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The Right Keywords For Your Business. Make Or Break
Posted by
Sean Richards on the 19th of May, 2009
Posted in Internet Marketing, Search Engine Optimisation | 1 Comment ›
Sticks and stones may break our bones, however failing to research and select the right keywords for your website will really hurt your business’ chances to succeed online. In this article I take a close look at a real life example of what can happen if keyword selection if left to the client or an inexperienced web developer and how to avoid getting it wrong.
A Typical Instance Of When Things Can Go Wrong.
A friend approached me recently requesting some feedback on a proposed search engine optimisation (SEO) strategy for their new website which had been commissioned to a web design company not long ago. The pitch this web company made in order to win the web development contract leveraged off a proposed SEO strategy that would be included in the launch of the new website. The client however was concerned that the digital agency wasn’t following through on the SEO in their execution.
I agreed to look at the documentation the client’s web agency supplied and after skimming through the project brief I located the section on search engine optimisation. To my surprise it was rather detailed and appeared as though they had completed the preliminary keyword research they had promised, however I uncovered a major mistake. After consulting with the client to gain an insight into the core keywords that outlined the client’s services, the web agency had not made any further intelligent decisions of whether or not these words were really right for this client. They opted to trust the client’s knowledge of choosing the correct keywords for their website. No care had actually been taken to select the right keywords for their client and these mistakes were going to cost their client dearly. Here is the data they provided to the client:
| Key Word/s | Number of Results | Paid Advertising? | Congestion | Recommendation |
| Career | 16,000,000 | Yes | Heavy | Too Broad |
| Management | 64,300,000 | Yes | Extremely Heavy | Too Broad |
| Outplacement | 25,000 | Yes | Viable | Strong |
| Talent Development | 1,370,000 | Yes | Viable | Strong |
| Retention | 1,430,000 | Yes | Viable | Strong |
In the preliminary discussions held between the client and the web designers, the web agency did what most web companies do and suggest that the client provide them with a set of key services and keywords. The problem is that how is a client with little to absolutely no understanding going to be able to make an educated selection on what their website should be optimised for? So the client delivers a set of very broad keywords and phrases that would be difficult to optimise a small business website to compete for in the SERP’s.
Realising the unlikeliness that the website will be able to compete for these terms, the web agency suggest that the client should think of some “out of the box search terms “. I don’t understand how do they propose the client completes this for the following reasons. Does the client:
- Know how to use keyword research and analysis tools such as Google Keyword Research Tool and Word Tracker?
- Understand the science of selecting terms with high traffic and low competition?
Probably not. The web design firm simply explains to the client that it’s unlikely they will be able to compete for the term “Management”. What an amazing deduction, any suggestions?
Well actually there is one suggested keyword phase presented on behalf of this web design agency. “Personal Outplacement Solutions”. With a quick search on the tools mentioned above I located the value of this keyword to the client. Are you ready?
There was not one search performed over the last 4 years for this search term, anywhere in the world!
And this is their recommendation to their client. Wow!
Another Case Of “You Get What You Pay For”.
In my experience, most web design agencies offer some form of search engine optimisation, online marketing and Internet marketing, however they make it clear that this will not be included in the initial contract to design, build and deploy a website. The fact is however, of those offering these services, only a very small percentage can truly demonstrate their ability to generate a significant growth in leads and conversions from implementing a successful online marketing strategy. I can tell you that very few will have actually achieved a #1 position in the SERP’s for a competitive keyword or phase?
I did some consultation for my friend and prepared a more realistic and attainable list of keywords and search phrases for them to pass back to the web design agency.
How can I avoid this happening to me?
- It is difficult for a web agency to include this level of research and analysis without charging for it, so ensure that you question whether or not proper keyword research and analysis is included in the cost of building the website, or whether you are to provide these.
- Discover who is going to be in charge of the keyword research and analysis if it is included. The project brief document and SEO research I refer to earlier had been completed by an account manager, not an SEO or search engine marketing expert.
- If you are delegated the responsibility of providing the keywords to the web developer, please ensure that you use the Google Keyword Research Tool, Word Tracker or another keyword tool.
If you are serious about succeeding with an online marketing strategy, then select a Internet marketing company that can demonstrate results and speaks simple language. The search engines provide an amazing opportunity to generate traffic, leads and sales for your business, however to really succeed you need to maximise your chances by backing up an SEO strategy with a great website that converts this traffic into inquiries to your business and further.
Google recommends the following useful questions to ask an SEO:
- Can you show me examples of your previous work and share some success stories?
- Do you follow the Google Webmaster Guidelines?
- Do you offer any online marketing services or advice to complement your organic search business?
- What kind of results do you expect to see, and in what timeframe? How do you measure your success?
- What’s your experience in my industry?
- What’s your experience in my country/city?
- What’s your experience developing international sites?
- What are your most important SEO techniques?
- How long have you been in business?
- How can I expect to communicate with you? Will you share with me all the changes you make to my site, and provide detailed information about your recommendations and the reasoning behind them?
on the 13th of December, 2009 4:39 am
Keyword selection plays a vital role in determining what strategy to use in website promotion. There are several strategies available today to improve websites’ rankings and to promote businesses online. But there are things to avoid while doing this, and this post has pointed out some of the things that should be avoided.