Keyword Research

In my video on the subject of keywords, it was explained that a significant part of search engine optimisation is to find niche keywords and develop pages based on them. A niche keyword is defined as having an above threshold search volume for the targeted locality of a website with potential for top 10 positioning on the search engine results page for that locality or country. We need three types of keyword research tools for our search engine optimisation around niche keywords.

The first tool that we require is a keyword suggestion tool. This will provide us with lists of keywords that might prove to be niche keywords in the long run.

We then must use a keyword difficulty tool that will differentiate between keywords that have potential for top positioning, niche keywords, and the vast majority of keywords that will be out of range.

Finally, when we have identified potential niche keywords we will use optimisation tools to improve our webpages for top positioning

Let us begin with keyword suggestion tool is. There are a number of commercially available suggestion tools, each requiring either a one-off payment, or there may be a subscription charge. Naturally each of these tools will promote themselves as they provide

thousands of keywords

search terms that drive traffic to your competitors

 offer unique keywords you need to rise above your competitors

will show you exactly which keywords your buyers are typing into the search engines, these people that are desperate to purchase what you are selling.

There is a golden rule in life that if it sounds too good to be true it probably isn't true. The problem is that your competitors are equally keen to have top positioning. If the keyword has commercial value you will be up against thousands if not millions of competing websites. If you have not already invested in a commercial keyword suggestion tool, I would suggest that you consider Google's keyword suggestion tool. This is the URL or you can find it on an Internet search.

The first advantage is that Google has the largest database of search information. In my experience, Google's keyword tool provides hundreds of keywords, and more than enough for you to use. Google updates the tool at least monthly, and it provides global as well as local country information. It is now estimated that 30% of keyword searches on the Internet are locality orientated.

This tool is provided by Google, without charge.

The importance of finding a reliable keyword difficulty tool can not be over emphasised. If you spend time optimising webpages for keywords that prove to be so difficult for you to achieve top 10 positioning you will be wasting valuable time.

There are some free keyword difficulty tools such as those available at SEO logs and SEO chat with these provide scores out of 100 scoring system is undefined, and they only allow one keyword to be analysed at a time. There is a keyword difficulty tool available for subscribers to SEO MOZ.org . 

The SEO Moz keyword difficulty tool is again presented as a percentage score and the means of defining outscore is undefined. This contrasts with my own program Keyword SEO Pro, which averages the PageRank of the HomePage of the top 10 pages on Google's search engine results page. There is modification by adding in a second factor, and this is explained to subscribers.

SEOMoz analyses just a single keyword at a time whereas Keyword SEO Pro analyses a list of keywords, currently set to a maximum of 50.

It can take up to 6 minutes for one keyword to be analysed with SEO MOZ whereas Keyword SEO Pro averages 30 seconds per keyword.

Keyword SEO Pro has the advantage that you can define which would remain you would like your keywords analysed for examples being Google.com, Google.co.uk, Google.co.jp.

There are several excellent webpage optimisation tools. There are two types of webpage optimisation tools, those relating to on-page factors and those relating to off-page factors.

There are several excellent on-page analysers. For many years I used IBP and learnt a great deal from the program. More recently I've found website auditor, one of the Power Suite options to be a very good quality program as well. They compare your pages factors against those of the top 10 for the search engine of your choice. In my view, they tend to provide an information overload.

Again, my word of warning. These tools do not advise sufficiently on keyword difficulty. You can waste your precious time chasing rainbows if you do not check the keywords that you have a chance of successfully competing for me befor using these tools.

With regards to on-page optimisation. I have belatedly realised that one should develop a template. For example, what is the optimum length of the title in a web page. One can do an analysis with an on-page analyser and finds that for red sports cars it should be between 11 and 14 words whereas for red T-shirts. It should be between 9 and 12.  I really do not believe that Google has such differences for these keywords. You can use the programs I have previously recommended, but there is ample advice on the Internet, for example of the SEO Moz blog provides very good advice. Currently, I would recommend 10 to 14 words for the length of your title tag.