Keyword Research is DRIVING ME CRAZY! What is your secret?

[Markus Nimocks]

In the past I've wasted countless hours developing sites only to discover there was either not enough traffic or too much competition. So I'm onboard now and understand I have to research like crazy.

The problem is: I HATE IT. Keyword research is just so boring that I have a hard time staying focused long enough to fine a niche or figure out the best keywords for it. Maybe I'm doing it wrong, or maybe all the tips I've read make it seem easier than it is.

So, mighty Warriors, what is your secret?

-- What tips and techniques can you share?
-- What product or WSO or free eBook can you recommend to help?
-- What websites or software do you love?

I can handle all the technical stuff just fine, but this keyword stuff is makin' me crazy!

Thanks in advance!

[lstoops]

That's funny cause I love it. Here is a very quick overview of what I do when I build a niche blog. First, I brainstorm markets that will be around for a long time (money is being spent) and then enter the broadest term into the Google Keyword Tool and search for related terms.

I make sure I have many long tail related keywords. Gather keywords from the tool and go to Google and enter them in to see what the first three results look like, see what the ads look like, I also look at allintitle (anything under 10K is good to me). I look at affiliate ads.

It's a time consuming process. But once you know what to look for it moves pretty quickly.

[Michael Mason]

Yep, keyword research does tend to be a long boring process. In my opinion, it is the single most important part of the process though. You have to find long-tail keywords with high search volumes and low competition, either using the term in quotes or using the allintitle tags.

If you want to do your own keyword research, you can use the Google keyword tool since it is free and for me has been pretty accurate. I have heard good reviews of Micro Niche Finder (about $97) if you want to use that to make research a little easier. I have also heard good reviews of a new tool called Market Samurai (I think that's what it is called).

If you don't want to do your own research you have a few options. Find somebody that does have MNF and pay them to do research for you. There are some people in the WSO section that offer keyword lists too.

You have been a member here a few years now, so I'm going to assume that you are experienced and making some regular money. Investing in keyword research tools or paying somebody else to help with research sounds like a good idea to me. Good luck!

[Christopher R Everson]

My secret?

I don't use it.

I'm successful, go figure.

It has its merits, but overall I feel that the entire concept behind keyword research (other than its micro-management benefits) seems to drive people away from larger, more profitable markets for a fear of competition, and into smaller, less profitable markets where you can "dominate".

I'd rather 1% of a city than 100% of an office.

[glenngillen]

I quite enjoy it. Admittedly it often takes much longer to do thoroughly than I anticipate, but it's still enjoyable none the less. My process is generally along the lines of:

- Use the Google tool to start brainstorming
- Build an initial keyword matrix of keyword "themes" based on my first pass. Use that to help map out the structure and hierarchy of my site
- Use Wordtracker to drill down further into the tail to find my long tail terms
- Use the WT keyword questions tool to find some content ideas that will work as good link bait on sites like digg

I bought Market Samurai when it first came out and loved it initially, I find myself rarely using it these days. I'm not entirely sure why, I think I've just found many of the metrics not as useful as I thought or just plain misleading. I've also built a customer system for aggregating and organising my lists of keywords from disparate sources like Google and Wordtracker.

Hope that helps,

Glenn

[madison_avenue]

Markets are always changing. The keyword tools are often skewed sometimes the numbers are deliberately manipulated. These tools are not the holy grail and should always be taken with pinch of salt.

The real test is will you be able, motivated and committed enough to provide compelling content for your chosen market. If the answer is yes you will more often then not be successful.

[Charles Washington]

Originally Posted by Christopher R Everson

My secret?

I don't use it.

I'm successful, go figure.

I'd rather 1% of a city than 100% of an office.

That s interesting. I decided to build a blog in the Finance and foreclosure market, and monetize it with adsense. As youi know, that is a crazy competitive niche, but I wanted to give it a try.

I wrote about 5 articles, and used some PLR. I submitted the original articles to EZA, and so far I have made about $15 in adsense off of like - 10 clicks.

It was a fun test. But it shows that you can compete a little in big niches.

Now, I have a blog that I can sell that has built traffic and revenue. It only took a week to get that revenue.

And I am a complete noob!

[scottparat]

Hey Rich

I can appreciate your frustration with keywords.....I've been doing this a long time and always had a mental block when it came to keywords.

I purchased keyword lists, I purchased just about every keyword tool that came out and I grabbed as many ebooks as I could that had anything to do with keywords and keyword research.

I felt like a complete keyword idiot and was embarrassed to ask any questions.

