Keyword reasearch

[Turtleknife]

The best keyword tool is your imagination,

Software exists because of the fact that people cannot possibly come up with all related keywords themselves, so I think this is rather untrue, unless I miss your meaning here. To test this theory go to thesaurus.com and type in ANY word, but before you do try to "imagine" all the possible synonyms first. When that list shows up, you will be trounced by the software everytime. The situation is compounded even more with keywords as they are phrases, not just single words.

A suggestion was made above about using your google analytics data, and I must agree with that as you will find a LOT of great new keywords not just from your own website, but from competitors as well. This is however, after the fact strategy.

When building a new website you want to be on the ball right from your launch day. I am a keyword junkie and have ALL of tools for these, but the one I tend to rely on MOST is Market Samurai.

[emma_paynter]

I've only ever used AdWords Keyword Tool in the past, but I don't have a huge deal of experience. Might try a few of these tools.

[Randy Ray]

Here's the difference between using a tool and using your imagination. If you use a keyword tool, you'll be targeting the same keyword phrases that everyone else using that tool is using. If you use your imagination, you'll likely come up with phrases that don't duplicate what your competitors are doing.

Tools are great, and everyone should use them. But you should start with your own brain first, then move on to using tools.

Software exists because of the fact that people cannot possibly come up with all related keywords themselves, so I think this is rather untrue, unless I miss your meaning here. To test this theory go to thesaurus.com and type in ANY word, but before you do try to "imagine" all the possible synonyms first. When that list shows up, you will be trounced by the software everytime. The situation is compounded even more with keywords as they are phrases, not just single words.

A suggestion was made above about using your google analytics data, and I must agree with that as you will find a LOT of great new keywords not just from your own website, but from competitors as well. This is however, after the fact strategy.

When building a new website you want to be on the ball right from your launch day. I am a keyword junkie and have ALL of tools for these, but the one I tend to rely on MOST is Market Samurai.

[Turtleknife]

LoL. Ok. Well at first I thought I might have misunderstood you, now I think you are just talking flabberschmidt! (This is an imaginative keyword I came up with to replace more vulgar descriptives of your explanation.)

Here's the difference between using a tool and using your imagination. If you use a keyword tool, you'll be targeting the same keyword phrases that everyone else using that tool is using.

Flabberschmidt! Actually, keyword software helps you uncover phrases that have very little competition, hence the research. By the time YOU think of something, Google has already been there collecting the data.

If you use your imagination, you'll likely come up with phrases that don't duplicate what your competitors are doing.

Again this is flabberschmidt, because if you "imagine" keywords first, those are VERY likely the ones that have LOTS of competition. Do you remember the last time you thought of a great new domain name while taking a walk in the park? You get so excited then you get home, load up godaddy and to your utter disappointment every version of that domain name is held by some schmuck waiting for a bid.

Tools are great, and everyone should use them. But you should start with your own brain first, then move on to using tools.

This is only partly flabberschmidt, because of course, they are both great. This is coming from someone who has 1.5 million+ youtube views based largely on creative production techniques. Use the keyword software to help juice up your creativity and you will find your production much more, well, productive.

[Michael Martinez]

Randy is right, friend. Get off the SEO tools.

[Mark]

Other great sources for keywords are:

- following Twitter trending topics in your niche
- reading poker forums to see what players are talking about.

Mark

[Turtleknife]

Other great sources for keywords are:

- following Twitter trending topics in your niche

Thanks. Mark can you elaborate on how you use twitter trends?

[Mark]

Thanks. Mark can you elaborate on how you use twitter trends?

Sure. Trending topics on twitter are signified with a hashtag (#). So if someone posts something regarding #gmail for instance, it will show you the latest tweets about what people are saying regarding Gmail. This will help give you an idea about what's happening right now and what people are discussing right now about a particular topic.

For poker or online poker, you can get an idea of what people are discussing and also pull out some interesting potential keywords to target based on this. #online poker: #online poker - Twitter Search

Simply go to search.twitter.com and do some searches.

Hope that helps.

Mark

[doovde]

If you are using your own brain to come up with content or articles then you are much more likely to be providing the vistors to your website with information they actually want.

Writing an article with the title of some keywords that the tools spit out can be more or less impossible at times.

How many webmasters do you think have wordtracker or use google adwords?

Generating your own content often brings traffic for phrases you didn't expect to get traffic for allowing you to develop your site even further.

[Turtleknife]

Sure. Trending topics on twitter are signified with a hashtag (#). So if someone posts something regarding #gmail for instance, it will show you the latest tweets about what people are saying regarding Gmail. This will help give you an idea about what's happening right now and what people are discussing right now about a particular topic.

For poker or online poker, you can get an idea of what people are discussing and also pull out some interesting potential keywords to target based on this. #online poker: #online poker - Twitter Search

Simply go to search.twitter.com and do some searches.

Hope that helps.

Mark

Yes TYVM. Never knew how to use the "#".