When choosing keywords
- Thread starter Guthridge
- Start date
FuryKyle
Elite Member
- Nov 19, 2010
- 2,487
- 1,378
Not sure I got you. I base my decisions on [exact] matches everytime when I do my research.
Endire
Elite Member
- Mar 27, 2012
- 1,756
- 1,075
Guthridge,
Good question here. If you are talking about keyword terms to target for optimizing a site, your choices will depend on multiple factors. If you don't have a brand to worry about, you may have less factors to worry about however if there are words that are important to your brand or core business, you may want to try and rank for them anyway.
In general, its good to pick words that are moderately competitive with high search volume. There are a variety of programs and methods that can give you better ideas about which words would be good to target. Avoid choosing words that are very general if you can. For example you may want to try and rank for a long tail keyword like "buy cheap headphones" as opposed to just "headphones".
Your choice of keywords will also depend on what you are trying to accomplish. If you are trying to convert traffic to sales on your website, choose keywords that will convert well. These are typically words with lower search volume that are very specific. The idea is yes, you will get less traffic but it will be higher quality traffic that has a specific intent. In the example above, you can see that the searcher wants to buy a cheap pair of headphones whereas the other searcher has a less specific intent. They may be looking for headphones to buy, a definition of headphones, an image of headphones, or they may just be checking if they are spelling it right.
Here is a post I put up on keyword research you may find useful,
http://www.blackhatworld.com/blackhat-seo/white-hat-seo/529523-tips-keyword-research.html
Hope that helps,
Shawn
Good question here. If you are talking about keyword terms to target for optimizing a site, your choices will depend on multiple factors. If you don't have a brand to worry about, you may have less factors to worry about however if there are words that are important to your brand or core business, you may want to try and rank for them anyway.
In general, its good to pick words that are moderately competitive with high search volume. There are a variety of programs and methods that can give you better ideas about which words would be good to target. Avoid choosing words that are very general if you can. For example you may want to try and rank for a long tail keyword like "buy cheap headphones" as opposed to just "headphones".
Your choice of keywords will also depend on what you are trying to accomplish. If you are trying to convert traffic to sales on your website, choose keywords that will convert well. These are typically words with lower search volume that are very specific. The idea is yes, you will get less traffic but it will be higher quality traffic that has a specific intent. In the example above, you can see that the searcher wants to buy a cheap pair of headphones whereas the other searcher has a less specific intent. They may be looking for headphones to buy, a definition of headphones, an image of headphones, or they may just be checking if they are spelling it right.
Here is a post I put up on keyword research you may find useful,
http://www.blackhatworld.com/blackhat-seo/white-hat-seo/529523-tips-keyword-research.html
Hope that helps,
Shawn
I try to target both. If your website can rank for short-tail, generic keywords then target them. If it cannot then you have no choice but to target the long-tail, specific keywords. One way I determine if I can rank or not is to head over to SEOMoz and pull a keyword difficulty report for the keyword I am considering. Then I look at the top 10 websites and compare their domain and page authority to mine. If I am competitive with their scores I'll go after the keyword. If not then I keep looking. Hope this helps.