By James Adams
Google the term “search engine optimization”, or SEO, and in 1/3 of a second you’ll have about 36 million results! Needless to say, all of that information can be a bit overwhelming. So where should you start? A good way to dig into the world of SEO is simply this: Find keywords that are currently popular, and then build some content around them. Here’s a brief look at six tools that will help you to do just that.
1. Wordtracker Free Keywords (Free)
If you’re just getting started with keyword trends, this is a great place to start. Just type in any topic, and Free Keywords generates a list of the most popular searches surrounding that topic. It also allows you to filter out words that are potentially offensive, such as those relating to adult websites.
2. Keyword Spy (Free)
With a database of over 127 million keywords, this site is an excellent resource for spying on your competition and the keywords they use. Its features range from simple lists and reports to advanced searches by domain, destination URL, keywords, and even ad copy content! A free trial is included.
3. Nichebot ($1.00 trial; $17.50-108.50 monthly membership)
Don’t be fooled by Nichebot’s simple interface or ease of use. A leader in the world of keyword research, Nichebot offers access to a staggering 295 billion keywords from 3 major databases! By the company’s own admission, this is “keyword research on steroids.”
4. Amazon Movers and Shakers (Free)
Although not a keyword search tool per se, Amazon Movers and Shakers does give you access to current trends in purchases made from Amazon.com. This can be a good source of information about what the market in general is interested in these days.
5. Keyword Forecast Tool by Microsoft (Free)
Most keyword research tools provide you with historical data. That is, they show you trends based on words people have already searched for. Keyword Forecast Tool, however, takes this process one step further. It analyzes historical data and then predicts future trends based on that data. Keyword Forecast Tool even shows you keyword distribution across demographics! In other words, it shows you how many people in a given age group have searched for a word, and whether the majority of them were male or female. Such information is extremely helpful to you as a marketer, allowing you to tailor your content to the interests of your target consumers.
6. Keyword Density Analyzer Tool by SEOTools (Free)
While most experts agree that keyword density is not a meaningful measure of a site’s relevancy, there are advantages to tools such as this one from SEOTools. For example, if you analyze the keyword density of your competitor’s website, you just might notice some keywords that you had previously overlooked. Just type in any URL, and Keyword Density Analyzer instantly gives you a list of the top keywords for that site, sorted by number of occurrences. You can even specify the minimum length of words to analyze, the minimum number of occurrences, and whether or not to use the built-in stop word list.
As you can see, there are a number of good tools out there to help you on your journey toward search engine optimization. Try one or two of the options above, and the next big earner in Internet income may be you!
As a writer employed at one of the bigger UK-based suppliers of ink cartridges, James has written on topics as varied as the HP 300XL to art, design and new hardware releases.
Image Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/batega/1596898776/#/
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