With all the time and effort it takes to rank a website for particular keywords, doesn't it make sense to do your research? If you don't, how will you know if all that effort will actually pay off? Keep reading for factors to consider as you choose your site's keywords.
There are three key things you need to ask about any keyword you're thinking about using. First, is it profitable? Second, will it bring you a lot of traffic? And third, can you beat your competition for that keyword?
So, let's look at the first question. How can you determine whether a particular keyword is profitable? Believe it or not, Google can help you there. Check out the Google AdWords Keyword Tool. This tool tells advertisers how many people search for a given term. You can also learn how much an advertiser is willing to pay for every person who clicks on his ads when they come up for that term. The tool will even list related keywords.
Keep in mind that value is relative. Just because advertisers value particular keywords doesn't mean they'll do well for you. A lot depends on how well your site is set up. But this keyword tool will at least give you a place to start.
Using the Google AdWords Keyword Tool also gave you some idea of the traffic for particular keywords. Another area you need to consider is your competition. Again, Google can help. Do you use the Google Toolbar? If not, download it. Now do a search for your target keyword, and check out the PageRank for the top five results in Google. This will give you some idea of the site's authority. (It's not a perfect measure, but it seems to be the best one we currently have). If your competitor's PageRank is higher than four, you may be in for a fight. If you're up for it, you'll need to look at what they're doing, and figure out how you can do it BETTER.
The most important keyword research tool, however, is your own brain and your own common sense. Brainstorm lots of keywords that sound like they might make sense and be profitable for your website, then start using the tools suggested above to do the research. And do keep in mind that both tools have their flaws. At the end of the day, you'll still have to use your own judgment.
There's one final thing you should keep in mind: no matter how limited your topic, you need to aim for more than just a handful of keywords. If you're building a content-focused website, you're going to be covering your chosen topic from many different angles, and using keywords and key phrases that aren't just variations of the main ones for which you're aiming. A website on gardening, for instance, may talk about gardens, gardening tools, gardening tips, and the like – but other keywords it may rank for include growing herbs, harvesting vegetables, killing insect pests organically...do you get the idea? This kind of healthy diversity will lead to growing traffic.
Choosing Keywords 
