SEO Optimization and Keyword Research
63The Importance of Keywords
To get your work noticed by others on the internet, you have to write it in a way that it can be found through a search engine. After all, that's how we find things on the net and even here at Hubpages. However, did you know that as it happens, people tend to search for things in the same way. For example, people concerned with snoring most often search on the word "snoring", 1065 times a day according to Wordtracker. Then, the following phrases follow: stop snoring (255 times a day), snoring remedies (65), la jolla snoring (60), and how to stop snoring (60 times a day). So, if you write about snoring on the internet and you want to get noticed, then you need to use these phrases, right? Well, not totally right.
You see, everybody and her sister that is selling snoring related products is trying to get noticed on the web. You can use these top snoring phrases, but using them alone will likely have you on page 100 of Google and no one will ever find you. What is a humble content writer to do to get noticed around here?
This hub will show you what you need to do. You can find the phrases you need so when people search on your topic, your site or hub will show up on the first or second page of Google, Yahoo or MSN. But, before we start you need a special free tool to help. This tool is SEOquake. Head on over there and download it. There are two versions, one if you use Internet Explorer and another if you use Firefox.
SEOquake Logo
Turning on SEOQuake
Ok, have you installed SEOquake? Good! Now you need to turn it on before we start looking for those winning keyword phrases. In Firefox, goto Tools| SEOQuake and then select Google if there isn't already a checkmark by it.
Turning On SEOQuake
SEOBook
The next tool in our arsenal is SEOBook's free keyword research tool. Go there now but make sure you keep this hub open in its own window.
Now... let the fun begin. The first step in this process involves doing an initial inquiry on a single keyword, not a key phrase. Let's choose 'anxiety'. I'll head over to SEOBook's keyword research tool and type it in. The results are below
Search Results for Anxiety
The Results
If we stopped here, we will have already gotten something very useful. The most popular searched for phrases and the number of times they are searched for each day on Google, Yahoo and MSN. How could you use this information right now? Let's say did a hub on anxiety. The list of phrases above could become your tags for the hub. After all, when people on the web want to know something about anxiety, this is how they are searching for it. Everytime you make a new hub, head on over to SEOBook's keyword research tool and get some tags.
But we don't want just tags. We have a greater purpose here today. We want to try and optimize our hub so that it shows up on the first page in Google's search results. That's were SEOQuake comes into to play. We've already turned on SEOQuake's Google tool. Let's give it a whirl. In a new browser window, go to Google and search on the word 'anxiety'. Or, just click here and it will take you straight to the Google search results for anxiety without you having to type it in. Then... watch the magic of SEOQuake.
You'll notice the search results look a little different. Underneath each result there is a new row of information provided by SEOQuake.
SEOQuake Search Results
What Does It All Mean?
Let's take a look at these in turn and discuss briefly their meaning.
GPR 6:
This is the Page Rank that Google has given this page (not site) according to it's algorythm. Google ranks pages from 0 to 10. The higher the rank, the more Google esteems this page. However, higher page rank doesn't always mean higher rankings. You'll often see pages with lower PR ranking higher in the results than those with higher PR.
GI 7,050,000
This is the number of pages belonging to this website that Google has catelogued in its index. In this case, the site is Wikipedia. Wikipedia could in fact have more pages than this. This number is only what Google has managed to index at this point.
YL 2,004:
This is the number of incoming links Yahoo! has found coming to this site. This is data we are looking for when we want to rank high in Google for a keyword or phrase. More on this later.
YD 70,186,345:
This is the number of incoming links Yahoo! has found coming into this domain as a whole. So Wikipedia has 70 million plus links coming into the whole site (according to Yahoo!), while 2,004 of those links are directed at this specific page.
I 33,800,000:
This is number of pages MSN has indexed for Wikipedia. Quite a few more than Google.
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So What Are We Looking For?
