Placement on google

1. 61

   Brie Hoffmanposted 13 years ago

   I've checked the google adwords thingy and whenever I use a phrase that is on the list my article does not place as well as when I use a phrase that is not on the list. 
   
   I need opinions here because I understand that not as many people are looking for something with that phrase but which is better being at the top of the google search or being at the bottom but more people are searching for that particular phrase?
   
   Am I making sense here?

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2. 70

   lrohnerposted 13 years ago

   Yes Brie, you are making sense.
   
   When you're researching keywords, it's not enough to just check to see if a term is being searched for. You need to actually Google the keyword and assess your competition. For instance, I would never go after any tax-related keywords no matter how many searches they get because I don't think I can beat H&R Block, the IRS or any number of CPA firms.

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   1. 61

      Brie Hoffmanposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I do google them and I make a note of how many are "paid" advertising but how can you tell whether you can beat the articles that are already there?
      
      Let me use an example:
      
      I have an article called The Best Hot Water Heating System for Off-Grid Living.  No one used that phrase when I check it....consequently it is either 1 or 2 on google.  Is that better than if I had used The Best Hot Water Heating Systems which would have put me way down on the list but people are searching that term?

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3. 59

   paradigmsearchposted 13 years ago

   Your first phrase already includes the second phrase...

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   1. 61

      Brie Hoffmanposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I know but which is better...to have it #1 but it doesn't register on Adwords or bottom and it registers?

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4. 59

   paradigmsearchposted 13 years ago

   Your usage of the first title theoretically will not affect the search results of those searching for the second title.
   
   Your usage of the second title, however, would destroy the search results of those looking for the first title.
   
   So my vote is to use the first title, so as to retain the search results of both titles.

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5. 59

   paradigmsearchposted 13 years ago

   btw, I noticed a singular / plural discrepancy as to your titles...
   
   Someone else can address as to which is better to use as to that...

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   1. 86

      IzzyMposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I would suggest using the plural where possible, but keeping both url and title the same. Search engines see *for example* 'grids' as reading 'grid' AND 'grids' for people looking for grids or grid.
      But if you write 'grid' and someone searches for 'grids', it won't pick up. That's my understanding of it anyway.

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6. 59

   paradigmsearchposted 13 years ago

   I've actually used both singular and plural sometimes as in:
   
   "System / Systems"

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7. 59

   paradigmsearchposted 13 years ago

   I’d be interested as to folk’s opinions about using “word/word”. It appeared to me one time that a slash right next to the text confused search results. So that is why I now include the space, i.e.: “word / word”.

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8. 72

   livewithrichardposted 13 years ago

   What I try to do is find the most trafficked keyword phrase and use that as my URL. Then I can play with the keywords in my title.  In Brie's example hub, I would have made the url:
   
   living-off-grid-hot-water-heaters
   
   less competition on living off grid than hot water heaters so it would likely rank higher for that keyword than for hot water heaters unless you add "best" to it then I would switch them around:
   
   best-hot-water-heaters-living-off-grid.
   
   The URL will rank before the title and then the unique summary will be used to entice the click.

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9. 68

   Bill Manningposted 13 years ago

   When you say the "google adwords thingy" Brie do you mean adwords keyword tool?
   
   If so try to pick one that does not have lots of searches for it, as those have high competition.
   
   It's better to rank high for low keyword traffic and get some then to rank on page 10,000 for high keyword traffic and get none.

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   1. 61

      Brie Hoffmanposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you...that's exactly what I wanted to know!  And yes I meant the keyword tool

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10. 60

    TomC35posted 13 years ago

    I am no expert, but on my blog by picking phrases that are close, but not exact to the high ranking phrases, I get lucky and get google and yahoo traffic.  I think luck comes into it sometimes.  "The roommate vs. single white female" led to search engine traffic for me, but I made sure I got my blog out there before many others that were similar.  I also got traffic for one blog by including the words "Kim Kardashian," "silver" and "butt."  Go figure that mine would not have been page 2000 for that topic.

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