by Glenn Magas

Created on: March 10, 2010   Last Updated: January 25, 2011

Finding the right keywords for your article will help search engines, specifically Google, find your website or page and drive it to the top of the Google search.  Depending on your niche, focusing your copy around the right keyword can make or break your online visibility and PageRank (PR).

Flooding your copy with the keyword is frowned upon by Google. ‘Old school’ SEO suggests a “Keyword Density” with a percentage range of keyword to your overall text. Today, it is more important to have competitive keywords in your url, title, and within your copy a few times. The old school thought was very subjective: a 3-5%, 5-7%, 7-10% ‘keyword density’.  But now, it is more important that your copy is quality and has a keyword used naturally throughout your web content.

Good content is more important with natural links coming into your webpage as well as links going out. “Natural” is organic SEO – forced is more of an artificial way of getting traffic into your website. If your keyword is competitive and is found at the top of the search engines through organic searches, you have accomplished a big part, one only one part of having a high PageRank and SEO!

Here are few simple steps that can help you find SEO keywords.

1. Make a list
2. Use the Google Keyword Tool
3. Use the SEO Book Keyword Suggestion Tool (with free with registration)
4. Use Live Keyword Analysis Tool (free)

Learning SEO is a time consuming process but if your goal is to increase your traffic and have a higher PR it is worth the time. These steps are do it yourself SEO and will help you get a step up over your competition unwilling to use SEO and keywords to their benefit.

1. Make a list

Write down every word and/or phrase pertaining to the niche/subject you are covering.  List every word that comes to mind and do not ‘edit’ your list or leave anything out. Why? Because those words that you think may not be good may lead to a strong competitive keyword for your copy.

Your list will grow once you apply this list into the next ‘free’ SEO keyword tools.

2. Use the Google Keyword Tool (free)

Take your list and enter it into the Google Keyword Tool.  A list of recommended keywords will be generated and you can use Broad matches for the keyword or Exact (recommended).  Show/Hide columns to see Estimated CPC, Advertiser competition, local and global search volume and more.

This gives you a good gauge

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