Keyword Analysis and Your Website

One of the most important steps of search engine optimization is keyword analysis. Search engine optimizers begin their SEO efforts by doing an extensive keyword analysis, and then move on to other aspects. Understanding how keyword analysis affects

search engine optimization requires coming to grips with what keyword analysis really is, followed by a crash course in how to carry it out.

All organic searches on Google are triggered by entries by users. Specific search queries contain relevant words known as keywords. For example, all three words in “Florida home foreclosure” form a single keyword, and the phrase ‘home foreclosure’ is also a keyword. Your website must be optimized for sets of keywords; the choice which ones to target is influenced by keyword analysis.

Google has a tool known as the Google AdWords keyword tool, which can be easily used by anyone for keyword analysis. Additional software is used to generate a comprehensive report on each keyword. Keyword analysis typically will include the popularity of specified keywords, the number of search queries for the keywords and record of the keyword’s search history over a period of time.

A SEO will base his or her his choice of keywords not just on statistics, but on trends and current events as well as season and other factors. Even very specific keywords (known as a niche keywords) can help increase traffic to a website. For example, a dentist’s website should be optimized for keywords like “dental care”, but a smart search engine optimizer will also optimize a website for “dental health, invisible braces” and so on because people will search for these as well. Keyword selection is not just based on stats and figures; you have to get inside the heads of the people you are trying to attract.

Search engine optimizers usually base their keyword selection on more than one targeted group, and effective keyword analysis should take into account the advertising competition for each keyword. The higher the advertising competition and payout per click, the more competitive a keyword usually is.

Optimizing a website for competitive keywords can take years. For example, the first few websites that come up for the keyword “home loan” have established links and insane PageRank, making them very hard to beat. better to try ‘Home loan Santa Barbara’ or ‘home loans for newlyweds.”

In conclusion, keyword analysis should take into account the following:

• Number of searches
• Advertising competition
• Possibilities as a niche keyword

Search engine optimization is based on keywords, and if a search engine optimizer chooses the wrong set of keywords to target then all of your work will be for nothing!