Relevant Keywords are Essential to Success


By Neal Lebar http://www.innovate-inc.com/



Keywords are single words or phrases that people use when
they call on their favorite search engine to find
something.  When a Web search is performed, several things
usually happen.  First, listings and descriptions of Web
sites appear.  Banners may display at the top of the
screen, and other banners -- called skyscrapers -- may
appear on the right side of the screen.  When a company
uses a pay-per-click (PPC) campaign to improve its search
engine ranking, it bids on the placement and positioning of
their site -- typically referred to as a Òsponsored siteÓ -
in a ranked list.  Since this type of advertising is
directly tied to the keyword(s) entered for a search, these
keywords are critical for success.  As a matter of fact,
without the proper keywords, your campaign is doomed to
failure!

 DIAMONDS IN THE ROUGH

Finding the most appropriate keywords can be an arduous
task.  But there are many resources you can use to help
find the right ones, including your competitors' Web sites,
Internet marketing firms, and most of the PPC providers.
Just be aware that when a PPC provider picks keywords for
you, some of the them may be identical to ones given to
your competitors - their systems just work that way.
Overture, Kanoodle, FindWhat and a few others also have
systems to tell you how many clicks a particular keyword
receives each month.  This should give you a feel for a
keyword's relevancy and importance.  Some PPC providers can
also provide search phrases that include the keyword --
providing you with additional keyword phrases to consider.
Of course, the best keywords are the ones with the most
clicks -- that have not been found by your competitors!  In
order to find a good group of keywords, it's essential that
you spend a significant amount of time digging for these
diamonds in the rough.

 RELEVANCY - WHAT IS IT?

Relevancy is a term used to define the importance of
keywords in relation to a Web site.  PPC providers have
editors who review proposed keywords for relevancy.  For
example, if you select the keyword Òrespiratory suppliesÓ
and that phrase is not on your site, there is a good chance
the editor will disallow it.  Most of your keywords must be
mentioned and relevant or they will be declined.

Relevancy also applies to how appropriate the keyword is to
your offerings.  If your company sells respiratory
supplies, the keyword phrase Òrespiratory suppliesÓ is much
more relevant than ÒrespiratoryÓ alone.  However, keep in
mind that some people may search for Òrespiratory suppliesÓ
with only the keyword Òrespiratory.Ó  Finding common,
multiple, relevant keywords is essential for a successful
campaign.

 TITLES AND DESCRIPTIONS

When embarking on a PPC campaign, you'll provide a title
(about 40 characters) and description (about 200
characters) for each keyword.  When found in a keyword
search, that title and description are displayed,
comprising the first step in qualifying a prospect.  Since
you are charged only when someone actually clicks on your
link, it's very important to clearly describe your offering
within its title and description - which the person sees
before they click.

One of the best ways to determine the right titles and
descriptions is to first search the Web using your
candidate keywords.  Analyze the wordings your competitors
use.  PPC providers claim that when keywords appear in
title, searchers are more likely to click on your listing.
In some of our own PPC campaigns, we have used the same
titles and descriptions for all keywords, and in other
cases we have used unique titles that contain the specific
keywords.  Depending on your offerings and goals, you may
want to use the same titles and descriptions for all the
keywords as a way of branding product names.

The search for appropriate keywords should be ongoing and
frequent.  Sometimes the best keywords are found several
months after a campaign is launched.  Building a strong
group of relevant keywords is pivotal to the success of any
keyword-based campaign.

 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Neal Lebar has proven that Internet marketing can generate
returns far greater than traditional media.  For more
information, visit www.innovate-inc.com or e-mail