keyword research

Keywords are very different from ordinary words found in the dictionary. They are human thoughts, created by imperfect beings, who express themselves whole heartedly to the search engines.

So… unlike normal words, keywords can be incomplete thoughts, phrases, misspelled words, double words, fragments, singular, plural, letters, etc. Each has its very own soul which makes it unique. And, to fully understand how they are thought into existence, you must understand the person behind the thought.

However, you don’t have to study and learn human behavior, because the search engines have analyzed and gathered tons of data on how humans search.

You see every time you enter a word or phrase in to the search box you are contributing to the data collected by the search engines. The engines take that information and rank it according to how many people are searching your exact word or phrase.

For example, if you type, “hair odor” and “hiar odor” in the search box, the engines compile the data and track to see how many people type the exact phrase in a given time period. Even though, hair is misspelled in the second search, the search engines are candid in their tracking. This means every boo-boo or screw-up is taken into consideration.

Also, you must consider specific word phrases.

For instance, people who are looking for “hair odor products” may need to be more specific in their search. They may need to type, “hair odor products for kids” or “hair odor solutions for kids.”

Well… to the average person the searches may seem similar, but nothing could be farther from the truth. Both searches can be characterized under hair products, and if this was the grocery store you could find them on the same isle, but this is the internet.

So… be sure you type in exactly what you mean, because “hair odor products for kids” will probably search for tangible products, while “hair odor solutions for kids” will probably search for informational products.

And guess what?

There’s a good chance neither search will have the same results as the search made for “hair odor.”

Note… keywords are created by people, not one person; and everyone has a role in keyword development. And, the search engines do a wonderful job of sorting our thoughts into useful data.

Now… for a person interested in starting an internet business, what does all this mean?

As an internet marketer you must have a thorough understanding of what people are searching for. No matter how good your product is, if you don’t target the right audience there will be plenty of empty seats at the show.

O.K… let’s assume you wanted to sell kick-balls.

You researched the market and found a high demand for kick-balls in Brazil.

However, you are from the U.S. and you know what types of kick-balls are selling here, so you assume people in Brazil should go ballistic over your product.

And… you may be right.

So… you start getting your inventory ready. You hire web-designers to build this elaborate site. You hire the best copy writers to guarantee success. You craft a marketing funnel that pre-sell and follow-up with prospects. In your mind everything is ready.

Finally, you pick your keywords.

And they are: (kick-ball, kick-ball in Brazil, Brazil and kick-ball, slick kick-balls in Brazil, slick kick-balls)

You thought you covered your niche, but here’s what happened.

Two of your keywords were highly competitive and there’s no way to get on the first page of the search results, not even using pay-per-click. And, the other two are broad leaving you open to a bunch of surfers.

However, you did come close with slick kick-balls in Brazil, but the kids of Brazil like water slick kick-balls.

Something you know nothing about.

Because, you didn’t do the proper research, you set your sails in uncharted waters.

The lesson here is…

When deciding which keywords are best for your business, remember, it’s not how you search, but how they search.

In conclusion, be sure to research the market to get a feel for your competition and your customer, and use keyword tools to help you pick quality words and phrases that pertain to your market.