Offline gurus -- local keyword research?

InfoAcademy · 04-22-2009, 11:46 AM

Just wondering what kind of local keyword research you do for your offline clients? How do you ensure you are ranking your clients for keywords that are actually getting traffic in the local market?

A potential client was using one of the big local search firms and they were ranking her for related keyword phrases (she is an event planner and they were ranking her for "corporate event planner"). But she wasn't getting any business, because no one was searching for those terms in our area.

Just curious if anyone has a strategy for determining the market for LOCAL keyword phrases?

AngieRammer · 04-22-2009, 11:54 AM

You seem to assume the information that you are looking for.

That is, you want to know how to find out whether people are searching for a keyword phrase but you say that the client wasn't getting any business because no one was searching for those terms in your area. How can you know that without knowing the first part?

As for strategy ... yah...you put the name of the geographical area in the search terms and see what kinds of searches you get!

Be sure that she is listed in Google Local Biz Directory so she shows up in the ... I've forgotten the name -- the "insert maps" that Google puts on search results pages.

Cheers!

Angie Rammer
Word Demon

InfoAcademy · 04-22-2009, 04:00 PM

Hi Angie,

Sorry if I didn't make that clear - the client wasn't getting calls so when I checked the Google Keyword Tool for her, "corporate event planner" + location was "not enough data"... and I was surprised how much they charged her for a worthless ranking.

I was just curious if I was missing something obvious ......

AngieRammer · 04-22-2009, 04:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by InfoAcademy

Hi Angie,

Sorry if I didn't make that clear - the client wasn't getting calls so when I checked the Google Keyword Tool for her, "corporate event planner" + location was "not enough data"... and I was surprised how much they charged her for a worthless ranking.

I was just curious if I was missing something obvious ......

"Charged her for a worthless ranking." ?

We're probably not communicating. I'm talking about the FREE listing that Google provides -- not anything that cost anything!

Did you use exact or phrase match when you looked for the data?

What other keywords did you try?

I wouldn't try to do any SEO just for one keyword...and I would have done the keyword research before trying to rank for the phrase.

Cheers!

Angie Rammer
Word Demon

SusanneUK · 04-22-2009, 05:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AngieRammer

Be sure that she is listed in Google Local Biz Directory so she shows up in the ... I've forgotten the name -- the "insert maps" that Google puts on search results pages.

Cheers!

Angie Rammer
Word Demon

I think you might mean Googles "Local Business Center" :
https://www.google.com/local/add/login?

Sue

AngieRammer · 04-22-2009, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SusanneUK

I think you might mean Googles "Local Business Center" :
https://www.google.com/local/add/login?

Sue

Yes, that is the technical name of it.

Thanks!

Sorry if I mis-led anyone, and thanks for clearing that up!

Cheers!

Angie Rammer
Word Maven

hotlinkz · 04-22-2009, 05:13 PM

The first step should be to check the search volume for the keyword phrase using something like Google Keyword Tool. If it has a decent search volume, then you check to see how many sites are using this same phrase.

https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal

Example:

Here are the results using Google Keyword Tool

"atlanta bed and breakfast" March Volume: 18,100 searches

Next, I do a search on the phrase: "atlanta bed and breakfast" and find there are only 3,810 sites using this phrase!

BINGO! Get bed and breakfast clients in the Atlanta area and you can do very well getting them in a top spot with the proper optimization. This search to listing ratio is what Offline Consultants dream about.

NOTICE: Atlanta offline consultants - ignore the hot niche market! It's mine, all mine.

Glenn Leader · 04-22-2009, 05:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by InfoAcademy

Hi Angie,

Sorry if I didn't make that clear - the client wasn't getting calls so when I checked the Google Keyword Tool for her, "corporate event planner" + location was "not enough data"... and I was surprised how much they charged her for a worthless ranking.

I was just curious if I was missing something obvious ......

The Google Keyword Tool isn't a keyword research tool. It's an Adwords
research tool. the fact that there isn't enough data means that nobody
is bidding on them. This is an entirely different matter.

HTH

Glenn

AngieRammer · 04-22-2009, 05:33 PM

Good point, Glenn -- I recently was introduced to that concept -- that Google's Keyword Tool is NOT about searches.

Nevertheless, I believe it IS used by Market Samurai -- that folks are now talking about in another thread.

Are the MS people doing it wrong?

