Getting the Most Out of Your Keywords

There’s been a big to-do lately about the power keywords hold in keeping businesses noticed. Falling into the realm of search engine optimization (SEO), the proper use of good keywords are a powerful way to keep your Web page at the top of the search engine results.

For those who aren’t as familiar with SEO, it is “the process of improving the volume and quality of traffic to a Web site from search engines via ‘natural’ — sometimes call ‘organic’ — search results for targeted keywords.” So as you can see, keywords play a huge part in driving traffic to a Web site.

So how can we make them more effective? There are a couple best practices that help generate the best keywords. They include:

1. Make them relevant to customers. It may be an obvious observation. But in practice, some people are still not using the keywords their customers are searching. If you’re not sure what they’re searching, ask them. Mr Beldin had a great suggestion. Gather a few family members or friends, and ask them what terms they would search for after you describe what you’re doing. Sometimes you’re too close to what you’re doing to realize that the keywords you’re using aren’t matching the keywords your customers are looking for.
2. Along with making it relevant to customers, think about misspellings, too. Customers aren’t typically spelling bee champions, so there’s a high probability that from time to time they will spell a word or two wrong. Including misspellings in your keywords will help you still reach the customers who can’t spell.
3. Use phrases. It used to be that searchers would only use one term when searching for something in a search engine. But people have realized that using only one keyword will give you too broad of results, and as search engines have advanced, so to have the number of words people use to search for the right Web site. So use phrases as your keywords, too.
4. Don’t limit yourself to a few keywords. There’s a popular saying, “Go big or go home.” That applies to keywords, too. Generate a large database of keywords you can use and you’re more likely to attract Web traffic. Keep in mind rule #1, and keep your keywords relevant. But don’t limit it to a certain few.
5. Localize the search. As much as the Internet enables global connectivity, people still want to use it for local searches. Therefore, make your search applicable to the local market. Use terms like, “PR firm in Draper, Utah” — hopefully that brings up Politis Communications.

As in all things, keep tabs on your keywords to make sure they are working for you. Review them regularly to avoid letting your Web site slip in the rankings. It requires a watchful recognition of what’s happening in your particular market, but doing it right can bring tons of benefits.

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