What finally pulled everything together for me was James Jones' MicroNicheFinder keyword tool!

You can easily identify long tailed keywords, find keywords that you can get on page 1 of google with little effort. These would be keywords with low search volume....anywhere from 100 to 1000 searches a month along with a very small number of competing webpages for the terms you're looking at.

I even use the tool to find keywords to use in my blog posts. I used it to find a longtailed keyword in a couple of blog posts that I put together to promote your ebook...computer secrets unleashed

MicroNicheFinder comes with a series of tutorials that really help you to understand keyword research....and James is really good when it comes to support.

I'm pretty sure the main url is Micro Niche Finder. (always happy to provide an affiliate link for anyone in need )

I put together a squidoo lense that allows you to directly view about 8 video tutorials at:
MicroNicheFinder Discovers Long Tailed Keywords

One of the videos I did, its pretty long but shows how to use MiroNicheFinder and review sites from the WSO section.

Don't want to sound too hypey, but this tool really changed things for me so its one of those things that really works and its hard not to get excited about it.

Good luck

Scott

[Rick G]

First, I go to Google and start typing in some basic search terms for a niche, then Google will suggests some search terms, I pick one then I look at the bottom of the page results at the Searches related to:

for more suggestions. this will give you a good start.

Rick

[markdsullivan]

Google free keyword tool, Market Samurai thats my secret lol

[CurtisN]

KwBrowse.com - A Keyword Map For the Whole Internet

Go here, type in a general term, and this site will work some crazy voodoo magic and give you awesome niche ideas

[Karen Newton]

Originally Posted by markdsullivan

Google free keyword tool, Market Samurai thats my secret lol

Wow that's pretty funky you posted this today, right after I got done watching a video over at Caroline Middlebrook's blog (Making a Living Online with Caroline Middlebrook ) on a great twist to use Market Samurai with Google keyword tool.

I have and really like using Market Samurai but until I saw her video it was pretty blurry for me!

Anyways - I've never heard of her until today when I just happened to find her blog, and love it! Wonder if she's a Warrior??

Regarding KW research, there are so many styles and methods. What it boils down to is what keywords are your top competitors ranking for? Then go after those and the long tail versions of those. Don't rely too heavily on any one single KW tool. I use a few including Googles, M Samurai, Free Wordtracker and the Gold Digger that comes with Brute Force SEO.

For now anyways.. I am hearing loads about micro niche finder so it's very tempting to look into... (runs away and stashes wallet faaaaar out of reach)!

[MemberWing]

Free Google keywords tool, sort results by "cost per click" descending.

Dat's your target money making keywords.

If you'll get high on organics for these keywords but wouldn't have an idea how to monetize them - cash rich advertisers will find you

Gleb

[derrickp]

You shouldn't do it if you hate it. You should find a company to do it for you. The cost is minimal and you can get it done in half the time it would take you.

If you do decide to do it on your own you should look at the Google Keywords Tool, Wordtracker and another tool I recommend Micro Niche Finder. This way you can compare what these tools say for a specific keyword. No one tool is 100% accurate(even Google's tools) so you try to get an average.

Then go to Google Trends and see what the trend is for your word(s). Most words will remain consistent traffic wise year after year(unlike some people said above), unless of course it is some fad(fads are great for quick income spikes), but if you want something long term avoid the fad keywords.

Finally go visit Ezinearticles.com and put your keyword into their search box... Look for articles that is found for your keyword. This will help you gauge interest in your keyword and see if it really is getting traffic(this is especially true for long tail words). Ezinearticles articles often will rank high in Google(obviously you can verify this) and it will give you an idea that if it is ranking high how much traffic the article received.

This is great for letting you know before you invest time and money into getting a high ranking.

Overall there are a few things additional you can do but I don't want to have a 5 mile long post but I hope this helps.

After you do enough research often times you will get gut feelings about keywords, niches and traffic and surprisingly it is often fairly accurate.

Derrick

[KevinDasilva]

Hey Rich,

I made a whole video for a couple of people on my "Mastermind Team"...

Its free, No Opt-in or anything like that AT ALL...

I actually will be rebuilding this site for a launch with New Name and all in a few weeks so this site really is NOT setup "fully" yet, but I had uploaded some videos and articles and stuff and you are more than welcome to watch em' all..

I hope this helps and there are some sick tools that NO ONE TALKS ABOUT ANYWHERE! Keep em' our secret since this will be apart of my course...

