There are so many tools out there for keyword research and some of them are great and some not so great.  But the key is to find several tools that you are comfortable with (and have good results from) and then stick with them.

For us here at our SEO Firm, Eckweb Designs, Inc. one of those tools is Google Insights.

The feature that I love the most in this program is the Rising Searches.  Basically, Google explains Rising Searches as…”Rising searches highlight searches that have experienced significant growth in a given time period, with respect to the preceding time period. So if you’re comparing data for a search term during 2006, the time period serving as the basis of comparison is 2005. Similarly, if you’re comparing searches for that term during May of 2006, the basis of comparison is April of 2006.”

What’s the big deal about Rising Searches as far as keyword research?  Well, it indicates a trend and if you know ANYTHING about marketing, you know that it’s important to follow the trends.  After all, if you’re busy getting ready to sell blue shoes but the trend currently is for red shoes, you may just end up with a large selection of blue shoes on the discount rack!  But if you paid attention to the trends you would have known to put your dollars into the product line that people are looking for, in this case, red shoes.

So, let’s try some searches on Google Insights and see what’s trending.  I’ll set the parameters on Google Insight to do searches in the United States (all regions) for the last 30 days.

1) For the phrase “seo” – in the last 30 days the phrase “seo expert” has increased by 60%.  That certainly tells me I should really be writing a blog about “seo expert!”  – Maybe tomorrow.

2) For the phrase “lawyer” – in the last 30 days the phrase “free lawyer advice” has increased by 40%.  For attorney websites there’s no reason why they shouldn’t have a page on the site talking about “free lawyer advice” and the pros and cons about services that offer that.

3) For the phrase “counselor” – in the last 30 days the phrase “marriage counseling” has increased by 100%.  For psychologists and counselors, this is an excellent opportunity to add this and/or expand on this service in your website.

You can also use generic phrases to get an idea of what people are looking for…

4) For the phrase “affordable” – in the last 30 days the phrase “affordable hotels” has increased by 40%.  If your businesses is related to travel in any way you can certainly add a section to your website about the affordable hotels in your area.

5) For the phrase “simple” – in the last 30 days the phrase “simple salmon recipes” has increased by 70%.  If your business has anything to do with food, no reason why you can’t add a few simple salmon recipes to your website.

6) For the phrase “best” – in the last 30 days the phrase “best iphone case” has increased by 250%.  A review of iphone cases and your choice for the “best iphone case” would be an excellent addition to your blog or website.

What’s the point of all this?  Capturing the audience.  If your website was a store at one end of the mall and your competitors website was a store at the other end of the mall – which store would get the most customers?

Answer – the store that offered more.

And as a result of getting more customers time and time again, which store will end up getting more sales?

Answer – the store that offered more and showcased their expertise.

So, if you own and operate a limousine company in Ft Lauderdale, why should you bother adding information about “affordable hotels” in South Florida?  Because your website then turns into a website just about limousines to an informational website.  Don’t want to dilute the theme of your website?  I can understand that.  Then put the information on a separate domain or in a blog.  The point is to put it out there and associate yourself with it.

You become an expert in your own field.  That’s a very important part of Internet marketing.

Okay, once in a while I get to pat myself on the back.  This is one of those times.

If you’ve been reading my blogs for a while or if you’ve spoken to me about SEO Services (Search Engine Optimization) then you know that I often mention the concept and focus on conversion.  I often find myself mentioning conversion to clients or callers (or readers) who focus their Internet marketing concept on rankings.

“I want to be #1 for Hollywood Florida attorney…” one client told me.  I responded with the usual comments about how we could get him on the search engines for that phrase because the competition wasn’t very low but it would be MUCH better if we could get him up in the search engines for another phrase, “South Florida attorney” because the number of people typing in the latter phrase was so much higher.  Of course, we would want to target both keyword phrases and frankly, for this particular phrase we could do that with one website page but that’s not always the case.  Sometimes, the phrases are so far apart that they really do need separate website pages.

