Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Using Keywords to Jumpstart Your Pay Per Click Advertising

By Brian Basch

A good list of keywords is vital for a successful pay per click campaign. You should be diligent in your research and attempt to find the best keywords. Try to compile a substantial list and leave no stone unturned to be successful.

Not sure how to do this? Suppose your basic keyword was "loan." Many people search for this word every day. However, lots of sites also use this word, making it difficult to rank well for it. The answer is to broaden your keyword scope.

Imagine all the ways that your base keyword can be used. There are several interpretations that a searcher might be looking for when they type in loans. Think of all the different ways searchers may interpret your keyword. Examples are; "getting loan" "house loan," "bad credit loan" etc.

Of course, these keywords are still only a little different from the keyword you started with. You can expand a lot further while sticking to the basic concept. There are lots of different types of loans out there - mortgages, car loans, home equity loans and more. Mix those in with your first list and discover all the different options for keyword groups that spring from a single simple keyword.

An ad campaign can also be compiled from just lenders names. Then expand your concept by adding .com, .net or a country extension, if you are trying to target a country. Despite the fact that there are no domains for these key phrases you will be surprised to know that searchers do type in search words like this. These searchers will notice your ad and even take action by clicking through.

It's best to avoid general keywords, since there's so much competition for them. Instead, take it a little further, and expand on terms that are related to your general word. Rephrase various terms, too. "Bad credit loan" can easily be rephrased as "loan bad credit" to reach a different set of searchers.

Ask yourself what the person you want to have run across your ad will be searching for, and use that to choose your keywords and word groups. Remember that you don't have to stick to a logical order - people type search phrases in unusual ways.

Begin with serial numbers, plurals, misspelled words, product and domain names. Also do not put spaces between words, as this is a popular typo error with searches.

Use company names and domain names, as well as variations on them. Think about using superlatives like "best" or "cheapest", and remember that there may be spelling variations in different countries.

You should also use keywords from your web logs. These are good as the stats will show which keywords visitors are using to find your site.

A good keyword list is the foundation for a successful pay per click campaign. To ensure your success, explore all your options before you decide on the words you're going to target. - 15246

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