|
/pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> |
Is Something Missing From Your Keywords Research? (Part 2)
In my previous article, I raised the issue that proper keyword research must take into account countries. The reason for that was that the demand for keywords can vary between countries. I gave examples of that fact using the Overture keyword tool.
To support my argument (that we need to be aware of countries when doing keyword research), I gave 2 reasons:
1. it will help us determine which countr(y/ies) to target, and
2. it will help us know what countr(y/ies) our visitors are most likely to come from.
I would like, in this article, to expand on these 2 reasons. I would also like to add further reasons why any keyword research must be country based.
1. When doing keyword research, we need to understand the limitations of our research. This is necessary in order to remove any assumptions we make about our findings. For example, if you find that the demand for a keyword is very high in the US, you cannot assume that the demand for that same keyword will also be vey high in other countries. You will only know for sure how much demand there is worldwide by doing country specific keyword research. Such research can be done using a tool such as the Overture keyword tool,
2. It will tell you where your visitors are most likely to come from. This in turn will tell you what features you need to add to your web site. For example, if you are targeting a keyword that is in demand in the US only, then obviously most of your visitors will come from the US. This then means that you need to design your web site primarily for US visitors. You will hence need to:
- use US spelling such as "color" and not "colour",
- if you sell products, then list your prices in US$,
- if you live in the US, then add a fax number so your visitors can place orders by fax,
- if you live in the US, you could organise a US free call number for your visitors to ring you should they need to,
- if you live in the US and you ship your orders, then you could include shipping costs. You could also include how long it will take for them to receive their order,
- if you don't live in the US, then you will need to make it possible for your visitors to pay you in US$,
- if you don't live in the US and you ship your orders, then you could include shipping costs. And you could include how long it will take for them to receive their order,
- and so on . . .
If on the other hand, you are wanting to target several non-English speaking countries, then:
- you may need to add a translation service to your site so that your visitors can read your site in their language,
- you may need to add a currency exchange service so that your visitors can convert your prices into their currency,
- you may need to make it possible for your visitors to pay you in their own currency,
- you may need to add other ways for your visitors to pay you apart from credit cards. You could offer international cheques/checks, money orders, direct bank transfers, . . . I once had a customer who wanted to pay me in Euros from Italy and needed my address to do so. The easier you make it for people to place an order, the greater the chances someone will place an order!
- if you ship your orders, then you could add the shipping costs to each of the countries you are targeting. And include how long it will take for them to receive their order,
- and so on . . . May be you can think of other things you will need to add to your site to accommodate your international visitors.
3. It will help you target the right keywords for the country you want to target. For example, if you want to target Canada, then you will need to use keywords that are in high demand in Canada only. There is absolutely no point doing keyword research in the UK if you are wanting to target Canada as the keyword demand between the 2 countries may vary greatly.
4. It will help you develop a keyword strategy so that you can target several countries at the same time. This can be achieved in several ways depending on the keywords' demand and supply.
- you could use keywords that are in common demand in the several countries. For example, if you sell "widgets" with your site and you find that there is a healthy demand for "black widgets" in the US, the UK, Canada and Australia. Then you could target that keyword with your site as that keyword will help you target 4 countries in one go,
- you could use keywords in demand in each country, as long as they complement each other and are highly relevant for your site. For example, using the widget idea, if you found that "colored widgets" are in demand in the US, "white widgets" are in demand in the UK, "black widgets" in Canada, and "coloured widgets" in Australia. Then, you would just target all these keywords with your site which would not be hard to do as all these keywords can easily be targeted together.
Given the right circumstances, you could even use both strategies at the same time.
As I mentioned in my first article, the Overture keyword tool enables you to research the demand for keywords in some 19 countries around the world. To see the countries that Overture supports, go to www.overture.com and have a look at the top right corner of the page. By clicking on any one of the countries listed, you will have access to the Overture keyword tool for the country you selected, and this will enable you to research the keyword demand in that country.
As you may know, keyword demand is only one half of the equation. Keyword demand needs to be looked at together with its supply numbers. One of the ways of determining keyword supply is to use Google. This means that to you need to know how to use Google to research the supply of keywords in your country of interest. This is a bit harder to explain and beyond the scope of this article.
I hope that this second article has convinced you about the need to be country aware when doing your keyword research. The success of your web site may depend on it.
Serge M Botans
Serge M Botans is the CEO of Meta Keywords Advice, a web site that provides advice on keywords. Free evaluation available. He is also the inventor of CID, which is an altenative to KEI.
Google - PR & Backlinks
Here are some observations that I have made recently:
More Hits are Good for My Website - A Myth You Should Avoid
I hear this all the time. "I can get you listed on 100,000 websites for $29.95" and..."I can get you 100,000 hits on your website for the same price". Avoid these like the plague.
