How to choose good SEO Keywords

The problem with good keywords is that they are not usually words at all. Good SEO Keywords are usually phrases, i.e. two or more words combined in a proverb or idea. When you enter the keywords in your meta keywords section, not words, Use phrases.

Why? I will give you two reasons.

While you can use the single word keywords, then you are competing for the position with millions of other sites that also use the same keywords.

For example, suppose you write a post about how to prepare a manuscript for ebook publishing. While you can use the keyword "ebook", you'll be up against millions of other blog posts about e-books, even if they are on the ebook reader, ebook sales or ebook marketing.

By extending your keywords to the keyword phrases, like "ebook publishing", or perhaps even "prepare the manuscript for ebook publishing," restrict you severely field competitive sites, allowing your site to rise higher in Google search results for the phrase.

When was the last time you searched anything on Google uses only one word? It is right: never.

If you search for ebook publishing tips you don't search for "ebook" or "publishing." Both are too broad. Instead, look for a complete phrase, "ebook publishing tips". About how to find relevant websites, this is also how you should write and develop their own pages and services so that others can find your Web sites.

A good website that I use to search for relevant keyword phrases to use in my blog post is Google Insights for search.

At the top of the page, enter the only keywords keywords that you would like to write a post about. You can select options including a geographical area in the world to focus on, or what time period you are interested in and press Search.

Google Insights

Here is a short video from Google about what Google Insights can do.

Let us look a little deeper into how you can use Google Insights for search to write blog posts around a central keyword or phrase. Let us say, for example, you wanted to write a post on the "Top Blogs". If you specify "Top Blogs" as a search term, and not change anything else, would you find that since 2004, interest for searches related to "best Blogs" has steadily increased.

It is good news! You have struck a rising trend which might make a good blog post or, even better, blog series.

Interest over time

But Google Insights also provides you with a list of related keywords and key phrases that people search on Google, as well as keyword trends:

Top searches

The phrase you originally searched, "Top Blogs" does not appear to be the best choice for keywords. Better and more popular phrases appear to the left, with breakout trends on the right. As indicated, it means the word "breakout" to the timespan chosen this keyword has trended up 5000% or more.

Select some of the phrases or words that are most popular or traded up and write your post with a focus on those conditions. As in the picture below, you may be better off focusing on words such as "top blog," "top blogs," "best Blogs", or "2010 best design Blogs."

But – and this is crucial – search, while useful, do not display the last traded. Remember that by using the search criteria standard, which goes all the way back to 2004. Do you want to later trends to understand current searches. So you can do is adjust the duration filter, maybe just in the last 12 months, as shown in the image below:

Reseraching "best Blogs"

By adjusting the filter time frame, you can get a bitter picture of what people are searching for more recently. The following illustration shows not much has changed but the top search term on the right. People want to know what the best blogs 2011 var. maybe you can write a blog post about this instead of the more general idea of the "best Blogs."

Refining of keyphrase

Let me give one last example.

Suppose you start a blog about men's health. Of course, you want lots of visitors as soon as possible. So what sort of services would be best to start with? Let Google Insights for search will tell you. You would begin to leave the keyword search field blank, and then modify the filter that reflects a recent timeframe and "men's health ' category.

Google insights about "men's health"

By doing this, you'll see the most popular and over traded search terms on Google.

Men's health search results

Indicates that if you start a blog post on men's health, you would be wise to do a series about androgen insensitivity, vasectomies, circumcision and the uncircumcision.

Hmm, I wonder why these keywords are popular? I'll let you research on your own … but not your computer at work – your boss might not understand!

Using Google Insights for search to choose better keyword phrases will not automatically rocket site at the top of Google search results, but such a practice helps you write more targeted and focused articles, which over time will give you more readers.

Have you been using Google Insights for search yet? Share your experience in the comments below.