In late 2005 Pew/Internet, one of the most respected names in online research published a
report about search engine usage. Their report concluded that on an average day, nearly
60 million people use search engines. Search is now the second most popular online
activity, just behind e-mail.
Search engines have transformed the way people buy products and services both online
and offline. Search engines represent a huge opportunity for affiliate marketers. In order
to leverage the power of search engines, affiliates must first understand the importance of
keywords. Put simply, keywords are the words and phrases people use to find what
they're looking for in the search engines. Keywords are the foundation of every
successful affiliate marketing campaign.
Before I register a domain name or build a website I spend a lot of quality time doing
keyword research. This keyword research helps me to better understand the products and
services I'm promoting, and helps me to plan my website and marketing strategy.
It's not only important to find as many keywords as possible, but it's also critical that you
focus on the right keywords. One of the biggest factors that have contributed to my
success as an affiliate is keyword research. The more (good) keywords you have in
your list, the more opportunities you have to drive targeted traffic to your website, which
will lead to more commissions.
This section will show you how to build and manage a highly-targeted and
comprehensive keyword list.
Saturday, 24 January 2009
Understanding the Keyword Buying Cycle
In order to find the right keywords you must first understand the Keyword Buying Cycle.
The Keyword Buying Cycle identifies the different types of keywords people use as they
go through the process of researching and making a purchase online. There are three
phases in the Keyword Buying Cycle:
1. Browse
2. Compare
3. Buy
There are specific sets of keywords associated with each phase. Being able to identify
these sets of keywords and matching them up with the right offer, at the right time, is
what successful affiliates do best
When making an online purchase, a shopper may start searching with general keywords.
As the shopper becomes more educated about a particular product or service they will
begin using more specific keywords to find what they're looking for. Some online
shoppers may know exactly what they're looking for, and immediately begin searching
with specific keywords.
To better understand the Keyword Buying Cycle, I will use real keyword examples
throughout this section.
Browse Keywords
During the Browse phase of the Keyword Buying Cycle, online shoppers look for
products or services using general keywords. At this point, the shopper may not know the
specific product features they're looking for and probably haven't committed to a
particular brand.
The Browse phase is mostly used for gathering information. Some impulsive shoppers
may be willing to buy during the Browse phase, but most are just window shopping.
Keyword Example:
Let's say that an online shopper is looking for a new laptop. They need the laptop for
school, so they need a laptop that is durable and lightweight. They haven't decided on a
specific brand yet, and are still undecided about what other features are important to
them.
Here are some potential Browse keywords a laptop shopper might use:
• Laptops
• Lightweight laptops
• Ultra portable laptops
• Cheap laptops
• Laptops for school
As you can see, these keywords aren't very specific. These general keywords have a lot
more search volume than specific keywords.
Affiliate Strategies for Browse Keywords
As an affiliate, I generally do not target keywords in the Browse phase. There are a few
good reasons for this:
• Browse keywords are too general. Affiliates aren't interested in browsers, they're
interested in buyers.
• Browse keywords are too competitive because of their high search volume. Trying
to achieve a top-10 ranking (listed on page 1) in the search engines for general
campaign is difficult too, especially when you're competing with product
manufactures and retailers who have higher profit margins.
If you do plan on targeting prospects during the browse phase of the Keyword Buying
Cycle it’s important that you try to capture that visitor as a lead. Once you’ve captured
their contact information you can follow up with them through a series of e-mail autoresponders.
The main benefit of capturing a customer as a lead is that you can reach out to that
customer after they’ve left your site. I’ll discuss this strategy in more detail in Section 4 –
Build a Website that Sells.
The Keyword Buying Cycle identifies the different types of keywords people use as they
go through the process of researching and making a purchase online. There are three
phases in the Keyword Buying Cycle:
1. Browse
2. Compare
3. Buy
There are specific sets of keywords associated with each phase. Being able to identify
these sets of keywords and matching them up with the right offer, at the right time, is
what successful affiliates do best
When making an online purchase, a shopper may start searching with general keywords.
As the shopper becomes more educated about a particular product or service they will
begin using more specific keywords to find what they're looking for. Some online
shoppers may know exactly what they're looking for, and immediately begin searching
with specific keywords.
To better understand the Keyword Buying Cycle, I will use real keyword examples
throughout this section.
Browse Keywords
During the Browse phase of the Keyword Buying Cycle, online shoppers look for
products or services using general keywords. At this point, the shopper may not know the
specific product features they're looking for and probably haven't committed to a
particular brand.
The Browse phase is mostly used for gathering information. Some impulsive shoppers
may be willing to buy during the Browse phase, but most are just window shopping.
Keyword Example:
Let's say that an online shopper is looking for a new laptop. They need the laptop for
school, so they need a laptop that is durable and lightweight. They haven't decided on a
specific brand yet, and are still undecided about what other features are important to
them.
Here are some potential Browse keywords a laptop shopper might use:
• Laptops
• Lightweight laptops
• Ultra portable laptops
• Cheap laptops
• Laptops for school
As you can see, these keywords aren't very specific. These general keywords have a lot
more search volume than specific keywords.
Affiliate Strategies for Browse Keywords
As an affiliate, I generally do not target keywords in the Browse phase. There are a few
good reasons for this:
• Browse keywords are too general. Affiliates aren't interested in browsers, they're
interested in buyers.
• Browse keywords are too competitive because of their high search volume. Trying
to achieve a top-10 ranking (listed on page 1) in the search engines for general
campaign is difficult too, especially when you're competing with product
manufactures and retailers who have higher profit margins.
If you do plan on targeting prospects during the browse phase of the Keyword Buying
Cycle it’s important that you try to capture that visitor as a lead. Once you’ve captured
their contact information you can follow up with them through a series of e-mail autoresponders.
The main benefit of capturing a customer as a lead is that you can reach out to that
customer after they’ve left your site. I’ll discuss this strategy in more detail in Section 4 –
Build a Website that Sells.
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