If you surf the Internet quite frequently and are part of forums; I’m sure you’ve probably heard of people claiming how much traffic their website has received after ranking higher on Google or Yahoo. You may also hear from someone who has had similar rankings, but no traffic to their site. You might wonder how this could happen; Simple, the first person selected an ideal keyword or phrase that many people are searching for and the second person did not. Keywords are the foundation of your website’s success, but many website owners overlook keyword research when building their site. Keywords are critical to an effective online business, and without diligent research, you could be doing more harm than good.

I’m sure you’re wondering, what is a good keyword anyway? Well, there are many factors; the most important is the number of people searching for that specific keyword and also the number of websites that offer information on it. I like to think of this in terms of supply and demand; If demand is high and supply is low, this is a good opportunity for you. What this means is that the more people search for your keywords, the better, and the fewer websites that offer information about them, the better.

Next, you are probably wondering how I choose the ideal keyword for my website. There are many ways to find high demand keywords and there are many keyword tools to help you do it. If you have done any type of search online regarding keywords; I am sure you have come across many free tools like Google Keyword Tool or Bing Keyword Tool. Many paid tools are offered as well. Generally speaking, good keywords are “long-tail keywords”; For example, don’t target the word “golf” if your website is about golf; there is too much competition; Instead of searching for a keyword phrase like “cure my golf slice,” there will be much less competition.

Here are some techniques you can use to help you optimize your pages for the keywords people are searching for.

1. Think about who your target audience is and what will be the main focus of your website.

2. Brainstorm keywords that relate to the topic of your website by typing in words and phrases that you think people might type into search engines when searching for your site. Remember to check these keywords for competition in Google Keyword Tool or WordTracker.

3. Place one to three related keywords or keyword phrases that are specific to the site on each page.

4. Use your keywords throughout your website, as well as in your title and tags, but don’t go crazy, every word shouldn’t be a keyword.

It is important that you understand that keywords are all about relevance. If a keyword is relevant to your website and what you’re promoting, chances are you’ll see a positive return on your investment. Good keywords can mean the difference between your page being found in web searches or getting lost in cyberspace. Choosing the ideal keyword will drive more traffic to your website.