Let me know what you think about the tools. As for the formula, I didn't lay it out as a "Step-by-Step" cuz it was for some team members but there are 7 tools that you will love for sure....

Update:: Here's the link...

eliteinternetmarketers.com/Ultimate-Keyword-Research-Tools-Formula

** Thanks "TheNightOwl" for pointing out that I forgot to place the link...
Talk Soon,
Kevin D

[Adam Kenzington]

Wow! When I saw this thread, I had to come in and check it out.

I know many people hate the research stuff, and I have been thinking of doing a WSO, where I'd do the Keyword(s) research for you.

You would give me the niche, topic or product you want the research done on, and I'd do an exclusive search for you. (not to be sold to anyone else.)

I envision a package containing the top 500 keywords (regular & longtail), the PPC costs for each, a indicator of how much compitition there is for each keyword phrase, how many searches are done on each keyword, what keyword phrases your compitition is using, etc... All provided in a spreadsheet format...

It's alot of work, but I am very thorough. I own Micro Niche Finder, Market Samari, and a few other paid programs...

My only problem is I don't know how much demand there would be for this service or at what price point to market it.

I'm not trying to hijack this thread, but I would like to know if this service would be of interest to very many Warriors, and what you think would be a fair price to offer this service for?

I guess the big draw to this service would be, 1. it's detail, 2. the ease of use, and 3. the fact that you will have exclusive use of this material (it will not be shared/sold to anyone else...It is exclusively yours)

Any thoughts on this?

Adam

[TheNightOwl]

Anyone used Keyword Elite?

I'd be interested in hearing some feedback on that. Brad Callen has positioned himself as a big of a PPC guru and the way I see it, ya gotta know a bit about keyword research and picking markets to do that.

So I'd be interested in feedback from Warriors using that - as I assume the OP would.

Cheers!

TheNightOwl

[ChrisMarx]

I post frequently to the same blog centered around the same topic.
It gets 1/3 of the traffic from organic search, I've noticed a few of the hits come from people just searching for an image.

I haven't done any keyword research because I don't quite understand how important it is compared to other traffic generation...
but if I did do the research what would be the benefit?

More targeted traffic than I currently receive?
A larger amount of traffic than I currently receive?


Thanks!

[Debbie Songster]

I use several tools to do keyword research. Finding product is also part of my research process - I do it for other people.

There are 2 ways to look at keyword research.
1. when you are trying to figure out what niche to get into
2. When you have a niche and your trying to expand and develop it into a complete website.

Perhaps you are going too deep in your keyword research for new markets. Start with 20-50 words/phrases that are logical for thats niche. Pick a product to match and mini test it via ppc. If its a viable market you will know in a few days.

Then when you start to build the niche website, go into more depth with your keywords.
There is no point doing a huge amount of research until you know its a viable market.
Use your indepth words and phrases to build better pages with SEO value so you don't have to spend as much on PPC.

You can bury yourself in words to the point you don't get anything done and its overwhelming. Keep it simple.

[scorpions84]

Where do you want to use your keyword research? For SEO or PPC? IMHO, there are some differences in what kind of keywords you'll be using.

[ChrisMarx]

I'm cheap, so I would prefer SEO and organic traffic to PPC.
But I'm sure PPC has the potential to be much more targeted.

I'm just guessing but keyword research for SEO would be focused on the long tail keywords?
and the goal with PPC is to lower your pay per click for specific search terms you think would convert very well.
(is there a difference between those two?)

[Mangozoom]

I am getting better at this and can see my traffic improving.

2 Things ...

1) It takes time! - This is what seperates the pack, as Michael Mason said it is the most important part of the process. You can have a smoking hot site and products but no traffic equals no sales ... so suck it up and keep going. I am sure it will get easier.

2) I think that Mr Eversons point about people avoiding competition is a valid one. A lot of people I have read have suggested uncovering a 'market' that no one else is in and call it a niche. My approach is different ... how about finding a competitive market where people are spending and then doing enough keyword research to find unexploited search terms ... this can be easier than you think ... but does take time.

Hope this helps

John

[Matt Hoey]

Everything about Keyword Research here http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...-research.html

[jaynet]

Give Micro Niche Finder a try. Very cool tool at a reasonable price.

[Markus Nimocks]

The WF never ceases to amaze me! Thanks to everyone who chimed in. In particular, the KwBrowse.com suggestion from Curtis - if you haven't checked that site out, you need to! And Kevin, that is a great video, although you lost me a little bit in the keyword density part. : -)

I definitely have some new tools to work with now. THANKS!

