book always ran #4 [it is now GONE]
The correct spelling can be found at kbb.com who ranks # 15 as the first INK result.

[WARNING kbb.com has an active legal department]

metaman: if you've got a large downline, send me Email.
PS: I have ya beat at findwhat for quixtar and I will not use that info you posted :)

[rcjordan]

>>Isn't illiteracy great!

>goto.com is now using "Match Drive"

So every realty company will now be matched w/ reality... that'll be an eye-opener, particularly if you're into virtual reality, because you'll now need to be bidding on realty.

[Mike_Mackin]

Not exactly but try real and see what happens.

[Brett_Tabke]

Interesting that tidbit about kelly blue book. I have one site that uses it as a kw and is insistent that I optimize for it all the time. I will point out this thread to them.

[Laisha]

I use an unconventional method. I send my mother to the site and then ask her what words she would use to search for it. :)

[ihelpyou]

so cool Laisha.

Can I use your Mother for my clients? :)