How To Brainstorm Keywords To Find
The Most Suitable Topic For Your Site
You brainstrom keywords not only to find your favorite website topic. You will also find out which of your favorite topics is most suitable to win at search engines so that you emerge with an optimised website structure for your site's theme.
You can use a free or commercial keyword research tool in the brainstorming process. I believe one of the best free keyword tools is Google's External Keyword Tool. It now delivers actual numbers for the approximate average search volume per month and keyword. I use it in the example below...
Brainstorm Keywords - The 5 Step Process
OK, you have selected two to three favorite topics. If not, simply read this page to help you find your favorite areas of knowledge and experience for your website.
To brainstorm keywords for your topics, you use the following process:
- The critical mass check - The essential preliminary step.
- Get demand data per keyword (searches per month)
- Evaluate demand data per keyword (is demand sufficient?)
- Get supply data (number of pages with the given keyword in their META-Tag)
- Evaluate supply data (is the keyword suitable?)
Let me walk you through the steps with an example and brainstorm keywords for the topic "migraine". You would have to go through these steps for each of your favorite topics' core keyword. When done, you decide which of your favorite topics has the most suitable keywords. So...
Before I go over the above five steps, let me first explain what suitability of a keyword or niche means...
Suitability of your niche - or - Why you do all this
but a poor supply .
: links open in new window : explanation in new window
In other words, a book about 'migraine' has 'migraine' in its title. This equates to the core keyword of your home page. Any chapter in the book is the equivalent to your site's tier 2 or hub pages and is based on a keyword related to 'migraine'. Each chapter has tier 3 sub-pages relating to its tier 2 page keyword.
I used the words MLM or network marketing in my domain name and as my topic's concept key word. You will be fighting two huge problems:
- A huge amount of competing sites
This means it is hard to win at the search engines. - A wide spread bad perceiption of anything attached to network marketing.
This causes most visitors to leave your pages without doing anything at all.
And when you brainstorm keywords you want to arrive at something like this:
Home page core keyword: migraine (part of your book title)
Tier 2 hub-page keyword: migraine headaches (a chapter's title or heading)
Tier 3 sub-page keyword: migraine headache triggers (sub-heading of that chapter)
Tier 3 sub-page keyword: migraine headache cures (another one of its sub-headings)
Your potential to create a profitable niche rises substantially the more suitable chapters (tier 2 and associated tier 3 pages) you can find when you brainstorm keywords of your favorite topic. Keyword research helps you find a keyword for each chapter and for each respective page of each chapter.
OK, let's work our example now...
The critical mass check - Enough demand for your core keyword?
Check whether there is a sufficiently high online-interest in your topics. This is a necessary preliminary step for any business, online or not. You need to know which of your topics has a matching critical mass of interested people.
Each of your favorite topics has a core keyword or phrase. You will check each of the core keywords before you brainstorm keywords related to these topics. Let's say your three favorite topics have the core keywords "migraine", "nuitrition" and "skin diseases", respectively.
For the core keyword "migraine" you seek answers to the following questions:
- Is there any demand at all for the migraine core keyword?
If not, either drop the topic or check a synonym for your core keyword. - Is there sufficient demand (more than 9.000 searches per month)?
If not, check the other two core keywords.
If yes, you will need to find a sufficient number of related keywords with good demand and check their suitability for your site. This means you would have to brainstorm keywords for their supply.
1) Getting the demand for your core and related keywords
As you will see, the use of Google's External Keyword Tool to brainstorm keywords and find demand data is pretty straight forward. You may want to create an account with Google (Gmail or AdWords or so, it's free, don't worry) to get access to more helpful features.
. Once you are there, I suggest you use the following settings: - Results are tailored to: English, All Countries and Territories
Click the Edit link to adjust the setting if needed. - Check the box that says: "Use synonyms" (below the keyword input box).
This makes sure Google searches for your main keyword (migraine) and keywords related to migraine. You want to find related keywords to use for your website's chapters (tier 2) and their paragraphes (tier 3 pages).
Enter the core keyword migraine and the letters you see in a graphical challenge test. Google wants to make sure that you are not a software that's trying to misuse its generous free service. Then click on "Get Keyword Ideas".
What you get to see in the search results are monthly demand data. That's all we want. Relevant for you is the column called Approximate Average Search Volume. In the last column called "Match Type" select "Exact" to make sure you get the real targeted searches per month.
When you brainstorm keywords, I suggest you create a table in your favorite spreadsheet application to keep everything under control. Set up the table such as the one below. Add a column at the end for notes. For now, don't bother about all the numbers. I will explain them and the SITESELL SUPPLY in a minute.
You Brainstorm Keywords to get Supply and Demand of Content Keywords
A keyword is suitable when the monthly search demand for a keyword is larger than Google's supply of pages (number of pages found in a "quoted search term query" less the 90% spam-junk sites you often get to see).
2) Evaluate Demand
The niche's main or core keyword
If your niche's core keyword (in our case: migraine) was searched for more than 9,000 times per month, you do have sufficient demand. And it would make sense to check the supply numbers for all related keywords with above 100-250 searches per month.
You can see in the above table that migraine headaches - a little more narrowed - could also be used for a content site's main topic.
Any keyword with more than 2,500 to 3,000 searches per month can serve for hub page (tier 2) content. A Tier 2 page can link to other hub pages and to its own set of tier 3 or other special pages with content on a more specific migraine-related keyword.
