Hitwise, Michael Wamsley on Keyword Research, SMX Sydney
Michael is the MD for Hitwise, one of the pre-eminent competitive intelligence providers in Australia. Michael will be elaborating on one of the most vital topics in SEM; Keyword research.
Search engines account for 10% of all website traffic in Australia. Google has a market share of around 83% in Australia. Facebook is the top brand searched for, while ‘games’ is the most searched generic term. Best case scenario for keyword research is when there is a high correlation between website terms and customer terms.
Elements to consider when trying to find the right keywords:
- Consider multiple angles
- Build the most comprehensive list from internal and external sources
- Conduct a GAP analysis
- Evaluate how effective terms are in driving traffic to your site
- Consider the Luntz factor (what you think people are searching for as opposed to what people are actually searching for)
- Consider seasonality when evaluating terms i.e. Christmas, Mother’s Day etc.
- Be cognizant of changing market forces, changing behaviors and booking cycles
- Create a keyword value chart to find your longtail terms
- Avoid general terms – the more targeted the term the higher the ROI
- Put yourself in the customer’s shoes when seeking keywords
- Target local markets
- Check out your competition
- Look for variations i.e. misspellings, plurals and synonyms
- Understand who is leveraging misspellings of your brand in the search engines
- In Australia it is possible to protect your brand
- Add descriptive and action words to your keywords
Ultimately its all about relevance, poor keywords reduce ROI, have a poor quality score and can effect brand reputation. Test, test, test and refine your keywords to unitl they are optimal.
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- Keyword Research using Google Products
- Keyword Research, Selection and Optimization: PubCon Vegas 2007
- Keyword Research and Analysis
- Keyword Research, Selection and Optimization: PubCon Vegas 2008
