Ignore keywords that have no data in the Google Keyword Tool?
-
Hello,
There are some keywords that have no monthly search data in the Google Keyword Tool. In many cases, this is because there have been very few searches for the keyword.
Would you recommend focusing on other keywords that do have search data in the Google Keyword Tool? Perhaps focusing too far out on the long tail of search results can be less productive than focusing on keywords that have proven that at least some people care about them.
What do you think?
Thanks!
-
You are very welcome.
-
Excellent advice, Jason! Thank you very much.
Look out world!
-
If you have relavent, compelling content for a high volume google query then by all means optimize for it. But remember that 20% of the queries Google receives each day are ones they haven't seen in at least 90 days (http://support.google.com/adwords/answer/2497828?hl=en) so don't be afraid to anticipate a future audience, even if the traffic isn't already in Google Keyword Tool.
Obviously, there are industries (news and trend based) that are perpetually in the cycle of creating, anticipating, or quickly reacting to new keyword spikes.
Either approach is valid, but I suggest you let your content and your passion for your audience be your guide. If you produce great content, and you are confident their is an audience that wants to consume it, then don't let the lack of keyword traffic stop you. The world just doesn't know they need your keyword yet!
Good luck,
-Jason
-
Dana,
Thank you so much! That makes a lot of sense. It's so helpful to hear your perspective. i really appreciate your thoughtful reply.
-
I think this entirely depends on the nature of your business. All I can share with you is my own experience with this. I do SEO for several sites, one is a very small, very tight niche business. I have identified about 264 keywords that are key to the business. Out of those, probably only 10 show any search volume in the Google keyword tool at all. However, every single one of them has produced revenue (that's how they ended up on my final list). How much revenue could one possibly get out of a site that only focused on 264 keywords and only 10 of them showed any search volume in Google? What if I told you it was possible to do over $3 million a year?
Remember, Google's Keyword tool is just that, a tool. It can't replace intimate knowledge of your customers and your products. If you know those things inside out, trust that knowledge and go after the keywords you know your customers are going to use to find you. Let your competition obsess over broad keywords that do show search volume. They'll miss the mark and you'll hit it out of the park.
All that being said, it does depend on your business model. Obviously if you box yourself into a niche that's too tight, you just might be putting yourself into a place where there just isn't enough demand for what you're offering to make it. Then, you might need to broaden the scope, or select a niche that isn't quite as limited.
Just my take - I hope that's helpful!
Dana
Got a burning SEO question?
Subscribe to Moz Pro to gain full access to Q&A, answer questions, and ask your own.
Browse Questions
Explore more categories
-
Moz Tools
Chat with the community about the Moz tools.
-
SEO Tactics
Discuss the SEO process with fellow marketers
-
Community
Discuss industry events, jobs, and news!
-
Digital Marketing
Chat about tactics outside of SEO
-
Research & Trends
Dive into research and trends in the search industry.
-
Support
Connect on product support and feature requests.
Related Questions
-
German Keywords
Hi I wanted to check the volume of a keyword in German but unfortunately, it shows no data available.?
Keyword Research | | Raymonda
Is this actually possible to research German keywords with your tool?0 -
Is there a tool that can give you demographic info on keywords?
I'm looking to find demographic information on certain keywords. Is there a tool that does this?
Keyword Research | | renalynd270 -
What's the difference between broad and exact match in Google's keyword research tool?
The exact match option shows you much smaller numbers. And Google's explanation of each isn't comprehensive. Can someone explain the difference between the two with examples? Also, which one is it better to target while doing SEO research?
Keyword Research | | davhad0 -
Is there any value to meta keywords?
The more I read the more I realize that meta keywords are not as helpful as they once were. Is there any SEO value to meta keywords anymore or should the emphasis be put on the content and title tags in regards to keywords? As always, I appreciate any feedback.
Keyword Research | | TracSoft0 -
Google Suggestive Search
Hello Is there anyway to get one of my site so show in Google suggestive search? What determines position in serach bar? Thanks
Keyword Research | | TP_Marketing0 -
Best tool for drawing sitemaps?
Drawing up sitemaps is one of those tasks that seems to take me twice as long to do electronically that it does on paper. Unfortunately, sitemaps scribbled on sheets of A4 paper aren't much good for sending and sharing. So, Mozzers, what tool or software do you recommend for drawing up sitemaps quickly and easily? So far I've tried using Visio, Excel and Word but if there's a dedicated tool out there, that would be awesome. Thanks in advance, Cheers
Keyword Research | | JamesMio
James0 -
Keywords in google's webmaster tools
how heavily do the list of keywords in google's webmaster tools reflect your ranking for those keywords? For example see this screenshot: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/39497/Screen shot 2011-06-04 at 7.22.31 PM.png we are a self storage company, and our first two keywords in google's webmaster tools are storage and self. the problem is nobody searches for self storage (from my keyword research). most people search for "storage +cityname" like "storage toronto" for example. so i guess my question would be this: would it be effective to change all the instances of "Self" on our website to "Toronto" or other city names to try to push the city names higher in google's webmaster tools keywords rank?
Keyword Research | | adriandg0