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Keyphrase Research

Keyphrase Research is the process of evaluating combinations of words used by search engine visitors in their queries. The goal is to determine the most effective related phrases to target in the optimization of your web site.

Using subscription based services such as Wordtracker and Trelian Keyword Discovery, we are able to quantify specific phrases based on past search data. That means that we know one phrase has been searched for more times than another phrase. Ranking for more popular phrases will result in more targeted traffic.

Popularity is only one aspect of effectiveness. By looking at the number of web sites that are returned in the search engine results for a keyphrase we can determine how competitive each phrase is. Squaring the competitiveness and dividing by the popularity gives the Keyphrase Effectiveness Index or KEI. This standard measurement will show us the easiest phrases to optimize for. While not the sole determining factor of good keyphrases, it can help narrow the focus for SEO efforts.

Combining Keyphrase Research with Competitor Site Analysis can further allow us to identify how deeply entrenched existing sites are, and assess the difficulty of getting into the top ten positions for those specific keyphrases.