I also get the reverse type of thinking.  I hear things like…”I want to be #1 for the phrase name tags…” And to that I usually respond with something like “That will take some time and work to get a top ranking for that phrase simply because of the amount of competition for that phrase AND the number of pages that your competitors are using to market that phrase are much more than what you’re using…”  – “It would be more effective to target a less competitive phrase like “name tag accessories“.  The concept here is that the client could get a top listing for the less competitive keyword phrase which would absolutely bring in traffic whereas being on page 10 of a more popular phrase doesn’t do any good.

Also, the more general the keyword phrase the more likely it is that the audience typing in that phrase is not the targeted audience.  In other words, if someone is typing in “name tags” into a search engine, what exactly are they looking for?  Are they looking for how to make a name tag, printing a name tag, buying name tags, samples of name tags, what?  The more specific the keyword phrase being typed in, the closer that person is to making the purchase of the product.

Yes, you’ll get fewer people, but the conversion rate of the more specific keyword phrase will be higher.

The average conversion rate on websites is 1% – 3%.  Of course, everyone wants it to be more and you should strive for it to be higher.  So work with your SEO firm on finding the keyword phrases that will bring in the higher conversion rates.

So often I find myself in an argument with a new client over keywords.  Basically, the scenario is usually…

They want to be found for a main keyword phrase.

And I want them to be found for keyword phrases that convert into sales.

What’s the difference you say?  Let me tell you!

1) It’s more difficult to get on the top 5 search results for a main keyword phrase than it is for a targeted keyword phrase.  So, although it can be done, more money and time are being spent on attempting to go for that main keyword phrase.  (By main keyword phrases I’m talking about generic phrases like “name tags” or “lawyers” or “care managers“)

2) The type of audience that are typing in these generic phrases are not in the “buying” stage as of yet.  They’re just looking.  Also, they’re not sophisticated enough to know how to look.  In other words, if I were searching for a lawyer on the Internet, I would want to search for a specific type of lawyer in a specific city or area.  As a website owner, of course you want to get traffic to your website but more than that, you want targeted traffic.  You want the kind of traffic that will convert into sales.

3) Think about it – if your website was a store and you advertised on your front window that you were selling “towels” but your store only sold Kitchen towels – you would receive a huge crowd of people looking for towels, but when they came into the store they would see you only had Kitchen towels.  What percentage of those people do you think will ask you if you sold other types of towels?  I bet a large percentage.  That takes up alot of your time and takes you away from the people who are buying the Kitchen towels.  So, why would you want to attract every person looking for towels when you only sell Kitchen towels?

Get my point?

In Summary – make sure your website markets specific keyword phrases and make sure you keep updating your website to keep up with your audience.  Know what they’re looking for and give it to them.  With Internet marketing and keyword research, it’s easy to do!

There are many tools out there that can help you with keyword research and Google Insights for Search is just one of those tools. But I find that not many people really know how to use it. So, I thought I’d give you some examples of how our Internet Marketing firm uses this great little tool.

Step One: Go to Google Insights For Search, and simply type in a keyword. We’ve found that it’s better to start off with just one word and then expand from there.

Step Two: Choose your filters. Since the majority of our clients are in the USA, we choose the country vs. the Worldwide search. And normally, we like to see the trend for the last 12 months. It’s the most pertinent information. We keep the last filter at All Categories. Of course, if you’re searching for a very specific region, you can certainly change the filter to accomodate your needs. But if the results are too low, know that this tool will not present you with any information.

Step Three: After you’ve made all your choices, simply click on the Search button.

Step Four: The results are broken down into three rows. Row 1 shows you a graph of the trend for that word or phrase within the time frame that you chose. Row 2 shows you the regional interest for that word or phrase. Row 3 shows you the related terms AND the rising searches.

So, how do you use this information?

Row 1 – the graph here shows you clearly what the "trend" is for this word or phrase. You can see the highs and lows, if there’s a seasonal demand for this word or phrase, etc.

Row 2 – the geographical map here shows you what parts of the world or the country has the most concentrated searches for the word or phrase. This is good to know because if you sell an item or service that is nationwide, you can see where the "need" or "desire" is most. If your company is in California but you see that Maine has a high demand for your item, then you’ll want to beef up your marketing in the Maine area.

