Generic Keywords

Figuring out your branded keywords is easy. But if consumers aren't familiar with the name of your company or products, you must rely on generic keywords to get people to your web site. Even corporations that want to expand into new markets need to promote keywords that are related to their business but aren't names of specific brands.

A good generic term list contains popular words. (There's no point in buying "underwater basket weaving" if nobody is looking for it. Although oddly enough, there were 224 searches for this phrase on the Overture network in September 2003. Go figure.) However, your list needs to be narrow enough that you won't pay for junk traffic. (If your company sells scuba gear, "water" is too broad to deliver customers cost-effectively.) The following guidelines will help you develop a list to target potential customers.

Themes

In all likelihood , your web site is about one theme, one topic. Within your site you have subthemes, or secondary themes. Assume Red Mountain Spa's overall theme is "spa." Perhaps "fitness spa" and "resort spa" are their secondary themes. All three keyword phrases are good considerations for advertising (and optimization) efforts.

When you create your keyword universe, think of words people use to refer to the same thing (a thesaurus helps). For example, Red Mountain Spa clients might associate a "spa" with resort, vacation, trip, holiday, retreat, hotel, lodge, or inn. "Fitness" to their clients may mean health, weight loss, strength, exercise, work out, training, sports, body conditioning, stress reduction, or any number of related terms. Mix and match your words to form innovative phrases.

Don't worry about trying to narrow your list yet. Brainstorm keywords that relate to your business. You'll be able to expand your keyword universe while creating more targeted phrases in subsequent steps; an initial list of 10 ‚ 25 single words or phrases at this stage is fine. If you've already prepared additional ideas, great!

Popularity Check

With your basic list of keywords in hand, verify that people are actually looking for your keywords before you incorporate these into your search engine advertising (or optimization) campaigns .

Fortunately, there are several free and fee-based tools that reveal how many searches are performed for your keywords. Better yet, these tools reveal the multiple-word phrases people type along with your primary word. In each of the tools, I queried "spa" to research phrases for Red Mountain Spa.

Important

Keep in mind that a percentage of searches come from software robots, not people. Although keyword tools generally filter these queries, some robot activity may slip by, making the numbers reported on the high side.

Overture's Search Term Suggestion Tool

Overture's Search Term Suggestion Tool has been the basic tool in the search engine marketer's toolkit for years , and it's a good one that is also free. Type in your keyword(s) and see what people searched for last month using that word. Figure 3.3 shows the number of searches in September 2003 for the word "spa." These searches occurred on the Overture network, which includes searches performed on their partner sites such as Yahoo!, AltaVista, Info Space, and MSN.

Figure 3.3. Overture's Search Term Suggestion Tool shows keyword phrase that include the word "spa," and how many people queried those phrases in September 2003.

Recent changes make this tool a bit more challenging to use. Previously, Overture displayed exact searches. Now, it shows the words within a phrase in alphabetical order ‚ some of the time. Nobody types "discount disneyland military"; people probably type "disneyland military discount." But Overture's new way of displaying the results requires that you think about how a human would run a keyword search because on most search engines you'll buy an exact phrase. And in optimization, the order of the keywords in a phrase also matters. Unfortunately, because Overture is running several databases, this format isn't always consistent, adding confusion for those of us using this tool.

Secondly, Overture has removed "filler" words such as "a" or "the" from the displayed phrases. And now it shows only the singular form of the word, even if more searches are conducted for a plural form. Because Overture no longer shows exact search results, you'll need to evaluate this data or double-check it against another keyword tool.

Google AdWords Keyword Suggestion

Unlike Overture, Google won't show you the number of searches for keywords. But this tool gives you two important pieces of information:

• It recommends similar keywords that may apply to your business. It's a computer thesaurus in that regard.

• It displays the keywords for which your ad will appear, if you buy the one you queried.

