Keywords are an important part of any Search Engine Marketing (SEM) program. As keywords are an integral part of Google Adwords, they need to be thoroughly researched in order to get the maximum return on your investment. In this article I’ll explain how to research keywords using Google’s Keyword tool.
Getting Started
The first step in creating a keyword list for your website is to simply brainstorm potential keywords and phrases. Put yourself in the shoes of your target audience and ask yourself what terms they might use to find your site’s product or service.
Keywords can be divided into long tail and short tail. An example of a short tail keyword would be ‘dog grooming’. This keyword caters to a broad market and probably has stiff bidding competition on Google. An example of a long tail keyword would be ‘dog grooming in Tacoma .’ This term uses more words and is more specific. When thinking up keywords, try to use lots of long tail keywords in your ads.
The advantage of using long tail keywords is that you can narrow down the target audience by being more specific. If you do it well, you can get higher conversion ratios. There also tends to be less competition for long tail keywords. This makes it easier to rank higher in the search results for them, while paying less to do so.
Use Keyword tools to expand your list
There are a number of paid keyword research tools out there such as Traffic Travis or Keyword Elite. These are great tools for an advanced marketer but initially, start by taking advantage of Google’s free keyword tool.
Google’s Keyword Tool will tell you the search volumes generated on a specific keyword and the amount of competition for that keyword. The goal is to find phrases that are relevant to your site, have a decent amount of search volume and low advertiser competition.
Paste your list into the keyword box and click on the `get keyword ideas`button. The results will tell you the search volume for each combination and the amount of advertiser competition. In addition, it provides you with a list of other related keywords and their search stats.
Here is a screen shot of Google Keyword tool for the keyword term ‘dog grooming’
After you compile a list using the original keywords you’ve started with and the list provided by Google, refine your choices. Review the keywords you’ve found and make sure they relate to your site and have a decent amount of monthly search volume.
Then, once you’ve decided upon your final list, create an ad on Google Adwords using your keywords.
Fine tuning your campaign:
Analyzing keyword data from your live campaigns is a big part of keyword research. After you build up a few weeks of data, review your keywords to see how much you are paying per click and per conversion. Then, weed out underperforming keywords. Over time, if you continually adjust your campaign, you’ll get better and better results.
