This is a common question when it comes to choosing a quality keyword to target your chosen audience. There are several factors that come into play when keywords are selected:
- The Client : although you may know your industry inside and out, your client may not. Some clients don’t even know they need your services but have a specific issue, ailment, or query. For you, the term “Theory of relativity” may be an everyday term, but your potential clients may be searching for say “Einstein theory” or “E=mc2 equation”. Knowing what your client base is searching for is as important as optimal customer service.
- The Target : This might seem counterintuitive as the target is, technically, the client. However who is this client? Saying “I provide cupcakes” doesn’t narrow down who wants cupcakes. If you’re a Waterpark your target is parents with young children, if you’re a custom home builder your target will be high income individuals over say 35. There is a big difference in how a 40 year old and a 20 year old search the web. Knowing who your customer is, means knowing your target and being able to think as such.
- The Core of your Business : I bet you could write a book on all the aspects of your business. All the little gears that make your business clock tick minute after minute, hour after hour, day in and day out. But it would be costly to generate keywords for every little aspect of your business, or spreading your keywords too thin by trying to cover too much ground. The core of your business might be X, Y and Z, but you perform the rest of the alphabet. Targeting the core is the best way to get recognized for all you do without watering down your main message.
- Competition : How competitive is your industry? Some are naturally more competitive than others. If you’re looking to target a health trend as advertised on say Dr. Oz, chances are you may be lost at sea among millions of others competing in the same space. The best way to work within a competitive space is by coming in from different angles. If “Green tea pills” is too competitive a keyword circumventing this can be “Benefits of green tea pills”.
Of course there are many other factors that are thrown into the equation when keywords are generated. However, the most important factors in any venture is the client. So you have to figure out who they are, think like one, put out what they would be looking for, and circumvent the competition.