By default, Google's AdWords program groups other keyword phrases that are related to the one you purchased. Google refers to this feature as a broad match . This saves advertisers time setting up listings for additional keywords. But be careful! Most of the time, you won't want a portion of the keywords Google automatically adds to your campaign through their broad-matching technology. Unrelated keywords drop the profitability of your overall campaign drastically if people click your listing but don't complete an action. Be sure to read the Google AdWords FAQ page on keyword-matching options. Figure 3.4 shows several keyword phrases for which the marketer's ad will appear if "spa" is purchased in Google AdWords.

Figure 3.4. Google's AdWords Keyword Suggestion also provides keyword phrase ideas and shows you for which additional keyword phrases your listing will appear. "Spa" was used in this example.

Related or Refined Searches

Several search engines show you searches that are related to the one queried (see Figure 3.5). This not only helps web surfers who want to find more exact web site listing results, but also assists marketers who want additional keyword ideas for their ad campaigns. AltaVista, Ask Jeeves, and Yahoo! are just a few of the search engines that offer this feature. Look for the related search ideas just under the Open Search field. Or look for links entitled "related searches" or "refined search."

Figure 3.5. Several search engines or directories, such as Yahoo!, offer a "related search" or "refined search" for keyword phrase ideas.

Third-Party Tools

Third-party tools are available that combine or compare the keyword activity data provided by the search engines. Good Keywords (www.goodkeywords.com) and WordTracker (www.wordtracker.com) are two such programs. The first is free software for Windows. WordTracker offers a free trial and several subscription options.

Microsoft bCentral clients who subscribe to its search engine marketing service (called Submit It!) gain access to a keyword research tool that queries activity from its own engine, MSN Search. As shown in Figure 3.6, Microsoft's tool also recommends which phrases to consider for page optimization efforts based on the ratio of searches to the number of listings competing for that phrase. Unfortunately, this feature of Submit It! doesn't reveal in which timeframe the searches occurred, so again, it's helpful to utilize more than one keyword tool for data comparison. The URL for this site is http://www.submit-it.com.

Figure 3.6. Microsoft bCentral's search engine submission service (Submit It!).

Word Stemming

Generally, word stemming is a topic discussed within optimization circles. It refers to the capability of a search engine to include the root stem of a keyword. For example, if a web designer optimizes a site page for "swimming," the page may get ranked for the root "swim" by search engines that support word stemming.

It's different for paid listings. Most of the time, you must buy the variations of your keyword. If you want "swimming" and "swim," you'll have to buy both of them; each can have different fees. The exception is singular versus plural forms of words. Check with each search engine you select to see if they treat this as one media buy or two. You may want one or both forms.

Web Analytics Reports

Are you using WebTrends, HitBox, Urchin, ClickTracks, or another web analytics program to evaluate your web site traffic? Most of these programs display "referral" data reports on how visitors find your site; traffic from search engines is included. Study the top keywords that drive traffic to your site. (Figure 3.7 shows a sample report from Urchin.)

Figure 3.7. Look in the "referral" data of your web analytics reports for keywords that are already sending you traffic from organic search engine listings. This is a sample snapshot from Urchin.

Urchin's keyword referral data includes "organic" or "natural" listings (from optimization efforts) as well as paid listings. If you're not yet buying keywords, you'll see what results your SEO efforts are generating. Depending on how much visibility your site has achieved for organic listings, consider buying these terms using paid placement programs. Gather even low-traffic terms; when purchased together the resulting boost in overall site visits is a nice surprise.

Tip

If you don't host your web site in-house, ask your Internet service provider (ISP) if they offer web traffic reporting. Often ISPs have the software installed but only run reports when asked. Otherwise, the stored log files and reports take up space on their servers.

But beware ‚ if you're not optimizing your web site, then there are a bunch of relevant keywords that won't show up in web analytics reports. That's because your most desirable words are competitive. You'll need an optimization strategy to land top rankings and capture referrals from highly- coveted keywords. A web analytics report won't reveal the critical terms that you should use, but aren't.

