How to Find Keywords and Keyphrases that People are Actually Using

You want your website to be “findable” in the search engines, but don’t have the budget to engage a high-powered SEO firm. Here’s a simple and effective way to select keywords and keyphrases yourself, with a little time spent on basic research.

Determine who you’re after. . .

• Think of the ONE person most likely to need what your web page or service is about.

• Erase from your mind all inside knowledge about your business, product, service, etc.

• Forget all the specialized terms known only to industry insiders.

Jump into the mind of the person. . .

• You are not a former customer, so you have no history or relationship.

• You have a definite need, challenge, desire, question or interest (that’s why you’re searching).

• You are about to type words into a Google search box in the hopes that it will guide you to a quick answer.

Ask yourself. . .

• What words or phrases would you type to get the results you want?

• Sometimes thinking about the “who, what, when, where, why or how” behind the searcher’s motivation will spark additional useful keywords and phrases.

Ask others. . .

• You’re not done! Ask your spouse, your Ex, your delivery man, you kids, your mailman, your pet-sitter, the merchant whose store you are in, people on the subway, past customers, etc. Ask everyone!

• Don’t prep them with background info, just tell them your basic goals. The less you say, the better results you will get.

• Remember, people are not always good spellers. Misspelled words can be a gold mine!

Explore your competition. . .