Discover the best keywords for your online marketing campaign

Transcription

1 Discover the best keywords for your online marketing campaign

2 Index n... 3 Keyword discovery using manual methodology... 5 Step 1: Keyword analysis and search... 6 Step Additional tools Competitors Blogs, forums and social networks Step Keyword discovery using automated methodology: Matrix... 22

3 n When the goal of a web project is organic positioning in search engines, the first step is to effectively determine those keywords that will generate visits and qualified traffic towards the website. Of course, before starting the keyword discovery process, you should have identified a few things first: Desired goal. For example, position long tail keywords with a minimum amount of monthly traffic in the top 10 results in Google. Marketing strategy used. For example, create optimized, static landing pages for positioning or publish a blog with frequent entries that include the selected keywords. Budget available. The amount of money or hours assigned will determine its scope. Local/global market in which you want to compete. The market in which you want to participate will directly influence the selection of optimum keywords for positioning. Manual process and Automated process The keyword discovery process can be done either manually using various online tools and an Excel template, or automatically using a tool like Matrix that integrates various applications and information needed for keyword discovery in a single tool. This whitepaper will discuss the manual process from start to finish and then compare it with the automated process used by Matrix. The image below gives a brief overview of the aspects considered in both processes and the resulting time and cost, which favor the automated process used by Matrix.

4 Features of the Manual process vs. Automated process

5 Keyword discovery using manual methodology Once the previous elements have been clearly defined, the keyword selection process starts. To be effective, it should include 3 steps: 1. Keyword analysis and search. This involves investigation, using tools like the Search Suggestions in Google AdWords, to provide different keyword suggestions related with the subject area and the project s goals. The result is an extensive list of general keywords or a keyword universe, which are related, to a greater or lesser extent, to the subject area and the website s objectives. 2. Analysis, first filtering and additional keywords. This step analyzes the keyword universe, by applying the first filter, which will involve removing all those keywords in the general list that are not related with the subject area of our website and/or that do not interest us according to the desired goals. Furthermore, in this stage other sources are analyzed to generate new keywords. This step is directly associated with the previous step; it is essential that steps 1 and 2 interact with one another. 3. Keyword filtering and final selection. Step 3 is the definitive stage in which the final list of keywords for the project is drawn up. Steps 1 and 2 must be fully completed at this point, as in this last stage, we will decide which keywords will be included in the positioning planning according to the project s goal. ANALYSIS FILTERING SELECTION STAGE 1 STAGE 2 STAGE 3 KEYWORD SEARCH ANALYSIS, FILTERING AND ADDITIONAL KEYWORDS FILTERING AND FINAL SELECTION STAGES OF THE KEYWORD SELECTION PROCESS

6 Step 1: Keyword analysis and search In step 1 Google AdWords Search Suggestion Tool is used to enter keywords associated with the website s subject area in order to get other suggestions. To generate a preliminary list of keywords, which will be used as a starting point for getting suggestions in Google AdWords tool, you need to: Think like users. The first keywords should come to you immediately, almost instantly, when thinking about the services or products that appear in your website. You should create a list with the first 10 keywords that occur to you, thinking like a user, as if you were looking for that information on the Internet yourself. The idea of immediacy when creating the list is essential, as you will be relying on your common sense, i.e. the most usual form for referring to things when defining them. This aspect is very important, as users usually perform searches using words that occur to them instantly when searching. At the same time, these words are usually the ones most commonly used and the most popular. For this initial list, it is important to think of keywords comprised of no more than 2 words, as the keywords formed by 1 or 2 words generate the greatest number of suggestions when analyzing them with Google s tool. Once you have completed your starting list of keywords, the same task should be done once again but this time by other people in your area; in other words, carrying out a brainstorming of ideas with colleagues.

7 Brainstorming. Brainstorming involves presenting the situation to different people within your context i.e. different ages and professions and with different knowledge regarding Internet usage. It is important that at least 5 people suggest 5 keywords each, to give a list of 25 new keywords that will be added to your initial list of 10 keywords. Once this is done, remove any repetitions. Now you have the starting list for use with the Google AdWords Search Suggestions tool. All this information should be compiled and stored in an Excel file that you will use to document the first stage of the process. The keywords should be entered one by one in the Google AdWords Search Suggestions tool to give a greater number of suggestions. When analyzing each keyword in the tool, you should configure your preferences, setting a location and language, a specific content (such as including mobile searches in the suggestions) or filtering keywords according to customized parameters. The best option is the tool s default option because it will give you the widest keyword universe possible. Hence, you only need to establish a location and language to limit the scope of your project and obtain suggested keywords.

8 Once you have suggestions for each of the keywords analyzed, download the lists in CSV format, which can be opened with Excel. Next, complement the keyword list by including data regarding the global monthly searches and the local monthly searches on a different sheet for each of the keywords analyzed.

9 SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS FOR STEP 1 Use your common sense and ask other people when performing the starting list of keywords. Choose keywords composed of 1 and 2 words Create a starting list of at least 20 different keywords. Configure the location and language in the Google AdWords Suggestions tool. To obtain a greater number of suggestions, analyze the keywords in the starting list in Google s tool one by one. Document the process.

