Are You an SEO Keyword Snob?

Can you identify with this scenario? You do a SEO keyword search for a phrase you want to use and the numbers are relatively low in comparison to other terms – so you decide “not” to use the keyword phrase. You pass it up…”snub” it because the numbers are low. If you’re used to doing your own SEO keyword research, chances are you search for relevant keywords or phrases that have “high” search rankings. I recently heard an audio interview featuring Karyn Greenstreet, Self Employment Expert and Small Business Coach of Passion for Business, discussing SEO keyword research. According to Karyn, ignoring keyword phrases with lower search result numbers may mean that you’re missing out on an opportunity that could potentially drive traffic to your website. This isn’t to say that you should only use keyword phrases because they have lower search result numbers, but it’s important not to ignore these phrases because they have lower competition and potentially boost your chances of ranking higher in a keyword search. For example, if a keyword phrase only gets 800 searches a month that translates into 800 potential customers. Chances are your competition won’t use the phrase because the numbers are low…all the better to use it. According to Karyn, “numbers aren’t so important—you could be losing customers.” These terms are especially good for your web pages that have very specific, laser-focused content such as landing pages or articles. Again, don’t get caught up in numbers only (even if they are low). You should choose your keywords primarily because they are very relevant to a web page topic on your site. Karyn gave an example using a keyword phrase she uses that only has “16” searches per month. She said that even though the number of monthly searches is low – she can potentially convert these small numbers to paying clients. In other words…small numbers can turn into big numbers when you multiply the low monthly number of searches by the cost of your product or service. The following example shows the potential profits: (16) monthly searches (potential students) x ($199.00) cost of course = ($3,184.00) potential profit per month It sounds low, but when each student pays $199 for course tuition…you can see the potential profit! So even though only 16 people search for a very laser-focused term, you have a greater chance they’ll find your site if the keyword phrase is very specific to one of your web pages and if the competition is relatively low. Also…don’t forget that once you’ve converted these “16” prospects into clients, they’ll be worth a lot more over the life of your business as you continue to build a relationship with them and as they buy more of your product or service. So, the moral of this story is that it’s better to be a small fish in a small pond, than a small fish in a big pond. Ignoring keyword phrases with small numbers may mean you’re missing out on a great SEO keyword opportunity.