5 Tips on Selecting and Using Keywords

Today we’re going to tip our hat to those on the marketing side of our business. I’ve asked marketing guru Brian Flook to contribute some thoughts on how we can maximize our online efforts. If you’re in marketing this is must-know stuff. If you’re in sales, you’ll find it an interesting peak into the workings of the web. Enjoy!

5 Tips on Selecting and Using Keywords
By Brian Flook, MIRM, President of Power Marketing

Marketing new homes today has changed radically. Some builders are keeping up and some are not. The Internet should be the centerpiece of your marketing efforts and your website is the epicenter of your Internet marketing campaign. But, the lifeblood of a successful Internet campaign begins with keywords. Keywords are the terms searchers (or in your case prospects) key into a search engine like Google, Bing or Yahoo. It’s easy to believe that the correct search terms are the ones ‘you’ would use. That is rarely the case and can lead to disastrous results.

Finding the correct keywords is an art and a science that demands proper skill and attention. In this article I will give you some insight into the process of selecting the right keywords. Choosing the proper keywords means your organic search results (SERPs) will improve and your Internet traffic will increase.

As I discussed in my March Power Points article, Ride Relevance to the Top with SEO, correctly identifying your keywords and using them strategically will dramatically increase your search engine ranking. The more relevant your keywords and keyword phrases are, the more buoyant your website will be in an organic Google search. Consequently, if your keywords are wrong, your results will be poor at best.

That said, the heart and soul of Internet success is keyword selection. Using the proper keywords correctly is the foundation to any improvements in organic search engine results.  Note that a keyword may have one word or many words. Typically, the longer the keyword tail, the higher the conversion rate will be. For instance, the word ‘builders’ may seem like an obvious keyword, but the term ‘builders Baltimore’ will yield better results.  Consequently, the term ‘builders Baltimore condominiums’ may even yield more.

Here are five tips on selecting and using keywords:

1. Focus on 10-20 keywords first. If you try to optimize too many, you will likely frustrate yourself and not see the success, even if it’s there. You can utilize Google’s FREE keyword program to see if your keyword ideas have value. Go to Google Keywords Tool.  A valuable keyword has low competition, high search and can be any length that indicates interest.
2. Don’t waste time too much with one-word keywords. Take a candy store in Frederick, Maryland, for instance. The keyword ‘chocolate truffles’ will generate them literally millions of interested searchers. Unfortunately, the term is so broad that those searchers could be looking for chocolates in Florida or Texas. Or maybe they’re looking for recipes to make at home. BUT, if they use the keyword ‘handmade chocolate truffles Frederick, MD’; now they have something.
3. Use your keywords everywhere: social media posts like Facebook and Twitter, blog entries, online press releases, your website copy — anywhere and everywhere online you can. Remember the Internet lives and dies based on words.
4. ALWAYS use your keywords in your on-page optimization. Page optimization includes your URL, Title Tag, image file name and alt tags, body text, H1 and H2 headers.
5. Sign up your website on Google analytics or another analytics program to track the success of your keywords so you can update and improve them as you go. But give them time, SEO isn’t an overnight sensation. It takes time and patience.

SEO is a powerful force in gaining web traffic, sales and brand awareness for your business, but it’s not something you start today and see results tomorrow. Successful Internet marketing is a very dynamic process that takes time and financial investment. But, properly executed it pays great dividends.

When a client hires Power Marketing for their Internet campaigns, we start by selecting the right keywords for their unique business. Then, we execute an SEO campaign using powerful inbound and outbound marketing techniques to build an influential online presence. Results don’t happen overnight — successful SEO optimization is a strategic process — but clients often experience results as early as 4–6 months.

Best of luck as you pursue your success online. Please subscribe to our Builder Bulletin for more tips about strengthening your keywords, SEO and your overall marketing strategy. To learn more about the ideas in this newsletter and others, visit our website at www.Power-Marketing.com or contact us at [email protected].