[note note_color=”#c4fbe3″]Please note that recent changes in Google have made some parts of this article obsolete. We will be updating this article soon. Thank you.[/note]
Keyword research seems like a difficult task for someone that is not familiar with it but it is really easy. It has great impact on the success of your online presence. Spending time and effort to conduct keyword research, getting the search frequency, earnings, and other statistics enables you to produce quality articles or web contents.
Acquiring keyword research skills is very important to for search engine optimization and search engine marketing. Below are the easy steps on how to conduct keyword research:
1. Make a List of Your Keywords
Think of the many possible keywords that you plan to use in your write up. List them all in one column, one keyword or phrase per line.
In case you have finished writing your article or web content, go through the body of your article and list the keywords that you have used. Using keyword density software would make things easier for you.
Open this URL:
http://www.keywordanalyzer.org/
Avail of the free keyword density services that this site offers. This site computes the density of the words or phrases that you use repeatedly in your write up. It will generate the keywords and key phrases that you use in your write up based on the density or frequency of usage.
2. Find a Keyword Research Tool
Because keyword research software uses data from Google Adwords, it is just practical that you make use of the Google AdWords Keyword Tool in your keyword research. It could generate synonyms, searches statistics, competition in the market, and the estimated cost per click (CPC). So why not go straight to the source?
It used to be the Google AdWords Keyword Tool offering comprehensive information for keyword research purposes, including the competition in the market, the number of searches in the previous month for that keyword or phrase, and the estimated cost per click (or CPC) – which is the estimated amount of earnings you’ll receive every time an advertisement for that keyword is clicked.
Now, Google has rolled out the Google Adwords Keyword Planner, which can only be accessed through having a Google Adwords account.
To find the Google AdWords Keyword Tool, visit the address below:
https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal/
3. Conducting the Keyword Research
After you have entered the Google Adword:Keyword Tool page, start your keyword search by typing into the search box the keywords in your list. Under the “Find keywords” at the upper left portion of the page, you will find a box with a phrase “Word or phrase (one per line)” above it.
For keyword search practice purposes, just enter one keyword at a time. Later, you may want to try entering several keywords and see the results. Click on the “search” button, wait for a few seconds (or depending on your internet speed), and see the list of keywords in the “Keyword ideas” box that were generated.
Each “Keyword ideas” has data on “Competition”, “Global Monthly Searches”, “Local Monthly Searches”, and “Local Search Trends”.
Seeing the results of your keyword search, you will need to know the “Estimated Average CPC”. On the upper right corner of the “Keyword ideas” box, you will see the “column” button.
Click on this button and the “Customize columns” box will appear. Check the “Estimated Avg. CPC” check box and click on the “Save” button to generate the desired column. The higher the estimated value the more significant the keyword is.