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Keyword Research -- Why Should You Use Quotation Marks For Keywords?

by sahanull
6 replies
  • SEO
    • |
Hello Everyone!

This is for anyone who struggles to find gold mine keywords. In other word - high traffic keyword with low competition.

Many people get confused why we should use quotation marks in Google search engine - I use to be one of them.

I often get this question asked:

I don't put quotation marks ("") around my keywords when searching in Google for a web site/article I am looking for. Then why should I when doing keyword research?

The answer to this question:

The quotation marks ("") around your keywords is to help you with your research. The quotes allow you to ascertain your competition.

Google implemented this for us to use as a tool for keyword research - this is the ONLY reason. Just imagine as another tool folks.

This is the SECRET that no one explains!

Therefore conducting a search at Google WITHOUT the quotes, gives you results from their Articles, WebPages etc that contain your keywords IN ANY COMBINATION.

An example of this is - if your keyword is "Quickest way to improve credit", Google will pick up sites that might include "quickest" and "improve credit", but not necessarily in that order (or even grouped together).

However...

... conducting a search WITH quotes, gives you results that include pages that contain your EXACT keyword phrase.

This gives you an idea of the TRUE competition you are up against.

When you use quotes, it brings up your most prominent competition.

In other words, people who know a bit about what they are doing to rank for those keywords.

Using keywords in quotation marks just tells you more precisely who and how many you are competing against with your chosen keywords.

Using "" is just a tool to give you an edge on your competition.

That's the difference folks!

I'll give you a current example that I quickly researched just now:

Type in the Google search engine the keyword phrase - how to build a glass house

Directly below your typed in phrase (how to build a glass house) you will see the results 56,700,000 searches without quotes. Try it now for yourself.

And now type in the keyword phrase in the Google search engine with quotes like this "how to build a glass house" you should see figures of around 1,080 just below the keyword phrase you typed in. This exact term shows you are only competing with 1,080 pages - not 56,700,000.

I would advise you not to go for any thing higher than 50,000 competing pages - the lower the better.

In fact for complete newbie's I would highly recommend up to 10,000 competing pages. You will achieve faster results and it will keep you motivated. This will build your confidents up and once your experience enough start going for higher competing pages.

However before you consider using this as a key phrase you need to know how much traffic this key phrase receives daily/monthly. In this instance its only receives 73 searches a month - too low not worth your time and effort. You want at least 2000+ searches a month.

Go to Google keyword tool and check it out yourself...

Does that make sense?

Don't worry if it hasn't; just keep reading it over and over till it does. Read it the next day, then the following day. It took me weeks to understand! Read it then experiment with it.

Keyword research is the most important; you need to make sure you get it correct.

Take your time with keyword research. Think of it as you building the foundation of a building, if you get it wrong then the whole building will collapse.

Putting quotes in keywords use to confuse me a lot back then, but once you no it, you think to yourself why I didn't understand it when it so simple. May be its just me...I'm a bit slow. (I think...)

Another important thing that I should mention - always be active in the forum - you be surprised how much you can learn from other people.

Remember folks....HIGH traffic keyword with LOW competition is the key to success.

All the best

Kindest

Sahan Asad
#keyword #keywords #marks #quotation #research
  • Profile picture of the author alenyuli
    "HIGH traffic keyword with LOW competition is the key to success."

    thanks for the tips, unfortunately,.. it's hard to find that kind of keyword..

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    • Profile picture of the author FredJones
      Well, I would not go for it. I would actually compare between the two factors:

      Do the search results that you get when you apply the double quotes also appear on the front page when you do not?

      If yes, then going for even apparently low competition that appears in double quote is still going to be difficult.

      If not, then I would look at the volume of search results coming from the double quote. Is that comparable to the search results without the double quotes?

      If yes, then I *may* (or may not) happily go to attack the keyword.

      If not, then it may be a great phrase to attack for SEO.

      This is more at a second level, while doing the doubule quote is only at the first level. Agreed, double quote does make sense still if you are looking for the competition, but only if you apply the second-level thing that I mentioned above.
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    • Profile picture of the author sahanull
      Originally Posted by alenyuli View Post

      thanks for the tips, unfortunately,.. it's hard to find that kind of keyword..
      Of course it's hard to find these keywords. If it was easy then everybody will be doing it.

