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Keywords are single words or phrases that people use when they call on their favorite search engine to find something. When a Web search is performed, several things usually happen. First, listings and descriptions of Web sites appear. Banners may display at the top of the screen, and other banners -- called skyscrapers -- may appear on the right side of the screen. When a company uses a pay-per-click (PPC) campaign to improve its search engine ranking, it bids on the placement and positioning of their site -- typically referred to as a “sponsored site” – in a ranked list. Since this type of advertising is directly tied to the keyword(s) entered for a search, these keywords are critical for success. As a matter of fact, without the proper keywords, your campaign is doomed to failure!

DIAMONDS IN THE ROUGH
Finding the most appropriate keywords can be an arduous task. But there are many resources you can use to help find the right ones, including your competitors’ Web sites, Internet marketing firms, and most of the PPC providers. Just be aware that when a PPC provider picks keywords for you, some of the them may be identical to ones given to your competitors – their systems just work that way. Overture, Kanoodle, FindWhat and a few others also have systems to tell you how many clicks a particular keyword receives each month. This should give you a feel for a keyword’s relevancy and importance. Some PPC providers can also provide search phrases that include the keyword –- providing you with additional keyword phrases to consider. Of course, the best keywords are the ones with the most clicks -- that have not been found by your competitors! In order to find a good group of keywords, it’s essential that you spend a significant amount of time digging for these diamonds in the rough.

RELEVANCY – WHAT IS IT?
Relevancy is a term used to define the importance of keywords in relation to a Web site. PPC providers have editors who review proposed keywords for relevancy. For example, if you select the keyword “respiratory supplies” and that phrase is not on your site, there is a good chance the editor will disallow it. Most of your keywords must be mentioned and relevant or they will be declined.

Relevancy also applies to how appropriate the keyword is to your offerings. If your company sells respiratory supplies, the keyword phrase “respiratory supplies” is much more relevant than “respiratory” alone. However, keep in mind that some people may search for “respiratory supplies” with only the keyword “respiratory.” Finding common, multiple, relevant keywords is essential for a successful campaign.

TITLES AND DESCRIPTIONS
When embarking on a PPC campaign, you’ll provide a title (about 40 characters) and description (about 200 characters) for each keyword. When found in a keyword search, that title and description are displayed, comprising the first step in qualifying a prospect. Since you are charged only when someone actually clicks on your link, it’s very important to clearly describe your offering within its title and description – which the person sees before they click.

One of the best ways to determine the right titles and descriptions is to first search the Web using your candidate keywords. Analyze the wordings your competitors use. PPC providers claim that when keywords appear in title, searchers are more likely to click on your listing. In some of our own PPC campaigns, we have used the same titles and descriptions for all keywords, and in other cases we have used unique titles that contain the specific keywords. Depending on your offerings and goals, you may want to use the same titles and descriptions for all the keywords as a way of branding product names.

The search for appropriate keywords should be ongoing and frequent. Sometimes the best keywords are found several months after a campaign is launched. Building a strong group of relevant keywords is pivotal to the success of any keyword-based campaign.

Neal Lebar has been building and managing Internet campaigns since 1996. He has proven that Internet marketing absolutely works and can generate returns far greater than traditional media. Visit - www.innovate-inc.com, www.extenderware.com or nlebar@innovate-inc.com.

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