Profiling Your Competitors

Your competitors are great sources of keywords. There are two simple ways to observe what's working for them:

• First, browse their web site. Do any of their words relate to your business, too? Good keywords are often staring right at you!

• Second, look at meta data in their web pages: meta title, meta keywords, and meta description. Most companies place their keywords here, hoping it's the magic pill for securing a top position. Simply putting keywords in meta data without optimizing the site design won't improve a company's ranking. But your competition might not know that. Hopefully, they've included a nice list of keywords for you to evaluate.

To review your competitors' meta data, start on their web site home page. From your browser toolbar, click on "View" and then select "Source." Voil ƒ ! As in Figure 3.8, you'll spot their keywords, if they're using meta tags, near the top of the page.

Figure 3.8. View your competitors' keywords by looking at their source code. A competitor to Red Mountain Spa may be Canyon Ranch, as shown here.

What if you've launched a new business and don't know who your competitors are? Look up a generic keyword that relates to your business in Google, AlltheWeb, or another search engine. Click the web site links that aren't under a "sponsored listing" heading. These top positions aren't given to the highest bidder; these companies are optimizing their sites. Chances are, these companies have keywords in their meta data that'll apply to your web site.

Not all sites ranked for your keywords are competitors. For example, a hot tub manufacturer and a resort want their sites to appear for "spa," but they aren't direct business competitors. Industry-related sites are also good sources of keyword ideas.

Features, Benefits, and Solutions

It's time to return to the unique selling points you identified in your marketing campaign foundation. There are critical keywords hiding in your list. Realize that your future customers have a problem and want a company to provide the solution. Perhaps they don't know the product or service they need but they know what feature or benefit has to be included. Or, maybe they figure if they look for the solution, an appropriate provider will appear.

Draw three columns on a piece of paper and label them as "features," "benefits," and "solutions," as shown in Table 3.1. Brainstorm keywords for each. This exercise reveals copy ideas you can use for your web site, brochures , direct mail promotions, and other marketing materials.

Table 3.1. Example for Red Mountain Spa

Features	Benefits	Solutions
Over 35 weekly fitness classes (e.g., aqua circuit, cardio kickbox, yoga)	body conditioning gain energy improve flexibility lose weight reduce stress	fitness-focused vacation fitness activities are all-inclusive personal training option

Customer Survey

Which keywords are currently being queried by your potential customers? Ask your current ones to find out. Take an informal survey the next time you're on the phone with a client, or if your account managers maintain regular client communication, have them ask. Another option is to send out a company email to your best customers and ask them what keywords they would use to find your company on search engines.

If you haven't tracked this information before, a customer survey, however it's distributed, will shed light on the keyword journey your prospects are traveling. During one of their upcoming searches, your ad listing could appear, beckoning them to your web site.

Regional Targeting

For local companies, including a regional word as part of the keyword phrase is a must. Why promote "catering" services if your business only serves southern California cities? Many people do search for service-focused companies by a specific geographic location (see Figure 3.9). But even if you manage a national company, you can incorporate regional phrases into your media buy to really hit a narrow market. Better yet, your advertising fees will be low because they're not in high demand by other advertisers.

Figure 3.9. Incorporate regional keywords into your phrases if applicable . Notice the cities queried with the word "catering" for this example.

Industries with regional targeting potential:

• Amusement parks

• Event or construction rental companies

• Community web sites

• Florists

• Home contractors and suppliers

• Hospitals

• Hotels

• Museums

• Pet supply and service organizations

• Physicians and medical practitioners

• Real estate agents and agencies

• Religious centers

• Restaurants

• Wedding shops

A keyword search for "catering" using Overture's Search Term Suggestion Tool reveals the cities and even countries in which people request this service. The companies savvy to search engine advertising are already buying these regional keywords. As shown in Figure 3.10, on Overture there are four sponsors of "toronto catering." No doubt by the time you run a search on these phrases, the number of sponsors will have increased since I ran this search.

