Keywords: 5 Counter-Intuitive Tips for SEO Success

Tips for Baby Boomers in Business:

* Startup marketing

* SEO copywriting-content

* Online marketing trends

It's probably easier than you think to make a mistake in choosing your online marketing keywords. Most people assume that the knowledge already in their heads is enough to target the best search words. It's a common error, forgetting to get into the mindset of your client or customer, but top marketers do the research that gives insights about how best to serve the customer or client. 


The most important thing to know about keywords is which ones are already being searched for the most often. These will be the words you choose from, rather than the ones in your own head. After all, you want the greatest number of new online searchers to find their way to your site. However...


Another important consideration is: Who else is using the same keywords as you? Your choices could have you going up against bigger businesses with flashier sites and more ads. In that case, you would be wasting your effort -- and if you are doing a pay-per-click (PPC) ad campaign, also wasting your money. 

When you analyze it, your small business needs to find its search engine opportunities in areas that relate to your business without putting you up against 10,000 of your strongest competitors!

So, somewhat counter-intuitively, your small business marketing plan will not employ the keywords that were searched 200,000 times last month. That "niche" is full to bursting. You'll be better off using keywords that 2,500 - 5,000 people searched for last month, niches that are not 100% saturated by your competition.  

Another important thing to know is that keywords are often comprised of more than one word: e.g., "small business marketing," rather than "business." When you research keywords, look up as many of these keyword phrases as you can think of. Savvy use of these key two- and three-word phrases can greatly improve your success rate. 

Once you have determined a set of keywords that should work well, make sure they appear in your page content in various ways:

• First, they are most easily found by the search engines in your headings and bullet points.  
• Next, they should be sprinkled in your textual content as well, of course, but not in suspiciously high concentrations. This can be offputting to both search engines and visitors.  
• Use them in your tags, page names (for example, don't title a page "homepage" -- work in a keyword, such as "eye care" or your band's name) and in your site's name (as in "alternative-medicine.com"). 

Most important of all, never become complacent. Update your keyword research every month or two to be sure you're competing in the right niche. Also, study your Web analytics (e.g., SiteMeter, Google Analytics) carefully. Which keywords increase traffic to your site?