High search frequency does not necessarily denote a great keyword. And ranking for a popular term does not a successful campaign make. While search positions give project managers a nice, clean number to report to their CEO, there’s more to SEO than just ranking.
SEO involves ranking for the right terms, and campaign metrics should be focused squarely on the bottom line. Let’s take a moment to examine the true value of keyword phrases and some common misconceptions surrounding them.
A Snapshot of Keyword Value
For reasons beyond my own recent purchase, the term “digital cameras” provides a fine example of the keyword search process. I used this term in the early stages of camera research, when I needed a quick crash course in mega pixels, anti-aliasing filters, and other digital issues.
Through research, I realized I wanted an “8 mp compact camera,” and thus a new search term was born. This term became the divining rod that pointed the way to manufacturers that fit my needs. I eventually settled on the Casio Exilim 8mp, which was also the final keyword used in my digital camera quest.
Following my path to purchase, you can clearly observe three distinct phases — research, feature search, and brand search — which used different queries and returned different Web sites. While a camera retailer would want to appear for queries in all three phases, that isn’t always realistic due to varying competitors (and levels of site relevancy) for such search results.
Given the choice of only being able to show up for “digital cameras,” “8 mp compact camera,” or “Casio Exilim 8mp,” a savvy retailer would optimize for the final term, the search where the purchase was made. Conversions trump search volume in the world of practical SEO.
ROI Before Ego
We often present this scenario to clients who understand, but still feel like their site should rank highly for the top search term in their segment. We typically refer to these as “ego words” because, in many cases, it defies basic business logic.
All businesses want to increase revenue, but SEO related decisions aren’t always made with revenue in mind. Quite often, people want their sites to show up for highly searched keywords because they think the high visibility will add perceived value to their site and/or brand.
A high rank in Google is somewhat of an endorsement of your brand, but ego words don’t always transfer into revenue. And isn’t that the point of most client SEO?