SEO Guide
Ok folks, I am currently studying to become an SEO Specialist and to get SEO Certified, so I figured I would document my SEO Study Guide each time I work on a new chapter. I will start by making SEO keypoints and then turn it into a study guide. In due time, I will offer my clients an online SEO Test and they can also become SEO Certified. Ok, lets begin.
Chapter 1: Keyword research
The first thing we want you to do is choose 100 keywords that will represent your website and that will allow you to perform an SEO campaign for the keywords you choose. Ok, once you do that, pick the top 20 – 40 keywords or keyphrases you want to optimize your website for.
To launch a successful keyword campaign you will want to use these for future onpage optimization, website submissions, directory submissions and link exchanges.
Note: It is easier to optimize a keyword phrase (2 or 3 words) and even easier to choose longer phrases which will have less competion and convert to quick sales. You will choose these phrases based off what someone would type into Google or other search engines.
Choosing Keywords
We will devide this into 2 steps:
- Make a huge list of keywords.
- Sort them out and choose the profitable keywords.
So, now it is time to brainstorm and make a list of every word and phrase that someone might use to find the service your site offers. Make sure to ask others what words they would use to. It is very good to ask someone that is not in your profession what they would use too!
Use Excel and put each word phrase on a line because you will use this to calculate other results later. Use the single words first then develop the phrases by combining them focusing on phrases someone will use to find your site using one of the search engines.
Keyword Variations: Think of other words that mean the same thing and try to focus on profession versions and gender or age group versions.
Free tools
Once you develop a good list of around 40 words and phrases, use the search engine database’s to find what people have actually Searched for.
Wordtracker (http://www.wordtracker.com/) That’s a paid service for regular use, but it offers the benefit of a free version, which can be used to complete your keyword research if you are fairly organized.
Free Wordtracker (http://freekeywords.wordtracker.com/) is almost equally useful as the paid one. If you enter your main keyword, Wordtracker lists out suggestions for other popular search terms that contain that particular word or phrase. However, like any free tool, it has a few downsides. For instance, it won’t store your keywords for future use, it only gives you 100 suggestions and lets you get suggestions for just one word at a time.
Google’s Keyword Tool (https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal) Quite a useful thing. Select to generate keyword ideas with Descriptive Words or Phrases. Enter a keyword for the start and go ahead to get a nice list of keywords.
Keyword Discovery (http://www.keyworddiscovery.com/search.html) This search term suggestion tool can also be quite helpful, as long as it’s free. The drawback is again, that you can only ask for suggestions for one keyword at a time, and won’t be able to check more than 100 keywords daily. Besides, like the rest of free tools, it won’t store your keywords for the future.
Spy on competitors
Choose a keyword phrase you would like to compete for and enter it in google’s search field. Copy your competitors URL and open up the google keyword tool.
Choose the option to generate keyword ideas using the website’s content, and paste the competitor’s URL in.
Now wait a few minutes, and Google will show you a great list of keywords your competition is using. After that one finishes, check the next website and do the same thing and watch the keyword list grow.
When applicable, don’t forget to use mispelled words!
Winning the Localized Search
Make sure you have your area optimized and if someone searches for your service in a specific area, your visitors will find you for the localized search term. (Also, when applicable, submit your site and real address to localized search directories).
Do keyword Variations matter?
Most search engines make the distinction with word variations, so make sure you use variations of keywords, but keep your sitewide words/phrases optimized!
Option 2 begins here