Row 3 – the phrases on the left give you "other" terms that you may want to search on – just because YOU believe that everyone is typing in "family dentist" doesn’t mean that they really are. You may find out that "family dental" is a more popular term. The idea is to provide a variety of keyword phrases on your website or blog so that ALL searches can lead to your site. The right hand side of Row 3 shows you (if there are any) Rising Searches. This is very interesting because it gives you an idea of what keyword phrases have increased in the time frame that you chose. This insight gives you new keyword phrases that you can target in your Internet marketing campaign. AND it’s a wonderful "insight" into what your audience is searching for.

So, if the audience is searching for it, it’s up to you to give it to them!

BUT – there’s a catch (isn’t there always). Just because a keyword phrase is listed under the "rising searches" column, doesn’t mean that it will be easy to get listed on the first page of Google for that keyword phrase. The competition number is still a very important factor. So, make sure to check with your SEO firm – give them the phrase(s) to check on and they’ll let you know if that specific phrase is good OR if there are similar phrases that you can use. After all, if you’re not on the first page of Google, or Yahoo or any other search engine, it will be very difficult to get traffic for that phrase.

Following are some examples that we’ve chosen from our Google Insights research some of our clients can use:

1) bankruptcy information
In the last 12 months, the search on Google for the phrase "bankruptcy information" has increased 110%
This phrase is extremely competitive – so for our client – the better phrase would be…
"Massachusetts Bankruptcy Information"

2) byetta for diabetes
In the last 12 months, the search on Google for the phrase "byetta for diabetes" has increased 200%.
This phrase is not competitive and can easily by used by our client selling Diabetic Medical Supplies.
In fact – it could lead to an interesting new "series" of pages on their blog. They could invite an endocrinologist to write articles about diabetes, diabetic medicine, diabetic products, etc. If searchers are looking for "byetta for diabetes" then they may also be searching for information about other medicines and products for diabetes.

3) water heater timer
In the last 12 months, the search on Google for the phrase "water heater timer" has increased 50%
This phrase is not competitive but extremely timely – after all – everyone is looking for ways to save money these days and water heater timers can do just that. Our Atlanta Plumbing Services company can easily add this information to their website or blog to attract more visitors.

4) acute stress disorder
In the last 12 months, the search on Google for the phrase "acute stress disorder" has increased 40%
Well, with the global economy in it’s current state – this was no surprise!! This phrase though, is competitive, a better phrase would be "symptoms of acute stress disorder". For our client providing Stress Management Programs, this is an excellent phrase to build on and attract more visitors.

5) postpartum depression
In the last 12 months, the search on Google for the phrase "postpartum depression" has increased 110%
This phrase is fairly competitive, a better phrase would be "postpartum depression symptoms". Our clients providing South Florida Counseling Services and Counseling Services in Atlanta could benefit greatly by adding this information to their blogs and/or websites.

6) get legal advice
In the last 12 months, the search on Google for the phrase "get legal advice" has increased 70%

This phrase is fairly competitive, a better phrase would be "get legal advice online". Our South Florida Family Law Attorney can benefit from this phrase,
our South Florida Injury Attorney can also benefit from adding a page or 2 focusing on this phrase, our Fort Lauderdale Probate Lawyer can benefit from adding this information to his website or blog. Even our Ft Lauderdale Mens Rights Attorney can benefit from adding this phrase to his website. The idea is that if the audience is looking for this information, there is no reason why they shouldn’t find this information on YOUR website (or blog).

7) my gums hurt
In the last 12 months, the search on Google for the phrase "my gums hurt" has increased 50%

This is an excellent phrase, low competition and high popularity. All our dental websites, Broward County Dentist, Miami Cosmetic Dentist and the Pembroke Pines Denist can all benefit by adding this information to their website and/or blog.

child support payments
In the last 12 months, the search on Google for the phrase "child support payments" has increased 50%

This is a highly competitive phrase so, for our clients that provide Fathers Rights in Child Support and South Florida Family Law Attorney services, the better phrase would be "child support payments in florida". By specifying the geography in the keyword phrase, it lowers the competition but at the same time provides the opportunity (as incoming links increase) for the website page and/or blog to increase in rankings for the more generic phrase.