      Most people give up searching or expanding their keywords they intended for after 10 to 15 min of keyword research. Most people are always in a hurry.

      I always take my time on keyword research as the rewards you get afterward are immense.

      Most of the times the keywords I intended for has too many competition - frustration starts to creep in - stay cool.

      Its means you have to try different keywords... if not possible then you have to take the tough decision and give this product up at the early stage then later when you done all the hard work.

      Then again sometime the keyword you intended for but didn't materialise but you end up finding a golden nugget! Its there if you look harder.

      If you don't want to give up on the product you want to promote then try this:

      Ask your friends, families and neighbours what would you type in Google search engine for this product. Get about 10-20 people to give 5-10 keyword list. You'd be amazed some of the keywords you never thought about!

      Good luck
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  • Profile picture of the author John Hixson
    Originally Posted by sahanull View Post


    Google implemented this for us to use as a tool for keyword research - this is the ONLY reason. Just imagine as another tool folks.
    Have to say i disagree with a number of things you say but this one most of all. When searching for personal use I use quotations all the time. For example I am an avid rugby fan and so decide to search for a player - let us use the welsh rugby player (as I am Welsh) Adam Jones as an example.

    I search Adam Jones Rugby as a search term I can get any page with the name adam in it, the surname jones in it and the word rugby. Hardly a great search.

    I then search for "Adam Jones" rugby and I know that at the very least all results come back with the exact match for "Adam Jones" together, which any result I am looking for is likely to have.

    So already we can see that it is far from only there for keyword research, which a far as I can see is what you have based this entire post on, the 'secret' as you call it.

    There is a lot of debate for quotations vs broader searches when checking out google competition - but I am afraid (and sorry that this sounds so confrontational) I can't see how this post adds to the debate at all.

    I am happy to be proven wrong though
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  • Profile picture of the author sahanull
    Your right John its not only there for keyword research. Thanks for the correction. Sometimes you need a bit of hullabaloo to get our experience members to give some quality input.

    SEO's use advance search functions to research the search engine result pages. The advance search functions aren't "only" there for seo. As an example, google is well known for not including all results within a backlink search. I think you can say they do that so that it is not any easier than necessary for seo.

    Regarding when people searching for a particular website – is that majority of people searching, those who have no knowledge of SEO they don’t use quotations around keywords do they?

    Yes there is a lot of debate out there for quotations vs. broader searches when checking out Google competition. So I just put it to test myself for few keywords and found that quotations were far easier to rank for then broader.

    Thanks for the input.
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    • Profile picture of the author John Hixson
      Originally Posted by sahanull View Post

      Your right John its not only there for keyword research. Thanks for the correction. Sometimes you need a bit of hullabaloo to get our experience members to give some quality input.

      SEO's use advance search functions to research the search engine result pages. The advance search functions aren't "only" there for seo. As an example, google is well known for not including all results within a backlink search. I think you can say they do that so that it is not any easier than necessary for seo.

      Regarding when people searching for a particular website – is that majority of people searching, those who have no knowledge of SEO they don’t use quotations around keywords do they?
      sorry to disagree again but it is only the last few years I have learnt about IM and SEO, yet I have been a user of quotation marks to give me the right search results for years.

      My mother uses them and I know that she can barely even muster up enough tech savvy to email me!




      Yes there is a lot of debate out there for quotations vs. broader searches when checking out Google competition. So I just put it to test myself for few keywords and found that quotations were far easier to rank for then broader.

      Thanks for the input.

      From experimenting strongly in micro niches I am undecided. I have found that broad search gives a better indication of the best keyword, so tend to use that. But I have also found that some exact matches that are rubbish with a broad match also work

      A lot is dependent, from number and strength of backlinks of the opposition to their onpage SEO. But my own experience tells me that, as you say, most people use searches without quotation marks and thus your competition is those who are ranking for the search term without quotation marks.

      No one method is foolproof. My way (which involves a number of things I have tested myself) means I succeed more often than not, but still keywords I think should be simple to rank for keep me shoved down to the depths of page 2 or 3 on occasion.

      All you can ever do is keep testing what works for you, refining your methods. for myself I started with testing opposition using quotation marks but have found that broad searching has helped me. If it is different for you then more power to you and I am glad your way is working out too
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