Generating Your Keyword/Meta Tag List in 5 Easy Steps (Part 2)
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3. Use the Search Suggestion Tool to lengthen your list of search terms. Not only does the Search Suggestion Tool reveal the number of searches for any given search phrase, it also displays any closely related search terms.
Another excellent resource is WordTracker. This service will reveal which terms are the most searched on the Web, and also give suggestions for alternative search phrases.
Typing ‘palm pilot’ into Word Tracker also shows a list of search terms (suggestions), and the number of times the associated terms was searched at Overture in the previous month:
· palm pilot software – 6,960
· palm pilot game – 5,486
· palm pilot free game – 5,478
· palm pilot free ware – 2,315
· palm pilot free software – 2,203
· palm pilot downloads – 1,995
· free palm pilot downloads – 1,931
· palm pilot accessory – 1,291
· palm pilot shareware – 985
Add all the new relevant terms and monthly impressions to your spreadsheet list. Be creative! Type in any series of words that you think might lead someone to your product or service. Use a thesaurus and a dictionary to assist you.
4. Go back to your list -– it should be pretty lengthy by now –- and add modifying words that are relevant to your product or service, such as: cheap, discount, low cost, free, premium, authentic, etc.
Check the Search Suggestion Tool to assess the number of searches conducted for those terms in the previous month. Enter the terms and data into your spreadsheet under ‘monthly impressions’.
In our example, if you use the keyword ‘Palm Pilot’, why not consider using ‘discount Palm Pilot’, ‘cheap Palm Pilot’, or ‘low cost Palm Pilot’ if they apply to your business?
The purpose of these activities is to generate the longest possible list of relevant search terms possible. Why? Remember, you only pay when someone actually clicks on your message. You pay nothing extra to simply list more keywords.
Additionally, the more keywords you have, and the more specific the search phrases are, the more likely that your visitor will be truly interested in your product or service.
For example: ‘pda’ is a very general search term. Anyone interested in handheld organizers might search using this term. However, ‘Palm V’ is a more targeted search term. These customers are narrowed to a particular brand and model. The search phrase ‘discount Palm V’ is even more targeted, and will attract price conscious Palm V shoppers.
A longer list of relevant search phrases also increases the likelihood that you will attract visitors to your site at a lower cost. That is because it is often possible to bid less for a click if the search term is less popular. More search terms, bid at a lower cost, mean more traffic to your site for fewer advertising dollars.
5. At this point in the process, you should have a fairly comprehensive list of targeted search terms and phrases. I suggest you sort the terms on your spreadsheet by ‘monthly impressions’ to get a sense of which terms are most popular. These are the terms that can end up costing you the most advertising dollars if you choose to bid for a high ranking.
Congratulations! You have now generated a comprehensive keyword list that will get you ahead of your competitors. In the next installment, we’ll look at some rarely used techniques to ensure that your clicks through rates are among the highest in your category.
Next up to this Search Engine Optimization Tutorial: Creating Your Google AdWords Ads…
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