WordStream, Inc. Boston SEO MeetupEffective Keyword Research for SEO and PPCLarry Kim, Founder and VP of Products, WordStream, Inc., June 15, 2009

What is Keyword Research?Discovering & analyzing a company’s search taxonomy (the universe of search queries of search engine users that are relevant to an organization’s business)Leveraging the understanding of your keyword taxonomy to continuously inform and optimize SEO and/or PPC effortsIt’s the most important task in search marketing since:In PPC, you’re essentially paying for clicks on search queriesIn SEO, you have to model your content around actual search queriesDo a bad job at keyword research, nothing else will work optimally in search marketingAlso potentially the hardest task in search marketing to do wellWordStream, Inc.

Keyword Research ChallengesBillions of Keywords to Choose From!Keyword Suggestion Tools are LimitedPopular keywords isn’t the same thing as relevant keywordsSame keywords available to everyone“Low Resolution”, missing out on “Mid-tail” and “Long-Tail” Terms.Generating a keyword list isn’t “keyword research”!Negative Keywords are critically important yet hard to identifyHow do you organize huge keyword lists?How do you make keyword research dynamic and iterative?How do you know where to focus your attention?How do you co-ordinate a team of individual contributors?WordStream, Inc.

WordStream, Inc. Tonight’s AgendaKeyword Research Best Practices for PPC & SEOOverview of WordStream Solution for Keyword ManagementQuestions & Answers

WordStream, Inc. Step 1: Build a Keyword DatabaseTreat your Keyword Research is a valuable, proprietary asset.Public Keyword Tools: Keyword Suggestion Tools, Competitive Keyword Tools, etc.Private Keyword Tools:Web Server Log Files, Keyword Reports from Web Analytics, Search Query Reports from Google AdWordsAggregate all this dataMeasure what keywords generated what outcomes (e.g.: clicks and conversions, etc.)Important note: Real data from private sources is worth more than estimated data from public sources

WordStream, Inc. Step 2: Group and Organize KeywordsA huge keyword list isn’t actionable for PPC & SEOYou first need organize into smaller lists based on different keyword segmentations First Identify broad topics first, then create sub-groupings around more narrowly focused keyword nichesKeyword segmentations should be discriminatingFocus on traffic and goal producing segmentations

Why Keyword Organization Matters for PPCOptimize your campaign by following Google’s best practices for maximizing Quality Score (Relevancy)Select specific keywords and negative keywordsGroup together closely related keywords Write relevant text ads and destination pagesHigher Quality Score: Better Exposure, Lower Minimum Bids, Lower Cost Per ClickMakes bid manipulation more effective, improves conversion ratesWordStream, Inc.

Select specific keywords and negative keywords

Group together closely related keywords

Write relevant text ads and destination pages

Higher Quality Score: Better Exposure, Lower Minimum Bids, Lower Cost Per Click

Makes bid manipulation more effective, improves conversion rates

Why Keyword Organization is key for SEOAuthor lots of original Web Pages…Specifically themed around narrow subjectsIncludes long-tail keyword variations in the page copyOrganize content with relevant intelligent information architectureUse as landing pages for PPC campaignsRepeat!WordStream, Inc.

Specifically themed around narrow subjects

Includes long-tail keyword variations in the page copy

Organize content with relevant intelligent information architecture

Use as landing pages for PPC campaigns

Repeat!

WordStream, Inc. Step 3: Negative Keyword ExpansionMake sure your Negative Keyword Expansion is keeping up with your keyword expansionKeyword Research can reveal terms you’re inadvertently broad matched against

WordStream, Inc. Step 4: Make Keyword Research ContinuousRe-factor new keyword opportunities into your existing keyword research

WordStream, Inc. Step 5: Prioritize PPC & SEO WorkflowBuild up a database of relevant search queries, organize into smaller groupings of related keywordsSystematically generate coverage in paid and/or sponsored listings by publishing Web content and ad groups.This can take forever, so prioritize: Focus on keyword groupings that actually generate traffic and conversions on your site.Leverage PPC data to inform SEO if possible

WordStream, Inc. Step 6: Act!Don’t get too lost in dashboards and reportsStick to a plan: X new web pages or ad groups per weekIf you don’t add new stuff, you’ll probably generate similar resultsRepeat the process

WordStream, Inc. Summary of Keyword Research Best PracticesPrivate & Proprietary NaturePersonalized and Based on Real Traffic & ConversionsKeyword Grouping & OrganizationContinuous & IterativeShould include ongoing Negative Keyword expansionData-Driven & ActionableShould leverage both PPC and SEO dataBreak down into prioritized tasks

WordStream OverviewWordStream is a provider of Keyword Management Solutions for working with large numbers of keywords to build and optimize PPC and SEO on an continuous basis. We provide search marketers with a private online keyword workbench for conducting keyword discovery, research, grouping & organization and workflow, as well as integrated tools to take action on their keyword research.WordStream, Inc.

Keyword Aggregation Import Keyword Data from a Variety of Different Sources Continuous Keyword Discovery continuous and dynamicWordStream, Inc.

Keyword Analysis Long tail keyword analysis tools Determine what keywords led to what outcomesWordStream, Inc.

Keyword Organization Suggests ways to segment keyword lists New keywords are automatically organized!WordStream, Inc.

Actionable PPC & SEO Tools Turn Keyword segmentations into Ad Groups Associate keyword groupings with Web Pages for SEOWordStream, Inc.

Negative Keyword Tool Suggests Negative KeywordsWordStream, Inc.

PPC & SEO Workflow Tools Each keyword grouping has associated tasks Prioritize tasks based on user defined criteriaWordStream, Inc.

Questions?If you have any comments or questions about this presentation, contact Larry directly:lkim@wordstream.comhttp://twitter.com/larrykimWordStream, Inc.