If your web pages are not focused on the right keyword phrases then you may find that other pages are much easier to find in the search results than yours.

And while most webmasters claim to be doing keyword research you may hear that fewer people seem to be able to find excellent niche phrase keywords.

In this article, I am going to outline some tips to help you quickly perform genuine keyword research, find much better exact phrases and take advantage of the hidden "windows of opportunity."

Before I do, let's talk a bit about what the challenges are for most of us as this may help us think of "keyword research" in a different way.

Understanding the common limits to exploring data

The challenge of performing good research usually is based on the fact that most people don't naturally want to explore data at all.

Have you noticed for example, how difficult some legal contracts are to read when they are WRITTEN ENTIRELY IN CAPITAL LETTERS? WHY ARE CAPITALIZED LETTERS SO DIFFICULT FOR US TO READ, PARTICULARLY WHEN THEY ARE ALL CLUSTERED IN A PARAGRAPH OF TEXT? THE ANSWER IS SIMPLE ENOUGH.

Did you know, most of the time, our brains do not actually read text at all. We tend to "recognize words" based on the upper contour of the word shape. However, when typing in capitals, it takes away all shape so both the bottom and the top of each letter are identical.

This takes away our ability to recognize a word at a glance and it forces our brain to work harder and read each word.

When it comes to performing keyword research, do you think that most people naturally tend to research data? Although we say that we do, we really do not. Our natural tendency is to try to explore very narrowly, the most prominent keywords that are already lodged in our minds by "reason of experience."

We want to guess "logically" at the keywords that we "understand" to be the "most logically related," based on our past experience. But seldom do we ever think to explore keywords that are common everyday terms because they seem to be "unrelated."

Yet the truth of it is this...

"The more we rely on your built-in research capacity logically, the more we are going to be discovering exactly the same keywords as every else, who is doing exactly the same thing as you are."

A much wiser objective is to begin to increase our threshold of true keyword research by purposely exploring more data and doing less guessing at the keywords we think make sense. This free style approach will allow you to discover much more of the hidden evidence of a searcher's behavior.

Okay then. This now understood, let's talk about Wordtracker.

Tips for expanding your keyword research beyond the normal

Remember the power of turning on comprehensive search to do your research.

1) While many people attempt to tell Wordtracker what keywords that they "think" are important, it is far wiser to open up Wordtracker and let it tell you what a specific marketplace is doing. For example instead of guessing at a phrase like "prices for antiques" you might simply research the single word "price."

These were just a few examples discovered instantly by entering only a single word "price" and letting Wordtracker tell you how the word was being identified:

"price guide for antique clocks"            KEI 1568.0 
"price on antique victorian rocking chair"          KEI 2,116.0 
"cheap prices on italian gold bracelet"     KEI 2,500.0 
"kenmore washer and dryer prices"           KEI 600.0 
"best price on GE appliances"               KEI 936.0

2) Consider exploring a "portion" of a keyword phrase as a single "root word" and let Wordtracker's powerful right and left hand word stemming, reveal how that portion is actually being used within multiple phrase clusters.

Examples: Here the root word was the term "print:"

"free thank you cards to print"             KEI 456.1
"songs to print for guitar"                         KEI 729.0
"keyless finger print"                      KEI 912.7
"free logic problems to print"              KEI 1301.0

3) Stop thinking of keywords in terms of just a hunt for the right words. But try exploring keywords as "topics of interest" which will often relate back user search behavior and even industry related trends. Examples: Root word "shelves"

"woodworking display shelves"           KEI 625.0
"over the window wood shelves"          KEI 625.0
"pantry shelves and racks"              KEI 645.3
"glass shelves jewelry display"         KEI 961.0

Examples: Root word "Locate"

"Where Can I Locate Someone in Texas"       KEI 784.0
"locate someone using military records"     KEI 841.0

Example: "search"

"Obituary Searches"                 KEI 11224.0

4) Explore the common every day words that may seem to be initially very boring or common to you. These words can often unlock search strings that are very telling about the searcher's interests or needs.

Example: an ordinary word like "draw" produced these.....