[Kay King]

After you do enough research often times you will get gut feelings about keywords, niches and traffic and surprisingly it is often fairly accurate.

Derrick is right in my opinion. The more keyword research you do - the better you get and you start to get that gut feeling when you find the good ones.

Using too many tools to cross check makes it a chore to me - so I don't do that.

My long time favorite keyword tool stopped its usefulness when Yahoo stopped supporting the overture stats. My preference now is SEOBook because of the amount of info given but I also use Keyword elite and google's tool on occasion.

Keyword searches are not static so I may do the research again quickly when adding to a site - and often find the results are different.

kay

[Markus Nimocks]

I admit I hate it, but I'm AM trying to have a better attitude about it. :-) And some of the posts on this thread have given me some ammo to get better at it, and like it more.

I'm going to check out that $7 WSO right now.

Thanks again, all.

[Markus Nimocks]

Jan,

1) It's $17 and
2) That looks like an affiliate link. :-/ Would have been nice if you had mentioned that.

[Bert Ritz]

Thank you, Kay King! I use SEOBook free keyword tool, too, and find it very comprehensive with the links to google and more right there.

I was wondering why no one mentioned it and thought maybe it isn't as great as I thought.

Thanks for reaffirming!

[Big Mike75]

I've been using Brad Callen's Keyword Elite for awhile, I love this tool. The software is a little expensive for some, but it's worth it's weight in gold.

[JECKELLL]

I use googles keyword tool, every keyword in exact match

[bested]

In my opinion, guessing the keywords and just writing articles that make sense seems to work fine for SEO. I'm probably missing out on a bit of traffic, but it stops me from dealing with being driven insane.

[mr2monster]

Originally Posted by Christopher R Everson

My secret?

I don't use it.

I'm successful, go figure.

It has its merits, but overall I feel that the entire concept behind keyword research (other than its micro-management benefits) seems to drive people away from larger, more profitable markets for a fear of competition, and into smaller, less profitable markets where you can "dominate".

I'd rather 1% of a city than 100% of an office.

WINNAR!!! Smartest post of the year.

[jace]

I use a product called Micro niche finder. This product is very fairly priced and has a lot of cool tools. Just do a google search and check it out. I used to use niche inspector but I can't get it to work anymore,Besides it cost more. I was an affiliate for this product at one time. I never got paid for the sales!

[theinfomaven]

Originally Posted by Rich Pryor

In the past I've wasted countless hours developing sites only to discover there was either not enough traffic or too much competition. So I'm onboard now and understand I have to research like crazy.

The problem is: I HATE IT. Keyword research is just so boring that I have a hard time staying focused long enough to fine a niche or figure out the best keywords for it. Maybe I'm doing it wrong, or maybe all the tips I've read make it seem easier than it is.

So, mighty Warriors, what is your secret?

-- What tips and techniques can you share?
-- What product or WSO or free eBook can you recommend to help?
-- What websites or software do you love?

I can handle all the technical stuff just fine, but this keyword stuff is makin' me crazy!

Thanks in advance!

Easy way: Use mid-tail, desperate keywords (such as "how to ___") in a popular niche.

Lots of buyer traffic.

Then, WRITE *ONE* really good ARTICLE using these keywords, submit it, and see how it does.

THEN if it performs, build your site. If not, change the keywords and submit another article in the same niche. Failing that, switch niches.

Dip your toe in before you build your boat, son.

<3

[keithdougherty]

Originally Posted by Rich Pryor

In the past I've wasted countless hours developing sites only to discover there was either not enough traffic or too much competition. So I'm onboard now and understand I have to research like crazy.

The problem is: I HATE IT. Keyword research is just so boring that I have a hard time staying focused long enough to fine a niche or figure out the best keywords for it. Maybe I'm doing it wrong, or maybe all the tips I've read make it seem easier than it is.

So, mighty Warriors, what is your secret?

-- What tips and techniques can you share?
-- What product or WSO or free eBook can you recommend to help?
-- What websites or software do you love?

I can handle all the technical stuff just fine, but this keyword stuff is makin' me crazy!

Thanks in advance!

Just to give you my short list here is what I use:

SEOdigger.com
Keywordspy.com
Market Samurai
PPCwebspy.com

Not sure if that helps direct you, just thought I would share.

[Michael Oksa]

Hi Rich,

I have never done this before, but I would recommend my current WSO (in my sig). It covers most of what's been mentioned here, and the bonuses sound like they would be exactly what you're looking for.

