In the history of marketing, there has never been such a low barrier to understanding consumers' motivations. We have mountains of data available to help predict how consumers might respond. Yet many small businesses are living in a “field of dreams” where they believe if they build it (a website), people will just show up and start playing ball!
So, what is a keyword, and why does one need it? We face that question every time we build a website or assemble a social media strategy that includes Google Adwords or a Facebook campaign. Search Engine Optimization isn’t simply about picking a keyword that describes your business and writing it over and over and over and over and over….ok, you get it. Right? Please say you get it!
Well, if you don’t get it, and you’re like Deanna, who has spent the last three years jamming Google Adwords Training into her noggin for the greater good of the Stark Social clients, then you’re in luck! Nathan runs circles around keyword research, explaining why we need it and how to avoid best some common pitfalls that even the pros make once upon a time.
How do I select keywords?
- Do not assume that people are searching for a word. Come in with an open mind about what you think people are typing into search engines to find your business. And remember, just because something comes up in the results doesn’t mean it is a good word. You can type in random letters and get ten pages of results.
- Look at how competitive the keyword is. Is it too competitive? Forget broad words like real estate, landscaping, and life insurance. Instead, think location: Los Angeles landscaping or, even more specifically, Santa Clarita landscaping. Then, go and look for complementary words like gardening or tree trimming.
- Analyze the websites that are ranking for this word right now. Analyze does not mean copy, remember duplicate content is big website ranking killer. But look at the types of things they are doing to get their ranking. Remember it isn't always about their content, but we will save that for another podcast.
- Run sample campaigns for keywords and Assess the Value of the Keyword. Remember to choose “exact match” and point traffic to a relevant page. Track the impression of 250 to 350 clicks. Was it successful? Run a larger campaign. I will use round numbers for easy math.
Let's say your campaign generates 2000 impressions in one day, of which you get 100 visitors with five conversions for a total of $200 in profit (not revenue). Take your profit and divide it by visitors, which would put the value of the keyword at $2 to your business. Like your private stock market, a keyword can increase in value to your business.
We hope this helps you improve your keyword research or, at least, know the right questions to ask someone when talking about search engine optimization or your next web design adventure.
