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.

See Bruce's author page for links to connect on social media.

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