So what does all this data mean? Well, we are only interested in two numbers. The incoming links to the webpage and the domain. In the results above for Wikipedia, thats 2,004 and 70,186,345 respectively. Why are these numbers important? A big part of what Google considers when deciding to rank one page above another is the number of incoming links. Google thinks that if a lot of other websites are linking into this page, then it must be important. Let's put it up near the top of the results. Or, in the case of Wikipedia's page on anxiety, right in the #1 spot.
Take a quick look at these numbers for the pages below Wikipedia. You'll find that the numbers are impressive. Basically, if you want your page on anxiety to appear on the first page of Google's results, you'll have to have more links coming into your page than these pages do.
After you've looked at these numbers enough for various keywords, you'll find that there isn't any hard and fast rules. Sometimes you'll see sites with less links and lower PR ranking higher. No one knows what's in Google's algorythm for sure, so you'll sometimes see some pretty strange results. However, I believe that in general, if you can get more links coming into your page than others on Google's first page of results, then with a little effort you should be able to get top 10 rankings in a few weeks or months.
How Many Links Is Enough?
The final step is to actually make a decision on whether or not a keyword or phrase is worth deliberately targeting. The answer depends on your ability to build incoming links into that page. The main way I build links is to write articles and post them to directories. The articles contain a link back to the page I'm targeting. I can get as many links as I can write articles. If I'm willing to write 20 articles then I can get 20 links. It doesn't really count if someone syndicates my article and puts it on their website with my link in it. Google is likely only to count the link from the article directory. Another great way to get backlinks is social bookmarking. I've seen several hubs on this topic. You will find them with a quick search.
Let's Keep Looking
I'll dig a little deeper and see if there is a good phrase containing the word anxiety that I think I can target considering my linking capabilities. A search on 'anxiety attack' revealed the following. I'm pretty sure I could beat U of Mich's page on anxiety. It only has 11 incoming links to the page. However, look below it. It's Wikipedia's page ranking for this term as well. I know I couldn't beat that page. U of Mich's page is probably ranking high because the site has been up since March 29, 1997 and it has a .edu domain, two things that Google's algorythm seems to hold in high regard. I'm going to keep looking.
Longevity and .edu Pages
Jackpot!!!
I think I hit the jackpot here. The phrase is 'anxiety depression pennsylvania'. You'll notice below that there are two pages in Google's first page of results for this term with minimal incoming links. With a focused campaign and a little effort I could create a hubpage based on this key phrase, get some backlinks coming into it, and I could be on Google's first page in no time.
I Hit the Jackpot
Concluding Comments
Here are some things to keep in mind as you search for terms that you wish to rank on Google's first page of results for. First, be clear about your reason for appearing in the top 10 search results. It can take some effort. Be sure that the end you have in mind is worth that time investment. Second, be prepared to fight. Very likely someone else wants to rank high for that phrase as well. Do not rest on your laurels if you find yourself in the top ten. Keep building backlinks.
SeoBook's keyword tool is quite good, even though it is free. It has great value. However, to experience real keyword research power you may want to try a fee-based service. Head over to the Wordtracker's free trial page. They just started the trial again. They had ended it a while ago and now it is back. Check it out for free while you can.
Wordtracker also has a free ebook download on how to do keyword research.
If you want to get really technical, you can try SeoElite and Keyword Elite. I own and use these software tools all the time for all my sites. They are very powerful tools and worth every penny.
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Comments
I didn't get any email from you, Misha.
Well, I just re-sent it. Check your spam, too :) If you still don't receive it, I can re-send from gmail account...
Great hub, it has gone to my favorites right away. I´m still trying to apprehend all that info.
Can you explain a little better what you mean by "write articles and post them to directories". Sorry for my ignorance but I´m struggling to understand what you mean by directories :(
Thanks for this--very clear explanation. I've just downloaded seoquake and am gonna give this a whirl. It's fun--kind alike a crossword puzzle or something. I'll keep checking back and comment on how it goes....and funide--there are a couple of good hubs on article directories--just search hubpages, you'll find them......I'm off to hub hub hub:--helpme, I think I'm turning into a hubaholic:-)
Misha- I'll check my email
Funride- As Robie2 said, do a search on those hubs. In the meantime, check out Ezinearticles.com. It's an article directory. You can write and submit original articles there. When it is accepted, it is post to the directory. If you put a link into the article pointing back to your site, waala... you have a backlink.
