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> 15 Keyword research tips for finding the hottest niche phrases
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15 Keyword research tips for
finding
the hottest niche phrases quickly
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These days most professional search engine marketers all have
access to the most common research tools. For this article,
we'll explore one of my favorite research tools, Wordtracker.com.
But before we get started, have you ever wondered why some
people experience limitations initially in performing effective
keyword research?
What are the most common elements can that block some people
from doing fast and effective keyword research? Why can't some
people find the best results as quickly as others?
Let's talk about this first. Then I'll share some quick and easy
"how to" tips that I hope will help you. |
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A few years ago, I wrote an e-book called, Wordtracker Magic and
I've spent time helping to teach students about how to quickly
tap into the best keyword phrase trends and niches very quickly.
Let's start by outlining a couple of the more common errors some
people can make initially, when first using Wordtracker. For a
while, I actually had the privilege of working with Wordtracker
support and answering peoples keyword related questions on a
regular basis, a few years ago. That was a great learning
experience.
What I learned was that often, people were sometimes not finding
the best niche phrases available, simply because many people
naturally tended to want to "guess" at keywords, rather than
fully explore the existing fresh data.
Some people say and use the word "research," but then tend to
want to rely on their own "logic" or recent real world
experience to examine specific phrases. In short, whether we
admit it or not, there is a tendency for some of us to "guess at
the keywords" that we *think* that make the most sense, but at
the same time we miss a wealth of information in the process of
having such a narrow focus.
First tip: Stop guessing at what keyword phrases people "might"
be entering into the search box.
One of the biggest blocks to the process of exploring the
fullness of Wordtracker's available data, is simply that most
people naturally tend to guess at keywords, rather than explore
all of the data. Many Wordtracker users start out with the idea
of trying to dictate to the tool, which keywords that they
***THINK*** are most relevant. But the truth is every time we
guess at the terms that make the most sense, we are not really
letting Wordtracker reveal its best information.
Think about the process more in this way....The more you "think
like everyone else thinks" (usually drawing keywords that are
already lodged into your mind based upon your
experiences)....then the more you will be thinking like the rest
of your competition. The more our eyes and our thinking and our
ability to observe is attracted towards keywords that "make the
most sense" to our brains the more we tend to discover exactly
the same keywords as the rest of the world are discovering. So
we can get disappointed real quick and have the feeling that
there just are no real "niche phrases" available anymore. In
this mindset, we only find limited results based on logical
guess work.
What this usually means, is huge numbers of competing pages all
trying to rank for deadly dull, obvious phrases.
Of course you can build your skills so you can compete with
highly competitive phrases and you can win the game too, but
that's not the point. A much wiser approach is to learn how to
"think differently" in order to allow yourself the ability to
explore the data that 99% of your competition never will see or
find.
Why not tap into important keyword phrases that are legitimate
(with fair to high usage but that have MUCH lower competition
because most competitors never even find it or often they never
even see it?
The focus of genuine keyword research is not to guess at
keywords, but to learn how to quickly explore the best data,
OTHER than the common logical keywords that are already lodged
into our minds.
Second Tip: Stop relying on allowing your "logic" and your
"experience" to dictate how you will explore data.
This is easy to say but in the beginning it takes a little
practice to do.
Sometimes when you research single keywords using Wordtracker's
powerful comprehensive search functionality, you will discover
multiple instances of how a specific word is being used within a
phrase, but without any guess work at all. Try working with a
single, action related "root word."
Now listen carefully. It does not have to be a word that your
logical thinking dictates. For example, what happens if you
research a term in its most generic form and let Wordtracker
piece together exactly how that word is being used. This is one
of the rare times when using human brilliance or natural logic
can actually prevent you from seeing the most powerful truths in
your process of research. By avoiding "logic" you will explore
more legitimate working data than 99% of most other Webmasters
ever do.
Let's give you a few creative examples to get you started.....
1. If you are a real estate agent, instead of using an obvious
logical phrase like "real estate" (with 323 million competing
pages on Google) or using a keyword acronym such as MLS (over 40
million competing pages on Google.)
Let's try a researching a single "root word" term like "listing"
just all by itself.....leaving Wordtracker to do the hard part.
Here are a few examples which I grabbed in under 3 minutes of
Wordtracker research:
(each example here with under 1000 competing pages)
At the time of writing this article.....
"house listings parry sound" - Currently only has 90 competing
pages for this exact phrase.
"Wyoming MN home listings" - Currently only has 197 competing
pages for this exact phrase.
"michigan real estate listing" - Currently only has 197
competing pages for this exact phrase.
"Wisconsin Home listings" - Currently only has 697 competing
pages for this exact phrase.
"Central Virginia land listings" - Currently only has 95
competing pages for this exact phrase.
"north oaks minnesota home listings" - Currently only has 233
competing pages for this exact phrase.
2. If you are an affiliate marketer.
Instead of researching the exact product you want to explore in
a phrase (for example "candlestick holders,") try using a single
word like "holder" to determine exactly what type of "holders"
are in highest demand with lowest competition.
You may discover many other products with much better windows of
opportunity.
