When it comes to Google keyword research we should always be looking to make use of the google keyword tool , however in order to make our business as profitable as possible we need to think a little about what potential customers are going to type into the search engines.
You see this is where a lot of people who are new to SEO get it wrong, they presume that a high traffic keyword is the one they should be aiming for and block out all the longtail keywords presuming them to be unprofitable, however this is simply no the case, it is often the longtail keywords that provide us with the most leads/profit.
Let just break this down a little and look at an example in my own industry. One of the high traffic keywords is “seo“, now there is nothing wrong with targeting this keyword but you have to ensure it is going to appeal to your target audience. For example the keyword “seo” is searched around 50,000 times a month in the UK, however the chances are that the majority of searchers are going to be visitors already involved in the SEO industry and if your business is looking for customers wanting seo services, ranking for “seo” may prove unfruitful.
Now to decide which keywords to target you need to be involved in deciding the keywords and not a piece of software. Yes use a keyword tool to explore your selection but ultimately put yourself in a customers position and hit some keywords into a keyword tool. For this I like Googles own keyword tool.
So carrying on the example, let’s say I am searching for SEO clients, I might type in the following keywords
- rank higher on google
- promote my site on search engines
- get more visitors to my site
- promote my website online
- get higher page rank
- seo services for my website
Now these are all longtail keywords and I am not sure what the traffic will be like on them but this is our starting point, people searching for the above are going to convert better than someone simply searching “SEO“.
Right lets see what we can come up with, I’ll break each keyword down along with an estimate of searchers per month;
rank higher on google:-
rank higher on google = 22
higher ranking on google = 16
how to rank higher on google = 28
rank high on google = 46
promote my site on search engines:-
promote my site on search engines = n/a
advertise my website = 590
promote my website = 880
how to increase web traffic = 390
seo services for my website:-
website seo = 1900
seo promotion = 720
search engine optimizer = 1900
seo rankings = 1300
OK…. so I’m not going to go through every single keyword, I think you get the idea.
From these ultra rushed results you could still find 3 or 4 low competition keywords that could bring you 5 – 10 sales a month, if you have picked them correctly, and that’s only the “tip of the ice berg”.
The main message of this post is that the high traffic keywords are not always the most profitable as they do not always relate to the audience of potential buyers. Before starting your keyword research I would ask yourself; if I was looking for these services what would I type? If I was willing to pay for these services what would I type? What is the ultimate goal of my services? What end result do my services really offer?
If you offer seo services your end result is to increase organic traffic, if your a workforce agency your looking to provide jobs or more specifically certain positions, if your a car sales man you want someone to buy a car from you, maybe buy a specific model.
If you start your keyword research by doing a little brainstorming your far more likely to attract visitors that are going to buy.
See you next time.
Tim
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Author: Tim (292 Articles)
Tim Grice is the owner and editor of SEO wizz and has been involved in the search engine marketing industry for over 7 years. He has worked with multiple businesses across many verticals, creating and implementing search marketing strategies for companies in the UK, US and across Europe. Tim is also the Head of Search at Branded3, an SEO agency in Leeds.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Thank you for a very useful article.
Since reading your article I have used, with fresh eyes, the keywood selector tool that Google provides and it has been very revealing.
@David,
Thanks for the comment. It’s unreal how many highly targeted, low competition keywords there are out there. Understanding what a potential customer will type is key to SEO, and you can only do it by putting yourself in the customers position.
It starts with market research. Once you understand your market, it is easier to find the low competition keywords.
Most marketers are too lazy or don’t take the time to really understand their market. You can’t think like them if you don’t know who they are, what they are about, etc.
I totally agree with you that there are tons of highly targeted keywords out there.
Keyword tools won’t help you find them either.
Spot on Tommie,
When I start keyword research with a client the first thing I try to get to the bottom of is who their target market is, where the hang out online, issues they are looking to resolve etc…
This gives you a great foundation to research relevant terms further on a keyword tool