Q: Jack, can you help me understand keywords for my website? How are they prepared and used?

A: Most everyone knows and uses Google - or other Internet search engines - as part of our daily routines. During January 2008 Google fulfilled more than 5.8 trillion searches. Their share of search market queries is estimated at more than 70%.
    Google provides an effective advertising tool called AdWords™. You create simple, effective ads. Google displays them to people searching for information related to your web page content. Ads are those within the right hand column or shaded in yellow at the top of the page. Your ads appear only to the most relevant selected target audience. More about that later!
    How do they do it? Using keywords. (Visit google.com/adwords)
    Keywords are words or phrases people use to start a search for information. A keyword can consist of a single word, such as “shoes.” Or an entire phrase, like “women’s shoes” or “women’s shoes online” or “women’s dress shoe sale.” Each word or phrase generates a different search result.
    If you’re building a website and want to attract traffic, you’ll need to identify those keywords most likely to draw traffic to your website. You’re looking for the words or phrases that people are most likely to use searching for information
    First, examine your value proposition: What is it your product or service does for others? List phrases you’d use to start a search for those values. Ask others for their search words. You search results should identify your competition.
    Now, while you’re on a competitive page, right-click pressing Control; from the drop down menu, click on Page Info. Take note of competitive keyword selection. Add the most appropriate words to your list.
    Google and other search engines charge advertisers on a price per click basis. That is, you pay only when a person clicks on your advertisement.
    But advertisers bid against each other to receive better placement. And the bidding price for each keyword changes. For example, the keywords - las vegas wedding – cost $2.28 last year, now it’s $3.42; first aid kits were $4.00, now they’re $6.00.
    So, you’re looking for a balance between popularity and cost of a keyword or keyword phrase. TopPayingKeywords.com provides keyword prices of the 400,000+ keywords with bid prices of $1 or more. Word Butler.com is another keyword selection source.
    Targeting also affects keyword selection and costs. Google’s Traffic Estimator focuses keyword selection upon both language and geography. You select countries, regions, and states, cities even areas customized by a radius, address or coordinates. Costs vary according to the options you select. That’s really cool!
    Surely, your website copywriter receives a briefing: lists of product and service features and benefits, promotional campaign info, rules about content tone-of-voice, logos, slogans and trademarks.
    But most likely you're not providing a keywords list. Do it!
    If you’re the copywriter, take a two-fold approach. Review the keywords list before writing copy. Don't let keywords block your thinking. Too often, the hardest part is starting to put thoughts in writing.
    Now, look at what you’ve written. Then compare with your keyword list. Find places where you can place words from the list.         Sometimes, it's a simple replacement; other times, you’ll change a complete phrase.
    Make this the rule: Keywords or phrases must be found within the web page content you’ve created! Otherwise their purpose is defeated.
    Find new ideas and marketing guidelines in Jack G Hardy's IDEA Vault.

Jack G Hardy