Search engines have taken over people’s lives. Although Bing is slowly catching up in popularity, Google remains king. Google has transformed the way people acquire their information especially when it comes to doing research on a new product or company. When a consumer is trying to find a specific product or service, they type in keywords so the search results they end up with have what they are looking for. The search results the consumer receives is based on the keywords they have entered and the keywords that are listed on the website as well. In order to find the right keywords for a website, keyword research is the first place to start.

Before even going on the computer, ask people how they would search for your products and services in Google. People will often give surprising answers on all the different ways they search. From there, develop a list of 15 – 20 keyword phrases that you feel are relevant if someone was to search for your website.

A keyword list is crucial because it will help with the Google’s keyword tool: www.adwords.google.com/adwords. Once you run those words into the keyword tool in AdWords, you will get similar phrases that users search on along with a popularity count on the terms. This will help guide you in later optimizing your website, so it can receive maximum exposure.

Another Google application that is essential in Search Engine Marketing is Google Analytics. Google Analytics does analyzed reports of your website traffic and see what keywords people are using to get to your website today. With information from Google AdWords and Google Analytics, you’ll be able to determine what keywords are right for you. Generally, it is recommended that you choose 15-20 keywords to start off with or 1 per page of your website.

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