"Drawings of Angels"                        KEI 69.4
"Learn How to Draw Dragons"                 KEI 149.0
"How to Draw Flames"                        KEI 159.9
"Mythical Dragon Drawings"                  KEI 232.3
"Grim Reaper Drawings"                      KEI 514.7
"Drawings of the Phoenix Bird"              KEI 698.0
"Drawings of the Grim Reaper"               KEI 1571.7
"Drawings of Angel Wings"                   KEI 1608.0
"Hydraulic Pump Drawings"                   KEI 3669.0
"Pneumatic Drawing Symbols"             KEI 5700.2
"Mechanical Drawing of a Backhoe"                   KEI 18,881.0

5) This is a tough one, but try to stop using so much logic. Give yourself permission to explore random ideas and common words and even portions of your customer's dialogue to you. There are interesting revelations to be found by more random and less logical exploration.

Examples: Root word "why"

"why do people use terrorism"                    KEI 1056.2
"Why is mercury chosen for use in thermometers" KEI 8281.0
"why shouldnt people smoke"                      KEI 13225.0

Examples: Root word "how"

"how to get in google"                       KEI 894.1
"how to get rid of snakes"                   KEI 4188.0
"How Do Pneumatics Work"                     KEI 7363.0
"Hydraulics How They Work"                   KEI 13,728.0
"How Do You Start a Motorcycle Dealership"       KEI 56,406.0

6) Do not just get hung up on high KEI values with low competition.

This is a great place to start your research, but try and take away at least one idea away from every screenshot and realize that there are ways to compete for the low KEI phrases too. It just means you have to work a little harder to win, but you can do it. If you need help to build your top placement skills consider taking an online course or attend a local SEO certification Workshop.

7) Explore more than just "keywords." But watch for the behaviors that are revealed behind the keyword phrases. They are often telling you something about the conditions that exist in the life of the searcher and what is important to them.

Examples:

"Uses of Mood Color"                        KEI 3841
"Use of Test Tube in Laboratory"                    KEI 2401
"Use Of Mercury In WWII"                    KEI 1936.0
"Use of Miss Ms in Titles"                  KEI 784.0

8) If you are researching keywords and exploring data on a specific product line, be sure to think about related online tools and other resources that you could be optimizing for, such as calculators, tests, profiles, maps, driving directions or other important related possibilities.

"discount camcorder batteries"              KEI 575.5
"rechargeable power tool batteries"                 KEI  455.1
"surveyor batteries"                        KEI 770.1
"surveying batteries"                       KEI 902.0
"electric candle tart burners warmers"              KEI 2401
"Home Made Waste Oil Burners"               KEI 1032
"Rechargeable Radio Batteries"              KEI 415
"Medical equipment Bulbs"                   KEI 812.3
"Heraeus tanning bulbs"                     KEI 1225.0
"led closet light and battery"                      KEI 676.0

9) Explore behaviors based on common or unusual questions being searched for on the Internet.

"What Does Your Percent Body Fat Mean"          KEI 859.5
"What Is the Size of a Standard Volleyball Court"           KEI 1,922.0
"What Is Error 663 And How To Fix It"               KEI 43,365.1
"Car Wax Cloudy What To Do To Fix It"               KEI 43,886.5
"My Computer Keeps On Restarting How Can I Fix It"  KEI 48217
"How Much Does It Cost To Fix Car Scratches"        KEI 63,551.3
"How To Fix An Ipod If It Shows Error"              KEI 6303.5

10) Be sure to investigate the acronyms and meaning of acronyms on keyword suggestions you may see. Does SEO really mean search engine optimization? Perhaps it means Seasoned Equities Officer or South Eastern Ohio or perhaps one of the other 114 definitions revealed in http://www.acronymfinder.com

In conclusion: There is no need to worry about finding unique and effective long tailed keywords using Wordtracker. The challenge in finding the best phrases is usually limited only by our threshold of logical thinking. Often the more logical we are, the more we will end up with the same keywords our competitors are all going after.

Keyword research is on skill where you can literally discover "trails of gold" by giving your self freedom and liberty to explore data illogically. That may not sound like intelligent thinking, but until you try it, you'll be missing out on many extra-valuable keyword phrases and missing out some amazing behavioral trends.

About John Alexander

John Alexander is Co-director of Training at Search Engine Workshops offering live, SEO Workshops with his partner SEO educator Robin Nobles. John is partner in online search engine marketing courses and Director of the Search Engine Academy with local training workshops located throughout North America.