Search Engine Optimization- Tip 2 Keywords

Pick the right keywords-
This may be the most difficult part of your journey, especially if you don’t fit the target profile. That is, picking the keywords they will use to find your site.

DO NOT GUESS!!
You can start by using free tools like FREE KEYWORD SEARCH. It gives you a good place to start picking keywords.
Start with a phrase you know your site is about (i.e. if you are in Real Estate in Houston, TX, then simply put “real estate Houston, Texas” in the search box). The tool will then not only return other related words, but also the search volumes associated with each for the previous 3 month.
A word of caution however: Sometimes, depending on when you use the tool, the search volumes are from a couple months ago. So if your product is seasonal based, the numbers may actually be lower or higher than represented.
Don’t be afraid to get a few hundred words to start. Remember, right now you are just gathering ideas – phrases that could drive traffic to your site. They aren’t all necessarily being used by your target customer.



At this point you want as many phrases on your list as possible. Don’t worry, you will cull the list pretty quickly.
Also remember as you are culling your words, don’t just focus on the competitive factors. These won’t account for your target audience. Therefore you need to have that picture in your mind of the target as you are selecting phrases that they might use. If you are unsure, you could always as for help from friends and family that fit the target profile.
A good rule of thumb would be to chose about one phrase per page. That doesn’t mean that you will only have one page per phrase, but it gives you a good target. So if your site is 300 pages, consider having a list of 300 phrases.
...go to tip 3


To learn more: About Author Stewart Severino, a marketing consultant who specializes in helping business owners and company's with marketing and advertising utilizing different customer touch points. Stewart is the author of the educational blog covering the topics in online, mobile and direct marketing. To learn more about this topic please visit, http://www.maddockmedia.com/