The great keyword search

I’ve noticed people getting very fired up about keywords over the past few years. Terms like ‘Google rank’, ‘optimisation’ and ‘meta tags’ are being bandied about, often accompanied by a look of vague confusion as business owners wonder if this stuff really matters.

Of course web developers will assure you your Google rank matters. And with the worlds population turning to Google more and more it kind of does. But if you’re new to web this is one of those things that you should know about but not stress about. If you think your business is solely going to come from what keywords you randomly choose when you design your website you’re about to get a reality check.

Lets face it, if you’re selling used cars in Sydney and you wan’t your business to be popping up as number one when someone googles ‘used car sydney’, you’ve got a lot of competition. If you look closely you’ll see your major competitors are actually classified sites – they have a lot of listings related to used cars so google categorises them as highly relevant to the search ‘used car sydney’. If you’ve only got 5 used cars for sale on your website, and these guys have 500, you’re just not going to make it to the top of that google search.

Don’t waste your time competing with keywords with these sorts of sites. But don’t give up either. There are a few tricks you can use to give you a boost in the old google rank game.

First off, determine exactly what you’re selling. Be specific. If you’re selling used cars in Sydney, where in Sydney? Are you specialising in a particular type of car? What makes you stand out to your customers? Are your cars more affordable, reliable? This is all going to help with your keyword campaign.

Next, go to the google adwords keyword tool. There you’ll find a handy little gadget that gives you keyword ideas based on a single keyword or phrase you think is relevant to your business. If you type in ‘used cars Sydney’, then sort by ‘Local Search Volume’, you’ll see that most google users search using the phrase ‘used car Sydney’. You can also see in the first column that there is a lot of competition for this keyword. This data is based on your competitors who are buying up google ad spots (the results you see at the top of the page when you search using google).

What you’ll also see though is that some of the keywords – such as ‘used carsfor sale Sydney’ – don’t have as much competition. If you scroll down to the suggested keywords table you’ll also see that your competitors are not optimising their sites well for people who are looking for ‘used Toyota Sydney’, or ‘used Honda Sydney’. There’s still a decent search volume for these terms so if you happen to be selling specific brands of used cars you may be on a winner.

Think about it. If you wanted to buy a used car, what keywords would you use? Use the keyword tool to see if these are common search terms then build your keywords from there.

Now you know the basics behind choosing your keywords. If search engine results are really what your company needs I’d strongly suggest hiring a professional. Not only will they know the in’s and out’s of all that is Google but they’ll be able to create a tailored solution that will bring results in less time than it will take you to figure it all our yourself.

In saying that, if you have the time and inclination to learn more about the web side to your business – go for it! Just remember that nothing good ever comes easy.