Robie- Thank you for pointing out the hubpages on article directories. I was thinking I'd have to go and write one.
Misha,
No email. you must be sending it to someone else. I'm going to PM you email address in the SMARTS forum.
You should have it by now. Let me know if it still did not get through...
Thank you so much Robie2 and vreccc!
Just installed SEOQuake...GREAT TOOL...Thanks!!!
No problem,
There'll be more where that came from. Let us know here what kind of success you have with it.
Jonathan
Excellent article! And the seoquake is perfect. In fact, this is so darn good, I'm not even going to attempt to do more than send our blog readers to your hubpage :)
There are so many ways to write about keyword researching (and btw I just read something where they were inferring that keywords aren't as important as everyone would like us to believe, but I totally disagree with what I read), you've put forth a clear cut approach and given a great tool to those either ahead of the gaming or trying to catch up to what's going on.
Again, excellent page, thanks! Off to get your "share it" code for our blog (and I had a post ready for tomorrow, looks like I'll be making two)!
This is a a truckload of useful information! Thanks a bunch.
Well done, vreccc. I'll give SEOquake a looksee. i've dabbled in SEO (and used Wordtracker in the past), but I am so far from being experienced in the field.
Thanks for an informative hubpage, relevant to SEO. Depending on your topic and geographic location the search engines may have vastly different search volumes. keyword tools can only possibly offer approximations. BTW, I see you're quick to use social networking as a platform, generally speaking you could wait for weeks or months with SEO before seeing your site indexed, and then end up no where because when Google does it's dance...you're site can't be found! Anyway, as far as keyword tools/services go, most at best offer very rough estimations with suggested monthly search volumes. If you want to build a business on assumptions and over inflated volume, that's your choice! May I ask what's a much better alternative?
Good info here.
Funride, I have a Hub on ezine articles, which covers the whole concept from the ground up, and links to the top few directory sites.
http://hubpages.com/hub/What-Are-The-Benefits-of-E
Jenny
Nice hub Jonathan. Very good info. The only thing that I would suggest that you add in order to make this hub a perfect 100 is a few paragraphs explaining the value of keywords within the hyperlink text. It makes a big difference. 100 links using the words "click here" will not boost your page in Google nearly as much as 100 links using the words "anxiety depression pennsylvania".
This is an excllent hub that will help many people. Good work.
stressrelief- I'm flattered!!! where's your blog so I can bookmark it?
Patty- always nice to hear from you. thank you.
Rockingjoe- thanks!!! I think this approach couple with your excellent information on having a catchy title can really help our hubs.
Highwaystar- you don't need to wait weeks or months to get your site indexed. I can have a new site indexed in Google in 4 days and sometimes only 1. Submitting an article (see Inspirehub's link to article marketing below) to a directory gets me indexed in 4 days. Digging a site a digg can do it sometimes even sooner. And, well, there are dozens of other tricks that I can't share in the short space here. Suffice it to say, I put up 10 new sites 2 weeks ago and they were all indexed in Google within a week.
Inspirehub- thanks for adding your link here. It adds great value.
Greg- you are right. I'll add a paragraph on that. And there is something else important I forgot to mention. You'll have to check back to see what that is.
Jonathan, I will definitely check back. I love to learn and I am hoping you can teach me something new! Also nice to see a fellow New Englander here. :)
Greg-- Go Sox!!!! Spring Training is around the corner!!!
Excellent Hub and happy to Digg it!
WriteOn!
I'll second what Greg had to say about anchor text, and add the observation that the other thing to consider is whether the links are followed. Many of the social bookmarking sites add nofollow tags to their links, so they have little value from a Google perspective. This is also true for many blog comments, so you need to focus on links that count. Hubpages even has a limit on the number of links that are followed for a given site, and you'll notice the links in the hub comments are not followed either.
