How to choose ideal keywords for your website

If you surf the Internet quite frequently and are part of forums; I’m sure you’ve probably heard of people claiming how much traffic their website has received after ranking higher on Google or Yahoo. You may also hear from someone who has had similar rankings, but no traffic to their site. You might wonder how this could happen; Simple, the first person selected an ideal keyword or phrase that a lot of people are searching for and the second person is not. Keywords are the foundation of your website’s success, but many website owners overlook keyword research when building their site. Keywords are critical to an effective online business, and without diligent research, you could be doing more harm than good.

I’m sure you’re wondering, what is a good keyword anyway? Well, there are many factors; the most important is the number of people searching for that specific keyword and also the number of websites offering information on it. I like to think of this in terms of supply and demand; if the demand is high and the supply is low, it is a good opportunity for you. What this means is that the more people search for your keywords, the better, and the fewer websites that offer information about them, the better.

Next, you are probably wondering how I choose the ideal keyword for my website. There are many ways to find high-demand keywords, and many keyword tools exist to help you do it. If you have done any kind of research online regarding keywords; I am sure you have come across many free tools like Google Keyword Tool or Bing Keyword Tool. There are also many paid tools offered. Generally speaking, good keywords are the “long-tail keywords”; For example, don’t target the word “golf” if your website is about golf; there is too much competition; Instead of searching for a keyword phrase like “cure my slice of golf” there will be a lot less competition.

Here are some techniques you can use to help you optimize your pages for the keywords people are searching for.

1. Think about who your target audience is and what will be the main focus of your website.

2. Brainstorm keywords that relate to the topic of your website by writing down words and phrases that you think people might type into search engines when searching for your site. Remember to check these keywords for the competition on the Google Keyword Tool or WordTracker.

3. Place one to three related keywords or keyword phrases that are site-specific on each page.

4. Use your keywords throughout your website, as well as in your title and tags, but don’t go crazy, every word should not be a keyword.

It is important that you understand that keywords are all about relevance. If a keyword is relevant to your website and what you are promoting, you will most likely see a positive ROI. Good keywords can make the difference between your page being found in web searches or getting lost in cyberspace. Choosing the ideal keyword will drive more traffic to your website.