So, if you have a good amount of general and special knowledge on migraine related topics, this topic has potential. There is a good number of hub page keywords which use the core keyword (migraine) and have sufficient demand. These pages are very important and will pull and direct vistors to your other pages.
Have a look at the graphic below. It represents the tiered structure of a website with the demand indicators for each tier. Tier 1 would be your home page, and tier 2 pages would be your hub pages.
3 Tiered Website Structure Sorted By Demand (monthly search volume)
So, when you brainstorm keywords using Google's free keyword search tool you will get a whole bunch of keywords and phrases related to your topic.
If you group them into hub page keywords (or Tier 2 pages) and their respective Tier 3 pages according to the demand for each keyword, you may arrive at your own website structure just like that. Use a mindmapping software such as FreeMind if it helps you visualising your structure. So, what's missing is the supply data...
3) Brainstorming keywords for their (page) supply data
It won't be possible to 'own' the topic of migraine or that of your favorite areas of knowledge and experience. However, it is possible to win for searches on the other search terms which form the foundation of your hub pages' content.
Therefore, you will have to find the supply for all tier 2 keywords. Just use Google's main search page where you can brainstorm keywords for their supply by entering each keyphrase (migraine headaches, then migraine symptoms etc... ).
If you look into the top right corner, you will see Google's supply number of 1,670,000 pages in case of migraine headaches.
Google's search result page: pages indexed with the keyword in their META-Tag
If you enter the words migraine symptoms just like that, you will invoke Google's broad match query. Any page with migraine and symptoms will be listed. That leads to a scaring amount of 1,320,000 pages being listed in the results.
That's why I recommend you to do the following two things:
- Brainstorm keywords with double quotes around your search phrase (like "migraine symptoms") and Google will search for pages with the keyphrase "migraine symptoms" in their Keyword-Meta-Tag and in their body's content.
Quoted multi-word keyphrases such as "migraine symptoms" will get you a considerably smaller number of 81,800 pages. And that's still a pretty huge amount, isn't it? Therefore... - Brainstorm keywords with double quotes AND then deduct 90% from the supply you found for each keyword. This will cut off all the junk and spamy sites with no real content.
Now compare demand and supply again to see the suitability of each keyword. And even the remaining 10% of pages will contain pages of lower quality.
I cross-checked the corrected Google supply with SITESELL's Supply . It reveals the real number of quality pages for any keyword or phrase. SITESELL's Quality Page Supply is a result when you brainstorm keywords with its laser-sharp Brainstormer. It's a tool with an unmatched quality and which I have access to with my subscription to their SBI!-package.
SBI! allows you - novice or profi - to build and host optimized web sites. It dramatically speeds up the process of building your online business by way of building one or more niche or themed websites. You will end up with websites that just work and get the much needed targeted free traffic. It's a real weapon that gets results and puts you legs ahead of most online participants.
With SBI, you get a massive amount of highly effective tools and services for a ridiculously low annual fee. It's almost intimidating but, it will help you and your business big time. Worth any penny if you ask me.
Evaluate the adjusted Supply
A key phrase is suitable for use as primary keyword in a hub (tier 2) page when its monthly demand figure is equal to or larger than its adjusted Google supply number. The same applies to tier 3 pages which focus on keywords with over 100-250 searches per month.
You can see in the graphic displaying the table that the supply for each keyword is immense. Anything over 40,000 pages supplied by Google becomes harder to beat.
If the majority of keywords has a supply of more than 40,000 pages, you have two choices:
- either check supply for synonyms of your keywords or
- brainstorm keywords of your second or third favorite topic.
When you finished to brainstorm keywords for all your tier 2 and 3 pages, your keyword research is finished, too. You should emerge with your site's core keyword (in our case 'migraine') which you use for your index.html page. You will also emerge with an optimised website structure for your website's theme.
Make sure you have ca. 10 or more keywords related to your 'core keyword' with a demand suitable for a tier 2 hub page. This helps you structure your Web site similar to the hierarchy in the picture above. So, now you...
Decide on a topic
Which one of your favorite topics is most suitable for your website? If migraine has the most suitable keywords, you may decide to make it your website theme. Before you decide, do yourself a favor and brainstorm keywords of the other two favorite topics. Simply use the process outlined above.
Once you are finished, you do three things:
- Decide for the topic you feel most confident (or competent) to write about. For each topic, take into consideration the number of suitable keywords and the breadth of keywords you can cover with your own unique information. Make a decision and stick with it.
To help you making a good decision, use this tiny but effective decision making tool A quick tour helps you using it. - Take your word processor and start typing all your ideas for each page (index, and each tier 2 and tier 3 page). In other words, collect your content and sort it and shorten it to the important bits and pieces. Write everything as though you are talking to your best friend.
- When you are satisfied with it, think of a descriptive domain name, which should contain your concept keyword (but not MLM or your MLM company's name or product title).
- Select your Internet business hosting provider.
- Go ahead with your web site domain name registration.
Finding out about the suitability is a time consuming process
Imagine having to check 200+ keywords for each of your favorite topics to see whether it is suitable for your website. I am sure you will agree that using these free tools to brainstorm keywords is ok for a quick check, only.
Fortunately, there are many commercial tools which help you shorten the time you need for keyword research. SiteSell is one of them. Wordtracker also offers an annual subscription, so do many others. Sitesell's SBI differs in that it is a complete solution that comes at a price of a plain keyword research tool alone. Here is how it works .
If you have any questions or comments about this, please feel free to contact me. I am meaning to help my visitors and if you have a question or something to add, I would be glad if you could let me know.