10 Step 2 When we start Step 2, which is a continuation of Step 1, we will focus on getting a list of keywords using additional sources. These sources can be sorted into at least 3 categories: Additional tools Competitors Blogs, forums and social networks It is important to see this step as a continuation of the previous stage, as there is a clear relationship between Step 1 and Step 2. Different keywords will emerge when analyzing these sources and they should be added to a new sheet in the Excel file. To determine the keyword search data, enter the list obtained into Google AdWords Search Suggestions tool and analyze the keywords.

11 Additional tools Suggestions in the Google search box Enter each of the keywords from the starting list, which emerge during brainstorming, in the Google search box (using the local version associated with the project s goals, e.g. for United States). Wait for the search engine to show you the suggested keywords and add them to your list of additional keywords. Suggestions in SERPs When you perform a search in Google, the system not only suggests related keywords in the search box, but at the end of the SERPs (search engine results page), you can also find search suggestions that you can add to your additional keywords list.

12 Suggestions from the Related searches menu In addition, you can use the Related Searches option on the side bar of the Google search engine. The searches associated with the keyword you enter are shown at the top of the search results. By clicking each of these searches, you can access search suggestions related with the keyword that you have selected. Suggestions from the Wonder Wheel menu As well as getting suggestions from Google s side menu using Related Searches, you can also discover new related keywords using the Wonder Wheel in the same menu. Click on the "Wonder Wheel" function and the search engine will provide keywords related with the subject area. By clicking on each of the keywords that the Wonder Wheel suggests, you can search in more depth and discover new suggestions for your additional keyword list. The image below shows the wonder wheel on the left for the keyword search engine optimization (positioning in English) and the suggestions made. The right shows an initial in depth analysis for the keyword google search engine optimization (brand positioning), which was one of the related keywords suggested by the first wonder wheel.

13 Google Trends suggestions Another useful tool from Google is Google Trends, more specifically Google Insights for Search. This tool enables you to enter up to 5 different keywords and configure search filters. Apart from giving information related to the keywords entered, it suggests a group of keywords from the Main searches and Most frequent searches that you can use to add additional keywords to the list.

14 Competitors To generate new keywords for your list, you can also use information from your competitor s pages. To do this, proceed as follows: 1. Perform a search in Google for each of the keywords in the list, created during the brainstorming process. 2. Access the website of at least 3 of your main competitors. 3. On your competitor s webpage, use the function Source code in the View menu of your browser (or by pressing Ctrl + U) to see the source code of the page. Search for the keyword tag (meta name="keywords") in the source code to find their list of keywords. Blogs, forums and social networks Another alternative for finding keywords for your list is by analyzing the contents and labels in blogs and other forums related to your project. You can also review social websites and communities like Twitter or Technorati to extract potentially useful keywords for your list. These additional keywords also offer fresh or update to date words that are currently being used with respect to the subject area of your website. Blogs To get information from blogs with updated content related with your subject area, search for any of the keywords in your initial list from the brainstorming process in the Google blog search engine.

15 From the results, you can find keywords in the contents of the blog entries or by analyzing the cloud of blog tags with related words. Essentially, the keywords suggested by analyzing these blogs is extremely valuable because: They offer keywords that are different from those in the initial list as they are keywords used by experts on the subject, synthesized in each keyword. They have a direct relationship with your products or services and leading edge keywords emerge from the new concepts that appear among the community of experts. Forums Forums are another effective source of additional keywords. Different users with different knowledge or needs participate in forums on a subject area. Their comments in the forum generate doubts, replies and personal opinions that give qualified content, which can be used to find new keywords. To find forums directly associated with the subject area of your website, you can perform searches in Google using search keywords like forums + keywords from the initial list.

16 Social networks Another alternative are suggestions that can be obtained by analyzing social communities in which users exchange information. For example, networks like Twitter or Technorati can be used. In the former, keywords are obtained with terms used in real time, generated from new contents that are updated by the minute. You can access these contents by using any of the keywords in the initial starting list to perform a search within Twitter.

17 Regarding Technorati, if it can be used for a project in Spanish, it will be extremely effective for projects in English as it contains permanently updated contents. The best option for getting suggested keywords using Technorati is to perform a search with a keyword from the initial list. Then the tool will provide you with the latest updated contents from different sources: it shows the title, the source page on Technorati and a brief description. If you click on the link to the Technorati source page and on the user profile, you can find tags with keywords suggested for the project. At the end of Step 2, create a new sheet in the Excel file for the list of selected keywords. These keywords will be definitively filtered in Step 3 to complete the process. If the list is very long, when performing the first filter of repeated keywords, sort the keywords alphabetically. In an empty column, use a formula Discover (e.g. =a2=a1, the best which keywords analyzes for whether your online the contents marketin g campaig

18 of one cell is repeated in another) to detect repetitions (the function shows the legends "True" or "False" for cases where the keyword is repeated or not, respectively). The next filter will be based on the project s goals, which will guide you as regards selecting a keyword for the next step and excluding others. SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS FOR STEP 2 Use additional tools for search suggestions, like the options available in the Google search engine (search box suggestions, related searches, wonder wheel) or applications like Google Insights for Search. Always analyze the competition s pages. Analyze the contents of blogs, forums and social sites, not just to find new suggestions but also to get keywords related to current searches (real time). Document the process.

