They say there are so many keyword research methods out there that the most accurate way to count them all is to count all the researchers because everyone has their own system. I tend to disagree as most of us use more than one method depending on the case. There are numerous keyword generation tools out there, some better than others, but I won’t go into them here. In doing so, I will go into the basic principles of keyword research and the importance of using keywords correctly.
First of all, one must define the purpose of the advertising campaign. Different search terms are examined for different campaign goals. For example, if we’re trying to drive inbound traffic to our site, we consider all traffic-generating keywords optional. This is a keyword research method that has led to the phenomenon of keyword stuffing, which we should avoid. That’s because virtually all major search engines have learned to identify and actively penalize users of this technique. On the other hand, if our campaign purpose is to increase sales or conversion rates, our keyword research will focus on the converting search terms rather than listing all relevant keywords that are generating traffic.
Once the purpose has been defined, there are several strategies to choose from. Using the keyword research services provided by any of the major search engines is the most common method. However, putting all your eggs in one basket isn’t necessarily the wisest thing to do. Different search engines differ in the way they rank their keyword databases for their approaches, and the search algorithms also vary. In this case, the wisest thing to do is to use these differences to your advantage. No matter how serious their disagreements, all search engines will agree on one parameter – the least frequently used searches. The goal of your research is to filter out the best keywords to target, compare the results of different keyword research services to find out which words are the worst, to effectively achieve your goal.
Approach is all in keyword research methods. There are those who prefer more creative keyword research to conservative, tried and true methods. It all boils down to the fact that there is always more than one method that will work for you. The choice is mostly a matter of experience, personal preference and the particular case. Keep in mind that the method you choose will determine how you approach keywords, and that method should be dictated by your advertising campaign goals rather than personal preference.
