If you are on the internet quite frequently and are part of forums; I’m sure you have probably heard of people claiming how much traffic their website has received after a top ranking on Google or Yahoo. You might also hear from someone that has had similar rankings, but no traffic to their site. You might ask how could this happen; simple the first person selected an ideal keyword or phrase that many people are searching for and the second person did not. Keywords are the groundwork to the success of your website yet many website owners overlook keyword research when they are building their site. Keywords are fundamental to an effective online business and without diligent research you could be doing more harm than good.
I’m sure you’re asking so, what makes a good keyword anyways? Well there are many factors; the most important is the number of people searching for that specific keyword and also the number of websites that are offering information for it. I like to think of this in terms of supply and demand; if demand is high and supply is low, it is a good opportunity for you. What this means is the more people searching for your keywords the better and the fewer websites offering information on it the better.
Next, you probably are asking how do I choose the ideal keyword for my website? There are many ways to find high demand keywords and there are many keyword tools out there to help you do so. If you have done any kind of search online regarding keywords; I’m sure you have come across many free tools such as Google Keyword Tool or Bing Keyword Tool there are also many paid tools offered. Generally speaking the good keywords are the “long tail keywords”; for example don’t target the word “golf” if your website is about golf; there is too much competition; instead look for a keyword phrase like “cure my golf slice” there will be a lot less competition.
Here are some techniques that you can use to help you optimize your pages for keywords that people are looking for.
1. Think about who your target audience is and what the primary focus of your website will be.
2. Brainstorm for keywords that relate to what your website is about by writing down words and phrases you think people might type into search engines when looking for your site. Remember to check these keywords for competition in Google Keyword Tool or WordTracker.
3. Put one to three related keywords or keyword phrases that are site specific on each page.
4. Use your keywords throughout your website as well as in your title and tags, but don’t go crazy every other word should not be a keyword.
It is important that you understand that keywords are about relevance. If a keyword is relevant to your website and what you are promoting then you will more than likely see a positive Return On your Investment. Good keywords can make the difference in your page being found in web searches or being lost in cyberspace. Choosing the ideal keyword will drive more traffic to your website.
