Search term research is the process of selecting relevant keywords to target what people are using in a search within Google and other search engines.
By targeting these keywords can drive traffic to your web pages through natural Search Engine Optimization and also paid search engine traffic to your site.

Why Search Term Research need?
Search term research lays the foundation for your search marketing campaign. Build the Search Engine Optimisation SEO campaign around your keywords and you get guaranteed success! However, remember to keep in mind that it’s not about the keywords you want to be found for but the keywords your audience is using to locate the products and services you offer.

When to do Search Term Research?
Every campaign be it SEO or SEM requires a plan - grab yourself a sheet of paper and a pen, and start planning your search Campaign. Number one on the list for this should be search term research.
Search term research is the bedrock to all SEM / SEO campaigns. The foundation of search is researching terms that people use to associate with your products and service.
Search Term Funnel
Search generally follows a pattern, the searcher will start with broad terms, getting more and more granular as the process continues, a good example for this is searching for a digital camera to buy.
There are many brands and models available though people are generally not going to start searching for a specific model - they will begin searching for a “digital camera” do some research then they may want a “compact digital camera” do some more research and eventually they will want a “canon compact digital camera”. As you can see there’s a distinct pattern, the search terms slowly “funnel” to a specific product.
So what’s the point I’m making here? Ensure your search term research encapsulates the entire search funnel / search process. If you fail to cover all areas you will be losing valuable search traffic.
Repeat the Research!
Finally, don’t ever think, that search term research is something that you only do one time. It is something that needs to evolve as well. If you are using the same keywords now that you came up with 5 years ago, you may be missing the boat.
What tools to use for Search Term Research?
There are a number of free and paid search term tools available, here’s a list of my Top 2:

• Keyword Discovery - Leading keyword research tool, used by thousands of professional search marketers. You can create a free account and trial the system before you buy!
• Google Keyword tool - Well you can’t expect me to NOT include Google - they are constantly coming out with advancements on what they can offer for free, definitely worth a look.

Alternate Search Term Tools
Web analytics - ideal for identifying popular pages your visitors are navigating to. Create more pages focused on this topic drawing more traffic to this section of the site.
Site Search Logs - if you have an internal search facility, check these logs. Often people will get to your site then search for a specific topic. If you’re not already targeting these terms in your SEM campaign do so now!
Completive Intelligence - or CI is a service available that gives the user an insight into what traffic is being driven to certain websites. A quality CI service should give you access to what sites are referring traffic to your competitors site PLUS what search terms are driving traffic to your competitors website.
Google Trends - Historical trend data about search terms and websites in Google.
The World of Search
Different spelling will attract different traffic - It pays to be aware of how people search, this includes all corners of the globe. A perfect example of this is the spelling of optimization. You can spell this one of two ways, US English “optimization” and UK English “optimisation”. Clearly focusing on one form of spelling can attract traffic from specific regions of the world.
Using Your Search Terms
If it’s an SEO campaign you’re running, include these search terms into the on and off page sections of the program. Make sure you include the terms and variations of them in your URL titles, Webpage headings and copy. It is also very important that the more popular terms are included in your linking text within and back to the website.
SEM aka Paid Search, build these terms out even further capturing the long tail terms, package the terms up into categories and begin writing targeted search engine ad copy.
Conclusion
Thorough search term research is critical; do not rely on just one search term tool to guide you. There are varieties of quality tools available that will help give you a detailed understanding of your search audience. Use all these tools, both free and a combination of paid - you will find they use alternate sources, greater the source great the mix of search terms.
Remember - keep searching for your terms, visitors will always evolve in their search for your products, you must evolve with them!

Web Pages That Will Rock Google

Web content is vital in search engine optimization. This is what your readers will be faced with once they click on your website. Plus, this is what search engines will be looking at in determining where they will position your site.
While you cannot determine if your content will get high rankings in search engines, there are some things you can do to make your pages better.

1. Correct HTML.

Most marketers get to busy with other aspects of making their site look good that they forget this simple yet effective aspect: valid HTML. HTML is one of the fastest way to get “spidered” by search engines.
Check your HTML before you move on to Meta descriptions and keywords.
2. Keyword and More Keywords.

The keyword or keywords you are using should capture what your website is really about. Thinking of the right keywords to use can be risky. But this is an important part of your site optimization. Focus on a word or phrase that will best explain the essence of what your site is about and what it offers.
Make sure that the keyword is present in the headline, content and links scattered around in your pages.

3. Content Is King.

Search engines are picky on web contents. They want relevance. You may not know it yet but search engines are regularly checking and reviewing web contents. This is their way of making sure there are no duplicate contents and if your site is what you say it is.
Keep in mind that “Content Is King”. It should always rule.

4. One Page At A Time.

Do not try and optimize multiple pages all at the same time. You want exposure not only on your homepage but all your pages. You can do this by allotting a certain amount of time for every one of them.
Treat every page like the entry page of your site. After one page has been optimized, that is the time when you move on to the next.

Four tips to better web pages. Follow these tips to the letter and search engines will be sure to notice your website in no time.