Today, in a special double feature, we take a close look at keywords. First, Bralynn Bell explains how choosing keywords can be the difference between being a fish in a big pond or a whale in a bathtub. Then, Rob Schmults looks at a couple of tools which can help take you beyond keyword optimization.
Avoiding the Competition
By Bralynn Bell
When choosing your Keywords, knowing how to limit your competition is essential. After all, what use is it to you to be a little fish in an ocean of sharks? Find out how to become a big fish in a little pond with the use of the proper keywords. Do it right, and you easily make yourself as obvious as a whale in a bathtub.
"Better to be a big fish in a small pond, than a small fish in a big pond."
That proverb can be especially true in the big pond that is the Internet, and more specifically, search engines on the Internet. When choosing your keywords, knowing how to limit your competition is essential. Time and again I see people construct their keywords using only one common word, such as "Bike," and then they question why they aren't getting ranked high in the Search Engines. When you choose common words like "Bike," you are typically giving yourself a great amount of unneeded competition.
For instance, at the time of this article, a search in Google for "Bike" returns over 10 million results. Trying to get ranked high in a search term as broad as that is of course achievable, but why put yourself through the burden of competing with 10 million other results when you could just avoid it?
What I also find common is that the same site, which was trying to target a common word didn't need to because their site was related to something more specific, such as "Bike Safety Equipment." The search term "Bike Safety Equipment" at the time of this article returns around 400,000 Google results; still a lot of competition, but obviously far less than 10 million. In the case of your search terms, the difference could be even more drastic.
In short, if your web site is related to something specific, try targeting that specific keyword search term, instead of opening yourself up to a ton of competition by being too broad. The less competition you have, the easier it will be for you to rank high in that search term.
Choosing Keywords 
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