Examples using a root word of "holder"....(my research time here
was 90 seconds - each phrase under 10 competing)
"motorcycle wheel holders" KEI 676.0 Competing pages on Google 1
" southwest pot holders" KEI 768.0 Competing pages on Google 3
"hanging vine holder" KEI 924.5 Competing pages on Google 2
" folbe fishing rod holder" KEI 1156.0 Competing pages on Google
9
" .30 Remington shell holder" KEI 1444.0 Competing pages on
Google 1
3. Try working with descriptive verbs.
Instead of researching a specific product using comprehensive
search, try researching descriptive verbs like "new" or "old" or
"rare" or "limited" or "reconditioned" or "polished" or
"bronzed" or whatever...? Try using any type of descriptive
terms to explore all kinds of interesting data.
4. Did you know there are differences between the written word
and spoken dialogue?
Instead of researching common descriptive terms, try exploring
natural sounding "dialogue." Try to remember to explore "words"
based on dialogue, not just on written copy. Your customers
often will say things to you in their dialogue that give you a
great starting place to explore data.
5. Don't forget to research and explore the world of color.
What happens if you enter a single term representing a color
like "red," or "aqua" or green or any color?
6. Explore any type of data at all in terms of a root word.
Don't forget to explore everything and anything that comes to
mind. From a topic you notice on the news to something that may
not even be a word at all. What happens if you try to explore a
number or a price like $9.95 instead of a word?
7. Instead of just thinking of your research as "keywords" try
thinking in terms of your audience's "topics of interest."
8. Instead of researching keyword phrases try watching for
"behavioural trends" or keywords that "tell a story."
Examples of keywords that are telling:
"miniature doll instructions" KEI 961.0
"golf swing instruction dvds" KEI 1741.0
"how to build secret compartments" KEI 280.3
"building a basement in your home" KEI 512.0
"easy build shed kit" KEI 520.0
"How to Build an Icehouse" KEI 661.0
"build a reptile rack" KEI 676.0
"how to build military bunkers out of sand bags" KEI 729.0
"how to build custom furniture" KEI 1444.0
9. Consider any type of tools that you might research using
terms like "calculator" or "maps" or "directions."
10. Consider exploring topics related to specific seasons, which
may be appropriate for your Web audience.
11. Consider exploring common acronyms (related to your
industry) to open up more "unexplored data."
12. Try to discover and satisfy the searcher by delivering up
highly valuable content that meets their needs first.
Make your objectives come second and give the searcher what they
are looking for first based upon your research.
13. What if you are feeling stumped...about keyword research?
Try a reverse approach. If you feel challenged because the
keyword you're researching seems to have no potential, try and
explore your audience's "searching behaviour" first to see what
else they want or need based on the conditions, then create the
exact high quality content that they're looking for.
Examples:
Instead of common terms like "Web design" try to chunk it down
to the services or special aspects you offer as a designer. You
might try root words like "database" or "content" or other
aspects that you offer in your services.
14. Develop your lateral thinking skills to press beyond a
keyword hunt mindsest.
While most people are thinking about what keywords to use, try
to expand your scope to focus on discovering the fullest
possible picture of what your customer REALLY wants, what they
really are doing, by simply studying their searching behavior on
the major search engines.
15. Don't forget to explore the most common, everyday type
single terms that most people will assume have no potential.
Example: From exploring a boring sounding word like "word"....in
90 seconds I found:
"free wedding program word template" KEI 289.1 1 competing page
in Google
"Words to a Spanish Song" KEI 462.3 4 competing words in Google
"What Does the Word Hinder Mean" KEI 841.0 4 competing pages in
Google
"WORD TRIVIA QUIZZES" KEI 5712.0 10 competing pages in Google
"Words That End with Letter Q" KEI 53,730.0 10 competing pages
in Google
Is there any greater discovery than having an understanding of a
target audience's "search behavior"?
Best described, if you are researching your data well, it's like
a light coming on in your mind. It's like flipping a switch on
to an huge "idea generator!" Truly it is like looking through a
porthole on the world's searching behavior.
Wordtracker will give you absolutely AMAZING detail if you take
time to think about it laterally and outside of the context of
just a "keyword hunt." Don't let the natural tendency to "guess
at keywords" stop you from exploring all of the hidden evidence
that just needs a little practice to uncover. I never get tired
of exploring behaviorally related trends that are easy to gather
like "low hanging fruit."
Have you checked out Wordtracker's Academy for more articles?
Would you like to check out an alternative Niche Finding Tool?
Watch the short little video of Micro Niche Finder now.
Would you like a Free SEO Tip of the Day?
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John Alexander is Co-director of Training at Search Engine
Workshops offering live, SEO Workshops with his partner SEO
educator Robin Nobles, author of the very first comprehensive
online search engine marketing courses. John is author of an
e-book called Wordtracker Magic and has taught SEO skills to
people from 87 different countries world wide. John is also
Director of Search Engine Academy with localized
Search Engine Academy training centers where the Complete
SEO Mastery Workshop and 6 Month Mentoring program is taught
locally to business owners and individuals
in communities across North America and Internationally in Asia.
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