8 Essential SEO techniques
1) Title Tag - The title tag is the most powerful on-site SEO technique you have, so use it creatively! What you place in the title tag should only be one thing, the exact keyword you used for the web page that you are trying to optimize. Every single web page should have it's own title tag.
SEO India: Tips & Techniques
SEO is all about "Individualism"
Crash Course in Getting a #1 Google Ranking
First, here's the rundown of some of the terminology I'm going to use ?
How to Create Killer Keywords to Get FREE Traffic to Your Website
When exploring good keyword choices there are several steps one must consider. The most important step is putting your self in the shoes of the type of customer you want to target. Just make a list of the keywords or phrases you think that customer would enter into a search engine or directory when searching for your company or site. A good tool is WordTracker.com which will help you brainstorm different key phrases. Ask friends and associates which words they would use to search for your site on the internet, if they were looking for a site similar to yours.
Top Search Engine Ranks- The Only Secret You Need- Explained: Part 1
The top three search pages- the only place you'll be noticed they say. Unfortunately, they are correct. How can you possibly compete with millions of pages? Many represent thousands of dollars of professional search marketing and optimization per page, backed by budgets on which most of us could retire. How can the little guy have a chance armed with an already out-of-date search engine marketing book and a ream of now dog-eared, printed web pages on the topic? Do you really think you have a chance to land those top spots? Yes, you do? the same chance the big guys have!
Tips On Optomizing Your Website For Search Engines
I wish to give a few little tips, about optimizing. You may find it quite useful, depending on the type of website you have.
Release from Google Sandbox Only to Search the Playground
The Google Sandbox Effect has been discussed at length in our case study of a new website first crawled in May by Googlebot. We can now further the case study with indexing comparisons and discuss interesting Googlebot crawler behavior after release, at the 75 day mark, of the study website from that very confining Sandbox.
Straight Talk on Search Engine Optimization
To get your website listed well in the major search engines, you have to perform search engine optimization (SEO). . This is a basic SEO plan with tips for doing SEO and getting results within 1 month. Google is the primary target of this overall plan.
How Real SEO Analysis Works
If you're serious about SEO, you need to know how to analyze the information you uncover.
How to Develop a Successful ROI for Your Website
Are You Really Measuring for Return on Investment (ROI) with Search Engine Optimization?
Link Popularity: Why Its The Best Investment You Can Do For Your Business
More and more search engines rank your web pages based on the number of links that point to your web site (link popularity). Google uses link popularity as its most important factor in ranking sites. HotBot, AltaVista, MSN, Inktomi, and others also use link popularity in their formulas.
Submit All Of Your Pages And Watch Your Traffic Grow
Everyone is looking for "secrets" about how to get more qualified traffic to their web sites. What I'm going to share with you is no secret, however it is not practiced by very many companies or individuals. Many companies and individuals only submit their home page to search engines and directories. You can easily quadruple your traffic in 90 - 120 days by implementing the following procedures.
Blogging, Spamming, and Blog Spam
Email marketing once proved to be immensely effective, but the greedy and idiotic polluted the well by spamming the planet with everything from weight-loss products to sexual enhancement drugs and beyond. Because of the stench, filters and laws have been created to attempt to fix the problem, but still the Internet is polluted with more and more junk each day. So obviously, filters and legislation are not the solution, for consumers, publishers, or marketers.
The Disease of Google Banning: Are You At Risk?
Definition:
SEO and Google Indexing - Why It Requires A Complex Blend of Skills
If it was easy, everybody would be doing it. Getting a company's name and products, or services, onto the first page of a genuine Google search isn't a trivial piece of work. In fact, there are four distinct skills that a search engine optimiser needs to possess. Most people possess one or maybe two of these skills, very rarely do people posses all four. In truth, to get to all four, people who are good at two of these need to actively develop the other skills. Now, if you are running your own business, do you really have the time to do this? Is this the best use of your time?
PageRank and How It Gets Assigned
We know that each and every website page is assigned a Google Page rank, based upon a mathematical algorithm. Pages rank on a scale of 0 (zero) the lowest, and 10 (ten) the highest. Linking between websites both internally and externally pass a value or Page Rank.
Optimze Your Web Site on a Shoe String Budget
Let me start off by saying I'm not a marketing guru or work for a fortune 500 advertising company. I don't even have a marketing background. But if you don't have money to blow on optimizing your site, then listen up.
How to Get Non-stop Free Traffic to Your Website
Yet the simple truth is that without traffic a website cannot be successful. Lack of traffic really need not be a problem because there are various free, proven ways of generating traffic that will cost you nothing but get you lots of traffic without you having to spend anything.