19 Step 3 The last step involves looking at the list of keywords that has emerged from the previous steps and analyzing additional data on each keyword in more depth to create the final list. Apart from the search values (or the popularity of the keyword), it is interesting to analyze data associated with the competition, for example: Statistics regarding the number of result pages for the competition among the search results. Statistics regarding the number of result pages for the competition with the keywords in the "title" attribute of the search results. By comparing this information and analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of each keyword, you can create a final list for the project. In the following image, data on the competition and on the competitors pages with the keyword in the page title has been included. Data on the competition can be obtained by performing a keyword search in the search engine and recording the number of results that are brought up, shown in smaller font below the search box. The second factor is obtained using the command intitle:keyword (e.g. intitle:positioning) in Google. With these data, you can analyze information related to the keyword effectiveness index (KEI), popularity data and difficulty in positioning for each keyword, taking into account online competition. (The results considered unfavorable are shown in red; those considered as intermediate in yellow; and those considered as a very good option in green). The ideal situation is to analyze at least these 3 factors and compare the results for the same keyword in order to select the ideal keywords according to the project s goals. If you want formulas for obtaining the information from this analysis, you can find a keyword selection process file here.

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21 SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS FOR STEP 3 Analyze additional information for each keyword, such as statistics on different types of competition (total competition and specific competition for the appearance of the keyword in the "title" attribute). Establish links between the data obtained to give you conclusions from different statistical points of view that will help you to make decisions in the final selection. Document the process.

22 Keyword discovery using automated methodology: Matrix Use Matrix to improve keyword suggestions and optimize process times. Matrix is an integrated search engine marketing tool with different modules. It analyzes information, and makes suggestions and recommendations for an online project based on real data and a knowledge base that is updated intelligently, frequently analyzing each of the factors that affect search engine positioning. BENEFITS OF MATRIX More keywords in less time. Very significant decrease in the cost of analyzing and selecting keywords. Multiple sources for suggestions. A single tool to manage the whole process. Process sorted into planning and follow up stages. Weekly statistic report for the keywords finally selected in the project and a change history. Matrix contains a module called Keywords that combines the 3 traditional methodology steps in one. This module enables you to create a project in which you can search for keywords from 5 different suggestion sources: Google AdWords. Source that provides automatic suggestions from Google AdWords, giving keywords with high popularity among user searches. Google Analytics. To get keyword suggestions from Google Analytics, you need to access your Google Analytics account using the Sign in button in Matrix. When you click this button, you can access the login page of your Google account. After logging in with your username and password, Matrix will display the keyword suggestions associated with the keywords used by users who have accessed your website from different traffic sources. You can choose a customized time period for your suggestions. Access to your Google account is completely separate from Matrix. Your Google account data is not registered by Matrix. Analyze the contents of my site. When you select the Analyze the contents of my site option, Matrix will analyze the content of the titles, keyword meta tags and H1 tags of the pages in your website in order to suggest new Discover keywords. the best keywords for your online marketing campaig

23 Analyze the contents of my competitors. This keyword suggestion source allows you to enter up to three URLs from competitor sites and get new keywords from the content of the titles, keyword meta tags and H1 tags of the pages. Matrix Intelligent database. The database is permanently updated with new projects and real analysis cases. This allows you to access previously analyzed information, which is very useful in getting new keywords associated with determined searches. The Matrix database records and categorizes the keywords each time a user performs a survey. Each keyword is incorporated in the Matrix database, undergoes a stemming process and is associated with existing keywords in the database according to their semanticity. The stemming process involves reducing each of the words making up a keyword to its minimum expression of meaning, or what is also known as the root or stem of a word. By using this process, Matrix reduces each of the words of all the keywords in the database to their stem, associates each of them according to their semantic proximity and suggests keywords directly related to the semanticity of the keyword every time you request new keyword suggestions.

24 Depending on the source used, different keyword suggestions are obtained. The interesting advantage of this tool is that it immediately shows you keyword suggestions, enabling you to analyze data for each keyword, such as: Search volume Competition KEI Current position in Google Keyword type (short tail, middle tail, long tail).

25 When a project is created in Matrix, it is always available online in your user s account. Furthermore, you can also download the suggested keywords analysis in.txt or.xls file format to document the process. Recommended suggestions: Google Analytics The Google Analytics suggestions source is particularly useful and potentially effective in discovering new keywords. To use this function, you just need to give the tool read access in order to import search volume data on the keywords most used by users in accessing the site (private information such as user data and passwords is not accessed, only keyword search statistics from the Analytics report). It is particularly effective because, since it accesses a list of keywords registered in Google Analytics that currently generate traffic to your website, these keywords can be used in determining new related suggestions, comparing this information with the Google AdWords suggestion source. To test it out, we invite you to register and receive your free version of Matrix.