Where does keyword research go from here?
Jul 11th, 2008 by Bob King
Anybody on the internet marketing knows that keywords are the main linchpin of your online business. People spend lavishly to find out keyword search volume on Wordtracker and other keyword services. This is all because Google had kept the monthly keyword search numbers tightly closed.
Then all the sudden, the keyword search numbers are wide open with Google keyword tool. See this blog. This certainly casts a death spell on the existing keyword research tools. So, where does keyword research go from here?
Well, there’s one thing that I’m pretty sure Google will not let loose voluntarily (unless there’s s court order which is no where in the horizon). This is the conversion rate of keywords along Google’s search results.
Why is the keyword conversion rate important? The short history of online marketing has proven beyond any doubt that all keywords are equal, but some keywords are more equal than others. If you’re a publisher, keyword conversion rate should be all you care-about, because it directly impacts your AdSense revenue. You can find and own a niche. If no keyword converts to clicks, it’s not a profitable niche.
If you used AdWords before, the search conversion rate is there to be seen for your ads dollars. However, the AdWords TOS prohibits public disclosure of these numbers. So you’re left with two alternatives, (1). experimenting with keywords with loads of ads dollar; (2). wondering if it’s something wrong with the style, the phrases, the link or the tone of your ads. Needless to say, these two options had generated enviable margin and profit for Google. In fact, ad position is the key factor to the conversion rate of individual ads. Only Google knows the conversion rate of keywords above all the red herring factors that advertisers see.
If anyone could figure out the keyword conversion rate, you’d hit a jack pot. This is the holly grail of future keyword research.
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