All the best,
Michael

[JohnSpangler]

Hi Rich,

I created a free video detailing some of the best free keyword research tools that are available on the internet.

You can view online video Free at http://keywordvideo.lancasterpaguide.com

I hope that helps,

John

[James Schramko]

If you are ultra lazy just use Market Samurai.

[mingles]

I totally understand your frustration. However, keyword research is the foundation of Internet Marketing. Here is how I find keywords.

1. I first go to magazines.com to research different markets to get ideas on hot niches. This website is a goldmine if you have not used it. Companies spend millions researching markets so why not pull from their efforts and ideas.

2. Once I have a niche, I head over to Google Keyword Tool and plug in keywords pertaining to that niche. You want to start out broad and work your way down to narrow down your keywords helping you target a smaller niche.

3. Once I have narrow down my keywords I head over to Google and do a search for each keyword in quotes "keyword". This will allow you to see how many websites are listed for your keyword. The goal is to find keywords will 5000 or less websites. This makes it pretty easy to get listed on Google's first page for that keyword.

[JJOrana]

I think the problem is you'll probably using tools that are inaccurate. With that you're getting results that ....inaccurate.

These paid tools (at least most of them) are just crap. I found multiple niches that these tools yelling it's "TOO MUCH COMPETITION".

Spend two minutes about my blog posts and this will enlighten you:

=> Keyword Tools Conspiracy Theory | Taknique

[lavaleekathy]

Usually the way I eliminate the long boring process is by finding targeted long-tail keywords with high search volumes and with low competition, by checking the keywords in quotes or title tags. The Google keyword tool is great because its free and incredibly accurate. Its the only one I use for keyword research, although some have recommended the paid source tool micro niche finder which can speed up the process a little more. I'm pretty sure that some warriors are offering to do keyword lists in the WSO section as well which can save you some time. Good ideas to investigate and some great suggestions so far!

[ayolov]

Has anyone tried to search for keywords for a foreign country of from another language?

I use wordtracker and it’s great, but the results outside the UK or US are useless!

Anyone knows of a product that can determine true search volumes?

Even with google trends, the results are off, I am guessing they are not feeding their results for the google domains from other countries. There are a lot of opportunities, but without the right data you go in blindfolded.

[FranMurray]

Originally Posted by lstoops

That's funny cause I love it. Here is a very quick overview of what I do when I build a niche blog. First, I brainstorm markets that will be around for a long time (money is being spent) and then enter the broadest term into the Google Keyword Tool and search for related terms.

I make sure I have many long tail related keywords. Gather keywords from the tool and go to Google and enter them in to see what the first three results look like, see what the ads look like, I also look at allintitle (anything under 10K is good to me). I look at affiliate ads.

It's a time consuming process. But once you know what to look for it moves pretty quickly.

I have to agree, I love to do market and keyword research too. If I didn't like it, I would look for a tool to speed up the process. Many are available and I have used more than my share.

I currently use Market Samurai (no affiliate Links here) which makes market/keyword faster.

[Kevin McNally]

Hi

I think you can find hundreds of good keywords within minutes using a simple plan.

Assuming you already know your niche ...

1. Enter main and related keywords using exact match at https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal

2. Copy and paste keywords into a bulk domain search at a domain name company

3. Research available .com , .org, .net names and the amount of competition at google and the demand at https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal

4. Select highest demand keyword or best commercial intent keyword , look at competing sites on page 1 at google to check how many backlinks they have, authority sites etc...

5. Buy domain name

6. Drill down long tail keywords, you may want to use paid wordtracker ( copy and paste your keywords using "exact keyword" function) and check competition. Or you can do this manually at google.

Or if you want to check out demand quickly for any keywords just set up and adwords campaign using [exact match] etc....

[Alan Mc Donald]

i think market samurai is fantastic

[Hililuud]

Originally Posted by lstoops

That's funny cause I love it. Here is a very quick overview of what I do when I build a niche blog..

Dude I love niche research also, I can search for a niche all day, and its gotten to a point that niche research is a procrastination for me! I would rather niche search than write the articles. (10 a day!)

[ElectricChili]

How much is Market Samorai?

Can't find it on the sales page (very frustrating). Looks like you have to opt in to find out.

Rich Scherlitz

[michaelmac]

I now enjoy kw research as i'm using Micro Niche Finder - it rocks and makes what can be a somewhat mundane process quite enjoyable and rewarding!!!

[Steve Sanchez]

Get your kids to do it as a chore. I've got my 19 year old neice doing it for me and eventually I'll have to pay her, but it's a good education for her.