Figure 3.10. Regional keyword advertising is catching on. There are already four companies bidding on "toronto catering" on Overture.

Industry Jargon

In general, don't use industry jargon in your web site copy or search engine advertising campaigns. It's easy to forget that your customers aren't working in your field. Whereas it's natural to use industry terminology with colleagues and vendors , slang may scare off potential customers who feel intimidated by their unfamiliarity with your vocabulary.

Now I'm going to contradict myself . Although you don't want to fill your ad listings with lingo that seems confusing to people outside of your industry, it's a good idea to buy these keywords. If people enter your industry jargon into a search engine, you'll be happy to reach educated prospects. These site visitors are one step closer to making a purchase ‚ and hopefully, from your company.

Consider the case of Eddie Osterland, a Master Sommelier (someone who has passed the Master Sommelier Diploma by the Guild of Master ‚ he's a wine expert ‚ sounds like a dream job to me). Eddie's primary goal was to book more speaking engagements. I suggested a $50 test campaign on Overture. He bought "wine" and "speaker"-related phrases. Although it wasn't a presentation request, within four days of the campaign being live, Eddie was offered a job at $60,000 ‚ 70,000 per year ‚ from a recruiter who searched for the phrase "master sommelier" and found his web site listing. Wow, quick response! I figured that with few searches for this phrase, there wouldn't be enough traffic to produce any leads. I was wrong. This experience proved to me that obscure industry terms can be winners.

It's important to choose narrowly-focused keywords to reach your target audience. Plus, exact phrases are usually less expensive than broad, single words because fewer organizations can be associated with them. For instance, fewer companies can market themselves for "wine expert" than for "wine."

Search engine users are also becoming more sophisticated; they're using multiple-word phrases. According to a 2003 study by OneStat.com, shown in Figure 3.11, only about 25% of queries are for single words. Although I still recommend running a short-term test on very relevant single words on your list because there are always surprises , most probably won't perform well. If your primary goal is to use search engine advertising for branding purposes, however, then single keywords can deliver your message to a targeted audience, even if your click-through rate isn't very high.

Figure 3.11. Multiple-word phrase searches are on the rise, as indicated in OneStat.com's study. Buy phrases to reach new customers.

Following are some sample generic keywords for Red Mountain Spa:

• adventure trip

• adventure vacation

• all inclusive resort

• all inclusive vacation

• couples resort

• desert vacation

• fitness resort

• fitness resort spa

• fitness spa

• fitness spa center

• fitness spa vacation

• fitness vacation

• healing center

• healing place

• health and fitness spa

• health and healing

• health hotel spa

• health resort spa

• health spa

• las vegas spa

• meditation retreat

• mountain resort

• mountain spa resort

• national park utah

• national park vacation

• new age health spa

• saint george utah

• spa

• spa package

• spa resort

• spa vacation

• spa weekend

• spiritual retreat

• sports trip

• sports vacation

• st george utah

• travel to utah

• utah state park

• utah vacation

• vacation resort

• weight loss health spa

• yoga retreat

• yoga vacation

Based on the marketing campaign foundation set forth earlier in this book for Red Mountain Spa, a few of these keywords appear to be a perfect match: "fitness resort spa" and "mountain spa resort," for example. Some terms are a stretch, but because they relate to vacation travel, they have the potential of delivering new customers cost-effectively to Red Mountain Spa. A solid keyword universe for this resort would include an expanded list to address other target markets, as well as Red Mountain Spa's other services or products.

Your keyword list is long, right? Good. You can certainly cut words that you believe are too broad for your intended audience. But if the advertising fees are low, you may as well start with an extensive list to test the profitability of each keyword. With constant monitoring of your campaigns initially, it's easy to delete the keywords that aren't converting into sales.

Sometimes, you'll have the right keyword, but the wrong ad copy. The next chapter focuses on copywriting techniques to maximize your click-through rate among your target audience ‚ while being surrounded by a sea of competitors.