As for how long it takes to get indexed, for hubpages I've seen one of my hubs indexed and on page 1 of Google in 4 hours. Publishing on hubpages it's not an issue. For other sites, links are definitely the answer.
Johnr54,
Thank you for you comments. I do need to, and will, add a paragraph on the quailty of links.
I'm not sure what you meant by your last paragraph. If you are saying that linking doesn't matter with hubpages, then I think you need to re-read this hub and pay attention to what it takes to get on the first page of Google. There is a hub here that was lucky enough to snag the title "make money online", but they are nowhere to be found in Google. On the other hand, there is a squidoo lense in the top 10 for "make money online". Use the SEOQuake tool that I introduce in this hub to see how many links that squidoo lense has coming into it. You'll understand very quickly why they are in the top ten.
Regards,
Jonathan
Interesting post, and bang on target in regard to finding keyword phrases rather than high-level high-competition keywords to target.
You may find a recent blog posting of mine interesting; I'm beginning to be suspicious of the results returned for very targeted niches, particularly geographic targeting: <a href="http://www.jobisafourletterword.com/pennsylvania-s Sure Must Have Some Ugly People!</a>
I just started hubbing and I found my hubpage on page 4 of google I know it is not such a great rank but I did not apply any of the rules of optimization. I am new to this exciting community of sharing infomation and thanks to all you professional hubbers I can learn and apply your techniques to step up. One shortcoming though I find myself reading more than writting. Hmm too many great hubs to pass by. Keep it coming folks.
Great Hub, had never heard of these before now. Will download for sure, thanks!
Rialaws,
Great work on page 4. With some incoming links you could get it up to page 1. However, you also want to see how many searches are conducted on the phrase you use that shows your hub on page 4. If no one is searching on that term it doesn't make much sense to make the effort. In this case, the motivation should just be the pure desire of writing.
Chantel,
This hub only scratched the surface of SEOquake. There is a lot more that can be done with it.
Jonathan
Thank you for this exelent post!
Thank you for your support G. And thanks for visiting the hub
Could be a big time saver for keyword research
Chris, it is a huge time saver. I use it all the time.
Jonathan
is there a way to turn it off in the browser?
Yes,
tools-seoquake
and then uncheck it.
This is if you are using Firefox. I don't know about IE. You'll have to play around with it.
:)
gee that was easy!(I really am just stupid today :) )
Thanks Im gonna try it out...
Good luck, Panic.
Let us know your results.
Yes! Thankfully I came back to your post, made more than a mental note after visiting the other day, got sidetracked over a few issues, posted a bit about keyword research versus market research and YOURS was the one I knew I wanted to follow up with... the universe works in mysterious ways, but I found my way back. Now to work immediately on my next post (before my feeble brain takes another twist on me lol!).
Stressrelief,
I sent you an email. I'd like to get the rss of your blog to learn from you.
This is truly a great hub.
Thank you, Peter!!! I appreciate you visiting and making a comment. Let us know if you have any good success finding little goldmines of keywords.
Nice article or keyword research.Keep up the good work.I am going to check your other articles as well.
Thanks for stopping by. I gonna run over and take a look at some of your hubs.
Excellent article, and you did this all for us! This has taken a lot of the mystery out of Keyword research and seo optimization based upon it.
And a shareware software. I have several websites that I would like to do this keyword research on. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!
Laurie B.
Wildwind,
"You did this all for us"
I know!!! I'm giving away all my secrets. I do it to pay it forward and to encourage others to share what they know. I have a lot to learn. What could you teach me? Seems like you are having success with some websites.
So funny... I recently noticed an SEO Quake line on a Google SERP in a video and wondered what it was about and what it could do. How cool to learn that it's freeware! (I'm doing SMARTS, too, and have put a moratorium on any info/tool purchases for a while so I can focus on applying all this new knowledge.) Thanks very much for providing this useful and insightful hub, Jonathan.
TourGuide,
Thank you so much for stopping by. I'm glad you found some value here.
Why is your SEO hub ranked 96 whereas my hub is ranked 49....???
The irony of life !!!
Good question!
