Three Keys for Small Business Keyword Research

August 10, 2008

When most people – especially novice SEOs talk about keyword research, the term refers only to using a few tools online to give you a basic statistical estimate for what people are searching for and relying on those as Gospel. For instance, by using one of these tools, I can determine that people using Google search for “public relations firm” MUCH more (12,100 vs 9,900 / month) compared to “public relations agency”. I can also learn that “pr firms” has a higher search frequency than “pr firm”.

However, at the end of the day, these terms are all just words and you shouldn’t rely on them blindly when creating your web copy, adsense campaigns, or other Internet marketing efforts.

Instead, you should use a combination of three types of keyword research: Statistical, Real World, and Logical.

Statistical Keyword Research:

Statistical Keyword Research is that method I described above … it relies on tools provided by search engines like Google as well as private marketing firms like SEO Book, Trellian and Wordtracker.

These tools are fantastic at providing relative numbers, and even providing alternatives to the words you might be thinking of. However, all of the major tools get their data somewhat differently, so each will have subtle differences and they don’t tell you anything about how competitive a specific search phrase might be.

As a result, you might actually get more traffic from a less popular keyword than a more popular but more competitive one.

An example of this is how on Yahoo, mhn Internet Marketing and PR is ranked #9 for “public relations firm in chicago, il” but #11 (and on the second page) for “public relations firms in Chicago, il”.

This subtle difference of only three positions results in more traffic, despite the fact that it is a far less competitive term.

Real World Keyword Research:

Real World Keyword Research consists of asking your friends, family, business partners etc. what they would search for when looking for the services you provide. The major flaw in the statistical keyword research method is that you only find what you are looking for. You might not consider words outside the box.

By asking real people you may be suprised - not just at “what” they search for, but why.

Another flaw in relying on statistical keyword research too much is that not all search traffic is created equal. For instance, I know that people are searching for “Marketing FAQs” and “Press Release templates” but these people aren’t really looking to BUY services … they want the stuff for free. I have no problem with this, I try to get as much free stuff as possible too. However if you optimize your site for this you aren’t going to convert the traffic as effectively.

That’s why talking with real people can both shed light on terms other than you were thinking of, as well as educate yourself on what keyword phrases bring in what types of search traffic.

Logical Keyword Research:

Logical Keyword Research consists of taking the above two methods and looking at things logically, what fits your website best. For instance, I could have made the URL for my Public Relations Services page say “public-relations-firms.html” instead of “public-relations-services.html” but it just wouldn’t make any sense – despite the fact that it would probably bump it up a spot or two for that search term.

Posted in Keyword Research Tips