Keyword optimization is the ongoing process of selecting keywords that are likely to be the most relevant for the search terms being keyed in by people searching for the type or category of product being marketed through the website. The aim is to properly select keywords (words or phrases) that can maximize ‘hits’ (people who click) on the website. People will likely click on the website if it is ranked high on the search engine results page (SERP) and if they find their search term (keyword) in the short description of the site in the SERP.
Keyword optimization therefore involves selecting the right (relevant) keywords; facilitating web crawlers (spiders) to easily find and index the relevant contents in the web pages by including important keywords in the anchor text of metatags; and ensuring inclusion of relevant keywords in header tags. Keyword optimization is crucial for the success of both search engine optimization (SEO) for organic searches as well as for pay-per-click (PPC) advertising.
The first practical step to get leads (keywords which can then be expanded) for keyword optimization is to try and think as customers searching for the product category would do. However, researching keywords manually is not a practical option when a large number of keywords and phrases are involved. Fortunately, online keyword research tools are available commercially on the Net, such as, for example, ‘WordTracker’ or ‘KeywordDiscovery’ etc, which can facilitate the process of keyword optimization. Continuous testing of keywords and phrases to ascertain their relevance in a dynamic market is also important for any successful keyword optimization process.
The action taken to pick keywords – picking the right keywords and phrases and ensuring a proper mix of different types of keywords – influences, to a great extent, the success of a website positioning and optimization strategy. In fact, the search engine optimization (SEO) process for the website starts with the vital step of picking the keywords that people will likely enter while searching for the types of products or services offered on the website.
Keywords may be of various types. One classification may be single-word, multiple-word, and theme-based keywords. Another may be in terms of the type of search they predominantly support depending on how potential customers key in their search terms i.e. broad-match, phrase-match, exact-match, or negative match. Still another may be a target-market specific classification such as ‘business-specific’, ‘service-specific’, ‘geographic’ or ‘general’ keywords.
Pick keywords with the aim of generating adequate volume of qualified traffic; helping visitors in their buying-decision process; and finally, helping to convert prospects to customers. Generally, keywords selected should a judicious mix to take care of broad-match (usually single-word) and phrase-match or exact-match (usually keyword phrases) searches; the former to generate traffic and the latter to filter and channelize quality traffic. Picking ‘business-specific’ or ‘service-specific’ keywords, when applicable, help facilitate the visitor’s buying decision while ‘power’ or ‘action’ words, such as, say, ‘buy now’ used in keyword phrases can help conversions. ‘Geographic’ keywords can also be very useful for websites (and online businesses) catering to a localized or geographically delineated market. Online keyword research tools can greatly help to effectively pick keywords.
General keywords are usually single-word keywords that people tend to type in when starting a search for some product or service about which they do not have much initial clarity. At this stage of the search the person is undertaking a ‘broad’ search using ‘general’ keywords; keywords that describe the product in generic terms. General keywords normally correspond to ‘broad-match’ keywords. After some preliminary information is gathered through this broad search process, the searcher normally narrows down the search through more precise search terms, usually ‘phrase-match’ or ‘exact-match’ keyword phrases.
‘General’ keywords help to draw in large volume of website traffic (visitors). However, many of these visitors are often at a preliminary stage of their buying decision process and not yet ready to buy. Hence, the potential for conversion of the hits (visitors clicking on the website) is low. On the other hand, people who key in specific search terms (keyword phrases more precisely describing the product, including long–tail keyword phrases of 3-4 keywords) are at an advanced stage of their buying decision process. Hence specific phrase-match or exact-match keyword phrases have a greater conversion potential (though lower volumes) and improve the ROI of the website.
‘General’ keywords are needed to draw in traffic volumes and increase site visibility but most of the traffic may be unproductive (low conversion). Specific keywords are needed for conversion and ROI but traffic volume is low. This is an unavoidable trade-off and a judicious mix of ‘general’ and ‘specific’ keywords needs to be arrived at through keyword research for the success of a website.
Service specific keywords are a sub-set of business specific keywords especially geared for service oriented businesses. Whatever be the industry segment and service offering, the success of a website (and, consequently, of the business it represents) depends on its ability to achieve high search engine rankings and conversions. This will, in turn, depend upon the inclusion of relevant and focused keywords (service-specific keywords) within the content pages.
Service specific keywords (and, in fact, all business or product specific keywords) need to be carefully developed by identifying and combining important product or service features (usually known to the business owner) with market specific characteristics such as customer demographics, buying habits, geographical delineation etc (available through market research and keyword research initiatives). The aim should be to try and identify keywords that potential customers are likely to use.
As with all business specific keywords, most service specific keywords are long tail keyword phrases (generally 3 – 4 keyword phrases). They tend to decrease the frequency of ad displays for paid advertising (many websites offer advertising based on keyword targeting so an advertisers banner will only show when a specific keyword is entered); or reduce the volume of general website traffic (which can, however, be balanced with inclusion of some judiciously chosen broad-match single-word keywords) for organic searches. However, the traffic generated, albeit lesser in volume, is highly focused and amenable (qualified) to a higher rate of conversion. It is advisable to include location specific markers in the service specific keywords if the business caters to local markets or to a geographically delineated market.
It is being increasingly acknowledged that business specific keywords are crucial for the success of an Internet based business in today’s crowded and competitive online marketing space. One of the main objectives of having a website by a business is to make net users worldwide aware of the business. The website, in addition to providing information, must also enable a visitor to enquire about the products and services on offer and facilitate conversions. This can be achieved if well chosen and relevant business specific keywords are included in the website; keywords that precisely describe exactly what the business provides, such as specific product names, model numbers etc.
Business owners having (or planning to have) websites must work to identify business specific keywords that are relevant to their product-market mix and creatively weave such keywords into the website content with direct relevance to the specific web page the content is on. Business websites should not only be user friendly, they must also be search engine friendly. An effective strategy to achieve this when using business specific keywords is to incorporate business specific keywords as search engine friendly naming conventions for web pages.
Business specific keywords are mostly long-tailed keyword phrases. They may likely reduce general traffic to a business website for organic searches or the display frequency of pay-per-click (PPC) ads, but users entering specific keywords are typically more likely to buy; being in the final stages of the buying decision. Business-specific keywords will also help increase the search engine rankings of a business website; an added bonus!
