Using Keyword Popularity to Refine and Create Content

Keywords are the terms we all use when using a search engine to find specific topic.

Anyone who is trying to drive traffic to their content will benefit from doing some basic keyword searches on the important concepts in their topic. By checking the popularity of the keywords related to your topic, you will determine which words will drive traffic to your content, and which ones need to be modified.

There are plenty of people online who will try and get your hard-earned dollar to provide you with tips, tricks, and "secrets" of keywording.

Fortunately, there are free resources which can help the average content creator understand keywords, search engines, and how to use more popular terms to drive traffic to their content.

Using more popular keywords does not mean sprinkling the word sex in your content. It's more like using a broad thesaurus to find words and concepts similar to your topic, that actually people have searched for, and are currently seeking, and using those keywords wisely and effectively.

For example, when writing an article on gym memberships, there was discovery made that many more people were searching for the keywords "gym equipment" than gym memberships. This revelation prompted the creation of content that actual people wanted to find.

Checking the popularity of keywords will help determine or change a headline on an article. By using the terms people are seeking, and not necessarily the synonym that you originally wrote, more people will discover your content.

Refining Keyword Selection

NicheBot Classic

(http://www.nichebotclassic.com)

One source which anyone who is interested in keywords should read is the section of Nichebot about using keyword data in website promotion (http://www.nichebot.com/keywords/
how-to-use-the-data-in-website-promotion.php). This in-depth document will give you a solid understanding of how to effectively use keywords in your content.

For a general overview of keyword research, use NicheBot Classic . Search for a general term. By clicking on the term in the results list, you will also see lateral results.

Google AdWords

(https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal)

Generate a list of synonyms and phrases relevant to the keyword you type. Google AdWords is an interesting tool for generating content ideas and keywords for content.

Tracking Keyword Trends

Yahoo! Buzz Index

(http://buzz.yahoo.com/overall)

Another web site to use to check popular and current keyword searches is the "Top 20 Overall Searches" on the Yahoo! Buzz Index. The Top 20 Overall Searches lists the top 20 leaders, and the top 20 movers.

Anyone writing content for the web will want to pay attention to the top 20 movers on the keyword list. The movers list shows what is increasing in popularity, and what is decreasing. Because the data is so current, the movers list can provide content writers with topic ideas, based simply on popular keywords.

The Top 20 Overall Searches on Yahoo! tends to be dominated by keywords that are names of celebrity names and television shows. There are occasional surprises.

Google Zeitgeist

(http://www.google.com/press/zeitgeist.html)

Google Zeitgeist reveals weekly search patterns. It can be used to identify research and interest trends. The list is based on actual searches performed through the Google search engine.

The main Google Zeitgeist covers the past week. An archive of the previous month is also available, if you are searching for larger and longer-lived trends than just what is happening this week.

Google also produces a Zeitgeist Around the World which shows monthly Google search trends for different countries.

Google Trends

(http://www.google.com/trends)

Google Trends differs from Google Zetigeist in that users can type in up to five keyword search terms to find out how often each of those terms have been searched for on Google over time.

The comparison results are pretty easy to decipher. A color-coded graph shows the trend history of each term. Links to related news articles are included.

By using Google Trends content writers can narrow down topic ideas and headlines.

AOL Hot Searches

(http://hotsearches.aol.com)

AOL Hot Searches reveals the top 10 hot searches on AOL, or top 20 when you click to expand the list. The nice thing about the AOL Hot Search list is that it includes just enough information after each keyword to give you an idea of what the keyword is about.

AOL Hot Searches also breaks down their top keywords searched into categories, making it easier to find the top search trends in entertainment, games, music, movies, sports, and television.

Ask.com IQ

(http://about.ask.com/en/docs/iq/iq.shtml)

While Ask.com does not have nearly as many searches as the other top search engines, their weekly top search page of keywords is still interesting for content writers. The Ask.com Ask.com IQ (Interesting Queries) includes Top Searches, Top Advancing Searches (which could lead to content ideas on emerging topics of interest), Top News Searches, and Top Movies Searches.

Use the above tools to refine keywords, headlines, and words in the main content of articles or web sites. Follow keyword trends weekly to keep up with readers' current interests and content needs.