Find and Target Related Keywords
Published September 15, 2010 | 
Let me start by saying variation is good, but where do we begin? Starting with traditional keyword research tools should help you, but many have found as it turns out that the search results themselves are a fertile ground. 
I’m sure you have noticed when you begin to type a keyword into a Google search box on the Google homepage that Google’s new real-time search feature tries to auto-complete your search query.
Aggregate search volume is used to power this, which tells you a couple of things about the keywords they are recommending including those are keywords other people searched for in the past, and those are the keywords Google is recommending new searchers to search for, helping to drive traffic to them.
When you closely examine the top ranked listings in the search results, many of those websites will also include related keyword modifiers in their page titles. As you click through to some of the better pages, you should also notice the related keywords and concepts they are targeting in their page copy. 
You should understand that almost all major search engines offer a related searches feature on their search results pages, and examine those for possible additional keyword ideas.
Now that we have looked at the process driven off aggregate user data, one of the most important lessons to learn in SEO is that no data source will ever be as useful as your own web analytics.
Do not forget to make sure you are tracking traffic and conversion data from day one, and make it part of your routine processes, because through your analytics data, you will uncover many ranking ‘accidents’ or alternate keyword ideas it might not have occurred to you to target. 
If you notice that you are doing particularly well in a certain area, you should contemplate making more pages targeting related variations of those keywords.
It is critical to understand that since conversion and user experiences are very important, do not fail to make sure your content is easy to read. You should also use generous formatting to break up the content with short paragraphs, bulleted or numbered lists wherever they are appropriate, relevant headers and sub-headers throughout in order to make scanning easier and conversion-focused links within the content area of the page.
Keyword Prioritization
Published September 2, 2010 | 
There are a couple of things you need to consider when prioritizing keywords, the competitive advantage and profitability of the products/services associated with the keywords. In addition, prior to entering the vetting process, a Keyword Opportunity List should be generated.
The initial phase of creating the initial Keyword Opportunity List simply involves brainstorming as many keyword ideas as possible including listing root brands and product/service names (e.g. lawyer), brainstorming variations of product and brand related keywords, talking to clients to determine what terms they use in search, studying competitors’ sites, adding geographic variations (e.g. Miami lawyers, Dade county lawyers), adding descriptive variations (e.g. personal injury lawyers, slip and fall lawyers), taking all the variations and entering them into the Google AdWords Keyword Tool, which will suggest numerous other variations.
In the keyword list you prepare there could very easily be a hundred terms that you like and think should appear in the search engines. 
However, consider that obtaining a good rank sometimes takes an investment, and there might be a number of these terms that may not bring sufficient traffic to justify the investment you plan, and to take it further, even for the terms which you are willing to invest in, you should definitely prioritize and understand that it is virtually impossible for you to work on all simultaneously unless you have huge resources at your disposal.
Finally, it is important to understand the importance of keyword research, so don’t fear the investment of time in this component of your Search Engine Optimization puzzle, and if your strategy foundation isn’t based on solid findings and insights you develop, all your efforts could turn out to be a waste. Even worse, your competitors will be laughing all the way to their bank.