Hi Vreccc, I have found your hub very useful, it is detailed and simple.
Keep the good work and God bless u.
Andrew.
Thank you for stopping by. I'm glad you found it useful.
Jonathan
What a handy tool and some useful information to back it up also. Ive been using another SEO toolbar app, but I think SEO Quake will be more beneficial.
Thanks Sasha,
I'm glad you liked it.
Great info. And thanks for the tool! Anything that helps with keyword research has got be good news for everyone.
By the way, forgot to mention another great resource for those wanting to optimise their website or search for kywords can be found at http://www.webmaster-toolkit.com/meta-tag-generato
They offer loads of tools and not just keyword research.I think at the moment there are about 35 free tools you can use.
Sansecret,
Thanks for the kind words. And... thanks for the resource!! That is a great site and I have never seen it before.
Thanks
WOW. I think I need to read it again.
DJ,
You should really carry out the research this hub teaches. In fact, music related keywords, like names of bands and songs, are easy to rank on in the search engines. At least it was like that a year ago.
Great Hub. Love that you included the images too. Hub Pages are great for learning - will have to check out your other hubs.
great hub, i will check it out and see how it shakes out.
Diane and Navigator,
Thanks for stopping by. I'm glad you have found this useful.
Jonathan,
Thank you for your comments on my Hub on Web 2.0 and Accessibility, they are appreciated. I believe in paying it forward also.
You've done a great job with this Hub. I've been using SEOQuake for quite a while and, yes, it is an excellent tool. I also own Aaron Wall's SEO Book and found it a very usefull resource in my earlier days and his updates help me keep informed. Many of his free and member tools are also very useful.
I will be back to check out your other hubs. -Richard
Richard,
Thanks for coming by. I just checked your profile. Your resume and skills are quite impressive. This stuff is probably child's play to you. I'm really looking forward to seeing more hubs from you. Thanks for stopping by.
incredibly good. I will try it.
Great and informative hub and I'm getting seo quake now!! Thanks
Hey Man this is great. I learn alot and want to understand this all. However, your few words on article directory hits me high as I just have my first one on. I will have to go back and make it better. Your guide on keyword usage is #1. Keep up the keep work and please keep me posted.
Sione V Fatai
Dataminer and Snfatai,
Thank you for your encouraging comments. I'm glad you found this information useful.
Regards,
Jonathan
nice hub, but shhh don't tell everyone ; )
That's really a good and informative piece of work, yes i do use seobook, keyword elite, seo elite and wordtracker. However the way explained it make it so much earlier. When following your steps, when do u use keyword elite and seo elite?
Thank you for your good work
Arrrgh! The secret is out! Well this is a good hub, educational and helpful! I love the tool as well.
Besides Wordtracker, another free keyword research tool is Keyword Discovery:
Hmmm...A new tool to add to my toolbox. Thanks for this new tips.
great info thank you
Colin: I know!! I shouldn't tell everybody, but I like to deliver.
Fed: I use SEOelite mostly. I like to keep an eye on my rankings on certain keywords.
Pat: nice to see you again. Firefox 3 is out now. just installed it.
Aerial: I like keyword discover, too.
Lewgard: thanks for stopping by!!
Buy: You are welcome!!
Thanks so much!. I could do a better keyword research next time with the precious info of this hub.
Thank you for this very helpful information. I am still new to hubbing and really appreciate it when folks like you generously share things that work for you and contribute to your success. Thanks again.
I simply love SEO Quake plugin for firefox! Just a note though, if you do too many search queries in a short time using SEO Quake, Google might ban you temporarily from using their search service (few hours?), as it senses that we are pulling too many similar, seo related requests! To overcome that, you might just need to clear the browser cookie, then reset the modem and get a new IP (if dynamic IP), and you should be able to continue!
Bookmarked on del.icio.us! Thanks!!
Misha says:
2 years ago
Well, Jonathan, I'm trying to promote the importance of keyword research in this community for quite some time already. The majority still prefer to pray and hope.
Could it be you managed to change this for better? Let's pray and hope :D