Market Research

I like to start my market research with online search volumes using Google’s keyword tool – which gives an overall general picture of basic keyword categories and how popular they are.

A simple and fast initial market research.

• Google Adwords Keyword Tool
• Also use www.google.com/trends to see how various topics are trending (becoming more or less popular, and to what degree)

That initial keyword research will reveal some broad keyword categories, to search on Google’s search engine and find some top ranking websites.
<blockquote>I was asked:

As you know, we intend to write content in each vertical some of which we will outsource, I understand it is important for us to include popular keywords in that article, what is your advice: write the article and then work in the keywords or find the keywords and sculpt the content around it?

My response:

Keep both options open.  You need to get familiar with the main interests / keywords of each vertical.  That way, any articles you write will tend to include relevant keywords.  Also, maintain a big long list of relevant keywords for each vertical, and then just generally browse that list whenever you write articles.

Write for the reader, not the search engine.  Naturally written content that keeps visitors on the page, relevant to the market, is what google looks for.  Keyword inclusion is really the simple and easy bit.  Most important is to use keywords in article titles, plus just a few relevant keywords in the title itself, but don’t stress about it.

Lots of fresh new content on