Source: http://thenextscoop.com/10-tips-for-finding-profitable-keywords-for-your-business
The most important step in building an SEO campaign is keyword research. It is essential that you don’t target the wrong keywords or else your campaign, even well-planned, will be worthless. So, here are a number of tips to find the right keywords for your business:
1. Target long-tail keywords
– 70% of the overall search traffic comes from long-tail keywords. 3 to 4-word keywords offers better exposure even when the search volume is very low.
2. Drop short-tail keywords
– 11 to 20 character keyword phrases make up 60% of search impressions so take advantage of them.
3. Don’t overdo it
– Don’t overdo your SEO campaign by using extra keywords as this may look unnatural to Google’s algorithm.
4. Analyze how your keywords are performing
– Determine your best performing keywords and work with them
5. Use keyword research tools
– Make sure to use the most reliable tools in researching for keywords; some examples are SEMRush, Market Samurai, and SEO MOZ.
6. Use relevant keywords
– Make sure that your keywords are relevant to your content.
7. Local keywords
– Local businesses should take advantage of location-specific keywords.
8. Use Google Analytics
– Google Analytics can provide you with sufficient data about your best performing keywords.
9. Analyze your competitors
– Identify which keywords your competitors are using to get traffic, and work harder on those keywords.
10. Avoid ambiguity
– Always be direct and avoid ambiguity.