Keyword research is not an exact science, and it can go very wrong, very quickly. These methods may help you stay on track and compile a list of really useful keywords for your site. So grab a coffee, take the phone off the hook and see what you come up with. Happy hunting!

The 'try before you buy' method

Using the Adwords keyword tool, type in a comprehensive list of search terms your potential visitors might use when they're ready to buy your products or services. Don't be fussy, just type away. Scroll through the results and select (tick) any terms which:

- Contain two or more words
- Are highly relevant to what you're offering
- Show very low competition
- Have a reasonable volume of local searches

Download the selected terms, print the .csv file and grab a pen. Now check in Google who competes for each term on the list. If all pages in the first 10 results are strong (high PR), remove that term from your list. This refines your list to only those terms with which you have a decent chance at first-page results.

The 'use what you already have' method

Using the Adwords keyword tool, type your url into the website search. This will grab all the relevant keywords that Google thinks is relevant to your website.

Download and copy the results, then put them back into Google's descriptive search. This will output the keywords Google thinks are similar to those which are relevant to your site.

With SEO, if the keyword you're targeting for SEO purposes is also a keyword Google associates with your site, you stand a much higher chance of ranking for that keyword.

If you'd like some help with the next step, read about our SEO formula.

Regards, Leisa at Alexandra Design
www.alexandradesign.com.au