Keywords.  They’re the bread and butter of online marketing.  Get them right and you can make a fortune.  Get them wrong and your web page won’t churn a profit no matter what.

It’s no wonder a huge number of the questions I get are about keyword research.  So I thought I’d open up my SEO Copywriter bag of tricks and let you in on a few keyword research secrets.

First off…you don’t have to spend money on fancy keyword research software.  There are 2 free tools out there that are all you need and here are the links:

http://freekeywords.wordtracker.com/ and https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal

The first is the Wordtracker free tool.  I’ve used the paid version and to tell you the truth, I didn’t find that much more value in it.  Google is a great tool as well.

But you have to know that neither tool is 100% correct 100% of the time.  The Wordtracker tool tracks daily searches and Google tracks monthly searches.  So I always compare the two.

Simply multiply the Wordtracker results by 30 and you’ll get a number that should be close the Google number.  If the two are somewhat equal then I trust the results.  If there’s a huge difference, I try to go by my gut.  Do I think the keyword has a large search potential?

Another area I look at is whether the keyword is being used by people who are buying. For example, if I was researching cameras, I might type in digital cameras.  This keyword phrase would probably bring in a lot of people who are in the researching stage…they aren’t in the buying mode yet.

But if I were to type in Kodak Easyshare M380, then I’m probably looking to buy that camera.  The odds of a sale are a lot higher but the traffic will be less.

But that’s okay because the quality of the traffic improves.

So how about your niche?  If it’s dog training, then someone searching for a dog training book would be more likely to be looking to buy than someone looking for dog training tips.  Are you starting to see the light?

Now the big exception here is if you’re building your list and not selling right away.  In that case, a keyword like dog training tips would work great.

Oh and by the way…Google’s keyword tool can really help you here.  Just put in your main keyword and scroll to see all of their keyword suggestions.  I’ll bet you’ll start to be able to pick out the keywords that will make you money!

Evy Schwartz
Internet Marketing, SEO Expert
San Antonio, Texas

I just read a research study by the Forrester Group that came to some pretty awesome conclusions.  Well, awesome for me because I specialize in getting websites listed higher through organic search results.

The Forrester study said:

“Big firms are looking more at SEO than pay per click
because they realize that consumers are becoming aware
that the listings on the side and top of the page are
paid for and that natural listings are, in some cases,
more credible and more relevant.”

Doh!

So listen up…your clients are getting savvy to the PPC ads you’re placing.  And have you noticed, the competition for popular keywords is fierce which means the cost for the ads is skyrocketing (and the clicking is shrinking)?

I mean, think about your own habits.  Don’t you click on the organic results first?  I know I do.

The only time I go to the PPC side is when I’m looking for something that I can’t find organically.

And there’s nothing more annoying when I click on an ad for a particular product, only to find out the company doesn’t have it.  They just strung me along  to get me to their website.  Ughh, I click away so fast they don’t know what hit ‘em.

So before you go and hack away at your budget with  PPC ads that don’t work, look at getting your site optimized first.

And when I say optimized, I mean everything from the Title to the content.  Don’t leave any stone unturned.  It used to be that yo could just go the PPC route and get huge results–not anymore.

Now’s the time to start optimizing your web pages and the best way to do that is to hire an SEO copywriter to get the job done.

Evy Schwartz
SEO Expert
San Antonio, Texas

Okay guys…I’m only gonna say this once:  Stop with all the fancy-schmancy graphics on your web pages!

They’re killing your SEO and you have less space for persuasive copy.  I mean, aren’t most of you out there on the net to make money?  Whether it’s selling a product or service, collecting leads or just expanding brand awareness…more sales is the key.

So what the heck is up with the graphics?

Just because your ad agency builds a beautiful, Flash-intense site with a bigger-than-life header with your image on it doesn’t mean it right.  Stick to the saying, less is more, and you’ll be all right.

Here’s how I handle graphics on a website:

1. I prefer a header of no taller than 200 pixels.  Yeah, you heard me.  I want to put more persuasive, hypnotic copy above the fold where it’ll have more impact.
2. I’ll use relevant, anchor photos near a headline to pull the eyes to my copy.  You know, the copy that will actually sell.
3. I attach a keyword targeted Alt Tag to every graphic I can so the search robots can read it.  If there are no alt tags, you’re missing out on a component of good SEO.

And that’s it.  I don’t want to fill the page with pictures.  Think of it this way, test 2 websites: one with nothing but graphics and one with nothing but copy.  The copy only page will out convert the graphic page any day.

This strategy fills my 2 main goals as an SEO copywriter.  First, I can get more relevant copy on the page and hit my keyword density target a lot easier. Remeber…content is king.

Second, I get more copy on the page which gives me a chance to get the visitor’s attention and keep it.  I also have more valuable above the fold space to use.

So please, resist the temptation to use the latest toys and too many graphics on your website.  Stick with the basics and your golden!