I explained in yesterday’s post how keywords help drive highly targeted traffic to your site. For this reason, keyword research is a critically important step in planning your site’s content.
There are a number of ways you can create a list of keywords.
Personally, I prefer to divide keyword research into two distinct steps: creative and analytical. I use this approach because it allows me to take advantage of the creative process while its flowing and then fully switch over to the more critical thinking portion of my brain. Trying to go back and forth between these two steps just does not work for me. Fortunately, this simple two-step process really helps keep things on track.
Once you have clearly established what the overall purpose of your site is (what you want it to accomplish) – it is time to start generating a list of relevant keywords. Here is how to implement this simple two-step process in your own business:
Step 1: Creative.
Start with a simple brainstorming session. Whenever possible, try to make this a collaborative effort by getting all the owners, managers and staff members of your business involved. If you are a solo entrepreneur, consider joining a Mastermind Group of like-minded individuals.
(Note: I can’t stress the value of this enough for solo entrepreneurs – I belong to a great Mastermind Group myself and it has made a huge difference in my business).
Create a master list that includes your company name, the name of all products and services you offer, and words or phrases that relate specifically to your industry. Think of your ideal customer and what needs they might have. Don’t filter anything at this point. This is the free-association stage where any and all ideas and suggestions are welcome. There will be plenty of time to narrow this list down later.
One tip to improve the quality of your brainstorming session – prepare in advance. Keep a notebook at home and scan incoming junk mail for words and phrases used by the direct mail copywriters (in other words – look out for words or phrases that sell). Listen to the radio or TV for buzzwords that might pertain to your field. Look at industry publications to find article topics and competitor ads. Check out your competitors’ websites. While there, go to your browser toolbar and click “View” and then go down and click on “Source” (“Page Source” in Firefox). There will be a lot of confusing information there – but look for the words “keywords meta tag” to find what keywords are used.
Again, don’t filter your thoughts or ideas at this point. Your goal for right now is to create the biggest and broadest list of keywords and phrases possible. Tomorrow, we’ll talk about how to start narrowing this list down.
Til Next Time,
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