Bing Search volume 0 is this good or bad?

[asbchris]

So this might be a stupid question, but that whole no such thing as a stupid questions applies here.

I am trying to narrow down keywords for title tags and on page optimization. I am focusing on my local, instate SEO only. So no nationwide searches, just local.

When I add in my state, so Colorado then keyword It shows 0 matches.

When I add Keyword then Colorado a few matches

But there is a difficulty rating of 30% or so. Would this mean that it would be good to go after this? or bad because no one searches for my term?

Then when I add my keyword, and no state, 6000 matches. But would this mean everyone and there brother is going after it? So unless you are a big brand, stay away?

Thank you for your help. I am just trying to make sure I am using it right.

Chris

[MiriamEllis]

Hi Chris,
Definitely no stupid questions here, and your question is an excellent one.

I have to start by saying that I have pretty much zero faith in keyword tools these days. Neither Google nor Bing's KW tools work well for local keywords. It's depressing.

Moving on, local searches are typically much more refined than what you are describing, in that they center on city names, not state names. Google will return local packs of results for queries that they determine have a city-based intent, whether or not the searcher includes a geo modifier in their query. Of course, there are instances in which someone might be searching for a statewide object (like National Parks in Colorado), but are you certain this is the way people are searching for what your company offers, or could it be that they would be looking by city names instead? This plays into whether you feel you need to compete on a statewide or city level.

So, I guess I'm answering your question with another question! Is the business model truly local (city level) or is it a statewide business and perhaps, even, a virtual business?

[Tony-Dimmock]

The key is to find topical terms that relate to your businesses products or services, then build content-driven pages around them and add videos, images, reports and resources.

Try not to focus on exact-match keyword terms as over 85% of searches are from new term searches. Ensure your pages "own" your subject areas by including keyword-researched semantically related terms.

Add to this personalised search where users can setup their search listings to only show local town and county results, plus IP addresses can dictate which results you're shown, so agonising over which specific terms to use can be a waste of time and effort.

Imagine every page on your site must merit standing on it's own to entice and convert potential customers into emails, calls and actions. Become the "go-to" website for all things concerned with your offering. From UX, some pages will need little SEO as they're meant to back-up your offering - these can include About Us, Testimonials, Why Us?, Resources, Gallery, Latest News and Blog. In fact, these "periphery" page are often the ones that visitors check and scrutinise before they decide to contact you.

Obviously for local search, ensure that:

1. Every page has your full postal address and telephone number

2. Your title tags and meta descriptions include "Colorado" and that you stay within character limits (Title = 65 or less & meta desriptions = 150 or less)

3. You add company citations to popular and quality "Colorado" based directories - this shows proof to search engines that your company is where and what it claims to be

Hope this helps