One of the traps we, as marketers, need to always be on the lookout for are false assumptions. I don’t know how many times I’ve written a headline and said “yes, this is the one!” but when testing found that a different headline actually performed better.
Not only do false assumptions pop-up when writing copy but also when selecting keywords.
Here’s one way to make sure your marketing is more accurate…
Have you ever considered the searches for “home” versus “homes” come from two people in totally different mindsets and looking for different sources and types of information?
Google has a cool tool that helps you look at keyword search volume and while that’s handy, I prefer to get into the mind of my prospects to understand how they actually tick and think.
What’s a savvy Stomper to do? Enter SeedKeywords.
While the interface could use some work, the tool itself allows you to ask your friends (or clients and prospects) to type in how they’d actually search information related to a specific question you ask them.
Here’s a demo on how to use the tool (super simple):
[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/GhkTlgg6o80" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]
Go ahead and click through to answer my SeedKeywords survey so you can see for yourself how easy it is for your friends to use.
Combine SeedKeywords with Google’s Keyword Tool and you’ll be able to avoid incorrect or unprofitable keywords for your site… and to target your market more accurately.
Have any other tools or tips for finding better keywords?
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
great tip, this the kind of stuff that can real help someone.
no doubt… there's a big difference between quantitative research (search volume, etc) and qualitative research (behaviors). when it comes to keywords and target marketing, then my money's on qualitative
Thanks for the review of seed keywords. I wrote it. Happy to tweak the interface if you let me know what's bugging you
right on! thanks for two things… 1) for writing seedkeywords, 2) for stopping by and being open to user feedback
i'd love to see the scenario question be featured more prominently so it's the dominant feature on the page… it's relatively the same size and color so it doesn't stand out from the rest of the copy. this causes the visitor to slow down a second to try to figure out what's most important on the page, what to read and what to do.
still a cool tool, though. dig the fact that the results are downloadable.
Thanks for the feedback. I've put this in the hands of my designer. I did the original site and I'm no designer
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Mark – We've revamped the look and feel. Feedback appreciated.
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@RedEvo –
wow, nice improvements! my only gripe is that the Survey Question is still “unseen.” slap it between H1 tags and place it above the directions… the more noticeable the question is, the more people will answer and the better the survey results.
i really like the new theme though,,, thanks for being so on the ball with feedback