Effective Keyword Research Tactics
Do you speak your target market’s language (customer language)? If you don’t, you are missing out on an essential component of keyword research and implementation. There are many powerful uses for keyword research, from selecting lists of keywords for PPC campaigns, to using keywords effectively in press releases, articles, blog posts and website copy. But in order for the work to be effective, you’ve got to select and use the words that lead to the highest conversion levels.
Wondering where to find these mystical words? According to a recent survey of marketers, the most highly rated keyword research tactics use site log files (website analytics are a great source!). Analyzing site log files for highly converting search words and for frequent keywords were ranked as the two most highly effective tactics. Keyword experts know how to use the art and science of their research by mining the data found in site log files for the most effective keywords.
Site logs contain vital data such as the number of visitors to your site, where they live, what time they visited, and if they are new or return visitors. They also show how people got to your site: Did they type in the address directly? Did they come from a referrer page such as an article or industry listing? How much traffic are you getting from individual search engines? In addition to that wealth of information, you will also find the keywords used on the search engines by your site visitors. Clearly this is a great source of keyword data that represents the interests of the real visitors to your website.
Other tactics chosen as “highly effective” by lower percentages of survey participants include analysis of internal site search (once visitors are on your site, what are they hoping to find?), competitors’ sites and competitive tools such as SpyFu.
Your target market’s language is waiting to be uncovered in your site log files, and an experienced keyword researcher can serve as the translator that allows you to implement the most effective keywords.
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