 |
| well researched key phrases |
well researched key phrases
Key phrases are the very foundation of search. When a user enters a query on a search engine, she uses the words that she thinks are relevant to her search. The search engine then returns those pages it believes are most relevant to the words the searcher used.
Key phrases are the very foundation of search. When a user enters a query on a search engine, she uses the words that she thinks are relevant to her search. The search engine then returns those pages it believes are most relevant to the words the searcher used.
Search engines have built a sophisticated understanding of semantics and the way we use language. So, if a user searches for “car rental” the search engine will look for pages that are relevant to “car rental” as well as possibly “car hire”, “vehicle hire” and so forth. Search engines have also built up knowledge around common misspellings and synonyms and common related searches, so as to try to return the best results for a user.
Because of this, it is crucial that web sites contain content with keywords that are likely to be used by their target audience. Web sites need to appear when their potential customers are searching for them.
As a web site owner, or the marketer for a web site, we need to build a list of some of the terms our potential customers are likely to use to find the things we are offering. A big part of keyword research is understanding search psychology. When we build our key phrase or keyword list, we are tapping into the mental process of searchers and putting together the right mix of keywords to target.
There are four things to consider when choosing a keyword:
• Search volume
How many searchers are using that phrase to find what they want? For example, there is an estimated monthly search volume of over 2 million for the keyword “hotel”, but an estimated 385 searches per month for a keyword like “Cape Town waterfront hotel”.
• Competition
How many other web sites out there are targeting that same phrase? For example, Google finds over 795,000,000 results for “hotel” but only 1,350 for “Cape Town Waterfront Hotel”.
• Propensity to convert
What is the likelihood that the searcher using that key phrase is going to convert on your site? A conversion is a desired action taken by the visitor to your web site.
Related to propensity to convert, is the relevance of the selected term to what you are offering. If you are selling rooms at a hotel at the V&A Waterfront, which of the two terms (“hotel” and “Cape Town Waterfront hotel”) do you think will lead to more conversions?
• Value per conversion
What is the average value per prospect attracted by the keyword? Depending on the nature of your web site, the average value per lead varies. Using the hotel example again, consider these two terms:
“luxury Cape Town hotel” and “budget Cape Town hotel”
Because of this, it is crucial that web sites contain content with keywords that are likely to be used by their target audience. Web sites need to appear when their potential customers are searching for them.
As a web site owner, or the marketer for a web site, we need to build a list of some of the terms our potential customers are likely to use to find the things we are offering. A big part of keyword research is understanding search psychology. When we build our key phrase or keyword list, we are tapping into the mental process of searchers and putting together the right mix of keywords to target.
There are four things to consider when choosing a keyword:
• Search volume
How many searchers are using that phrase to find what they want? For example, there is an estimated monthly search volume of over 2 million for the keyword “hotel”, but an estimated 385 searches per month for a keyword like “Cape Town waterfront hotel”.
• Competition
How many other web sites out there are targeting that same phrase? For example, Google finds over 795,000,000 results for “hotel” but only 1,350 for “Cape Town Waterfront Hotel”.
• Propensity to convert
What is the likelihood that the searcher using that key phrase is going to convert on your site? A conversion is a desired action taken by the visitor to your web site.
Related to propensity to convert, is the relevance of the selected term to what you are offering. If you are selling rooms at a hotel at the V&A Waterfront, which of the two terms (“hotel” and “Cape Town Waterfront hotel”) do you think will lead to more conversions?
• Value per conversion
What is the average value per prospect attracted by the keyword? Depending on the nature of your web site, the average value per lead varies. Using the hotel example again, consider these two terms:
“luxury Cape Town hotel” and “budget Cape Town hotel”
Both are terms used by someone looking to book a hotel in Cape Town, but it is likely that someone looking for a luxury hotel is intending to spend more. That means that particular lead has a higher value, particularly if you have a hotel booking web site that offers a range of accommodation.