Cheers!

Angie Rammer
Word Maven

Glenn Leader · 04-22-2009, 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AngieRammer

Good point, Glenn -- I recently was introduced to that concept -- that Google's Keyword Tool is NOT about searches.

Nevertheless, I believe it IS used by Market Samurai -- that folks are now talking about in another thread.

Are the MS people doing it wrong?

Cheers!

Angie Rammer
Word Maven

I recommend using more than one tool keyword for research. My main kw
research tool also uses the Google Adwords tool, but I back things up by
checking things elsewhere. Often people ignore keywords because they
have ''not enough data". I don't ignore those keywords and profit from
them.

HTH

Glenn

hotlinkz · 04-22-2009, 06:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glenn Leader

The Google Keyword Tool isn't a keyword research tool. It's an Adwords
research tool. the fact that there isn't enough data means that nobody
is bidding on them. This is an entirely different matter.

HTH

Glenn

Glenn has a point here. However, though it is not designed specifically for keyword research, it still remains one of the very few free resources available for estimating searches.

When I first started out, it is the only tool I used for determining search volume. It never prevented me from achieving good placement for my clients.

Google's own resource may help explain it better.

What should I know about the Keyword Tool's search volume statistics?
http://adwords.google.com/support/bi...n&answer=96571

Calvin

04-22-2009, 11:46 AM	#1
InfoAcademy Active Warrior Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: , , . Posts: 75 Thanks: 13 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts	Offline gurus -- local keyword research? Just wondering what kind of local keyword research you do for your offline clients? How do you ensure you are ranking your clients for keywords that are actually getting traffic in the local market? A potential client was using one of the big local search firms and they were ranking her for related keyword phrases (she is an event planner and they were ranking her for "corporate event planner"). But she wasn't getting any business, because no one was searching for those terms in our area. Just curious if anyone has a strategy for determining the market for LOCAL keyword phrases?

04-22-2009, 11:54 AM	#2
AngieRammer Word Demon War Room Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 55 Thanks: 3 Thanked 6 Times in 6 Posts	Re: Offline gurus -- local keyword research? You seem to assume the information that you are looking for. That is, you want to know how to find out whether people are searching for a keyword phrase but you say that the client wasn't getting any business because no one was searching for those terms in your area. How can you know that without knowing the first part? As for strategy ... yah...you put the name of the geographical area in the search terms and see what kinds of searches you get! Be sure that she is listed in Google Local Biz Directory so she shows up in the ... I've forgotten the name -- the "insert maps" that Google puts on search results pages. Cheers! Angie Rammer Word Demon

04-22-2009, 04:00 PM	#3
InfoAcademy Active Warrior Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: , , . Posts: 75 Thanks: 13 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts	Re: Offline gurus -- local keyword research? Hi Angie, Sorry if I didn't make that clear - the client wasn't getting calls so when I checked the Google Keyword Tool for her, "corporate event planner" + location was "not enough data"... and I was surprised how much they charged her for a worthless ranking. I was just curious if I was missing something obvious ......

04-22-2009, 05:13 PM	#7
hotlinkz Old Internet Relic War Room Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Posts: 811 Thanks: 31 Thanked 209 Times in 120 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Re: Offline gurus -- local keyword research? The first step should be to check the search volume for the keyword phrase using something like Google Keyword Tool. If it has a decent search volume, then you check to see how many sites are using this same phrase. https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal Example: Here are the results using Google Keyword Tool "atlanta bed and breakfast" March Volume: 18,100 searches Next, I do a search on the phrase: "atlanta bed and breakfast" and find there are only 3,810 sites using this phrase! BINGO! Get bed and breakfast clients in the Atlanta area and you can do very well getting them in a top spot with the proper optimization. This search to listing ratio is what Offline Consultants dream about. NOTICE: Atlanta offline consultants - ignore the hot niche market! It's mine, all mine.
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04-22-2009, 05:33 PM	#9
AngieRammer Word Demon War Room Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 55 Thanks: 3 Thanked 6 Times in 6 Posts	Re: Offline gurus -- local keyword research? Good point, Glenn -- I recently was introduced to that concept -- that Google's Keyword Tool is NOT about searches. Nevertheless, I believe it IS used by Market Samurai -- that folks are now talking about in another thread. Are the MS people doing it wrong? Cheers! Angie Rammer Word Maven
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