9) copyright law
In the last 12 months, the search on Google for the phrase "copyright law" has increased 50%

This is a very competitive keyword phrase so a better phrase would be "copyright law and fair use". Still very popular but less competitive. Our Florida Trademark and Patent Attorneys can use this information on their website and/or blog and any website offering Copyright Law Information can add this specific phrase as well.

10) cost savings
In the last 12 months, the search on Google for the phrase "cost savings" has increased 60%
Well, without a doubt any phrase having to do with savings or reducing costs will be very big in the last 12 months and I’m guessing for the next 12 months as well (at least!). But, this is a very competitive phrase so I would recommend to couple this phrase with the service being provided. For example, our client providing Freight Audit Company Services can benefit from the phrase by changing it to "cost savings on freight". What business isn’t looking for ways to reduce their expenses this year?

So, I hope you get the idea that I’m trying to give you here. Basically, find out what your audience is looking for and then give it to them. Feed The Fetish!

If you’ve done any Search Engine Optimization (SEO) work or Internet Marketing work (or both) then you’ve probably read about Google’s rankings and how they look at website themes. And if you haven’t read this, well, let me introduce you to the concept.

Google’s “world domination plan” (sarcastically said) is to provide it’s users with the most relevant information as possible. So, they started off with matching keyword phrases.

The user types in “activities in Seattle”.

Google returns website pages with the phrase “activities in Seattle” and also websites with the words “activities” and “Seattle” in them. That worked for a while and most users go relevant results to their searches. But then competition began to increase.

So, Google decided they would try to figure out what the “theme” of a website is and put that score into the equation to help it decide if the website matched what the user was looking for. So, they created “Latent Semantic Indexing” (LSI) and added it to their algorithm. This means that now Google looks for the words in the phrase “things to do in Seattle” but also looks for other words related to that “theme”.

How can you find out which words would go with this theme? There’s a few ways…

1) You can go to Google and type in the search box…
~activities ~seattle (I omitted the words “in” because it’s considered a stop word)

That little squiggly line in front of each word is called a “tile” and it’s located to the left of your 1 key on your keyboard. This search tells Google to search for theme related keywords for these particular words. Look through the first 3 pages of Google results (organic and paid) and you’ll get a list of words like…

fun activities
recreation
projects
lessons
fun
games
crafts

2) Use a website like Quintura.com – type in your phrase “activities in Seattle” and on the left hand side you’ll be given a list of “related” keyword phrases. You’ll see phrases like…

guide
events
area
tours
sightseeing
attractions
trips

and much more.

Do you optimize your website page for ALL these keyword phrases? NO! But what you do is add as many of these phrases as you can to your website page content. That way, when Google visits your website, they will be able to determine not only an overall theme of the site (through your title tags) but also a theme for each website page (through your tags and the words in your body of content).

An added benefit to Keyword Theme Research is that it “shows” you what other categories you can add to the website to help increase the size of the site, the amount of content on the site which in turn help to increase the traffic to the site.

Well, today is a great day!

About 6 months ago we (Eckweb Designs, Inc.) signed a contract with a new client who sells Name Tags among other products. He had been using another SEO firm for a few years and he was not seeing the kind of results that he wanted.

His main complaint was that he was not on the first page of Google for the very competitive keyword phrase of “name tags”.

So, we cleaned up his website coding, did some keyword research and optimized his website pages. We also encouraged him to write articles and we’d submit them to article sites, blogs, etc. In other words, we did what we do for every one of our clients.

Well, 6 months later, his website is #7 in Google for the phrase “name tags”!! How exciting is that? We’ve been doing SEO since 2000 but still, to this day, it’s still so exciting and wonderful to see how our hard work pays off. We immediately called our client and he was elated, to say the least.

So, if your SEO firm is telling you it will be impossible to get top rankings for your keyword phrases (and I’m not saying that every phrase is possible) you should take a moment and make sure that the SEO firm is doing all that they can do to get you that ranking. After all what are you paying them for?