To run a successful search engine optimization campaign, an important step is choosing keywords for SEO to focus on. Simply trying to rank for a list of keywords you think are important is not always the best for your bottom line. You should be less focused on generating lots of traffic and more focused on generating revenue.
To develop your list of keywords to focus your efforts on, you want to consider a few things: how frequently are they searched, how competitive they are, and how well they convert for your business. Keyword research tools, such as Wordtracker, Keyword Discovery, and Google Suggest are useful in determining how frequently keyword phrases are searched and how competitive they are. While this information is valuable in deciding which keywords present the greatest opportunities for optimization (high search frequency, low competition), you also want to determine which keywords are likely to generate a lead or a sale.
If you run a pay per click campaign, you have a head start in identifying your best converting keywords (as long as you are tracking conversions). Go through your campaigns and see which phrases have the highest conversion rate. If they convert well from pay per click, there is a good chance that they will convert well in organic search. Choosing Keywords for SEO will improve your overall performance and search engine results.
