Hitwise, Michael Wamsley on Keyword Research, SMX Sydney

Michael is the MD for Hitwise, one of the pre-eminent competitive intelligence providers in Australia. Michael will be elaborating on one of the most vital topics in SEM; Keyword research.

Search engines account for 10% of all website traffic in Australia. Google has a market share of around 83% in Australia. Facebook is the top brand searched for, while ‘games’ is the most searched generic term. Best case scenario for keyword research is when there is a high correlation between website terms and customer terms.

Elements to consider when trying to find the right keywords:

• Consider multiple angles
• Build the most comprehensive list from internal and external sources
• Conduct a GAP analysis
• Evaluate how effective terms are in driving traffic to your site
• Consider the Luntz factor (what you think people are searching for as opposed to what people are actually searching for)
• Consider seasonality when evaluating terms i.e. Christmas, Mother’s Day etc.
• Be cognizant of changing market forces, changing behaviors and booking cycles
• Create a keyword value chart to find your longtail terms
• Avoid general terms – the more targeted the term the higher the ROI
• Put yourself in the customer’s shoes when seeking keywords
• Target local markets
• Check out your competition
• Look for variations i.e. misspellings, plurals and synonyms
• Understand who is leveraging misspellings of your brand in the search engines
• In Australia it is possible to protect your brand
• Add descriptive and action words to your keywords

Ultimately its all about relevance, poor keywords reduce ROI, have a poor quality score and can effect brand reputation. Test, test, test and refine your keywords to unitl they are optimal.