Finalizing Your Keyword Research Project

This entry is part of an ongo­ing series on how to iden­tify the best key­words to help your tar­get cus­tomers find your com­pany online.

Collecting prioritization data

Once you have defined the keyword prioritization scheme, the next step is to collect relevant data points (i.e., examine the data sources) for each the keyword. This is another resource-intensive step, as the keyword numbers at this stage often run to hundreds or even thousands, and not all data points are readily available. Some sources have limits on the number of searches or data requests per day, and therefore it takes longer to collect the data.

In situations where there are a large number of keywords to be processed, collecting all of the prioritization data for every single keyword would be impractical. An alternative would be to use an iterative approach.

Here’s how it works:

Let’s say there are 1,000 keywords to be prioritized based on a set of five factors, of which three are easy to get and two are much harder to get. You might want to collect data on the three (easy) factors for the whole set of 1,000 keywords first. Using these data points, you can apply your prioritization scheme, while ignoring the steps that involve the two hard-to-get factors.

The result is not a fully prioritized list, but a list that is prioritized enough to let you immediately remove the bottom 500-600 words. With the remaining words, you can continue getting data points from one of the remaining factors, using that data to help you prioritize the list again. After this step, once again you can shortlist the set to 100-200 words. At this step, you can finally add the last set of data points, and use it to fully prioritize the remaining words.

Apply the prioritization scheme

Once keyword metrics have been collected, the next step is straightforward – apply the prioritization scheme to the list and identify the top keywords.

A lot of data will be manipulated and updated in the process. Therefore, keep an audit trail of each intermediate step, so that when requested, the raw data files can be presented. This helps ensure maximum transparency in the process, and also creates backup data files that you can use to identify and correct any data errors that may be discovered after the process is completed.

Organize/present the keywords and incorporate feedback from stakeholders

Once the keyword list is generated, you might want to add other information required to support the adoption plan of action for these keywords. Recheck the adoption plan of action to identify any missing “actionable” data.

For example, to make sure that a list of keywords can be used while creating SEO website content, you will need to organize them by topics, or themes, and identify ones that are exchangeable. With the list organized this way, the content writers can choose the appropriate keywords to include in their materials with the right keyword density and avoid repeating the same keywords.

Together with the project sponsor (and the online content manager, if the role is present), develop a presentation that explains the project’s scope and goals, the research process used, and how you prioritized the keywords. Schedule a generous amount of time at the end of the presentation for questions and answers, and for any feedback from stakeholders.

Actively seek out feedback from stakeholders, especially those who will be using the keywords, as this is the best way to ensure collective buy-in and a sense of ownership of the output. If there are a lot of questions, schedule a follow-up meeting to address them; in the meantime, you can do additional work to incorporate the feedback obtained during the presentation.

Maintain a constantly updated keyword list

Keyword research is not a one-off project. Even as you wrap up the project, think about how your process, templates, and data can be reused for a future keyword generation project. Perhaps there are other products or target segments your company will need to generate effective keywords for in the future. In fact, you already may have found many of these keywords while generating your initial list. Therefore, make sure you index all data files, interview notes, and any other materials you collected during the initial process, and organize and store them in an accessible location for future retrieval.

Consider building a master list/database of all keywords found in the process (not just the prioritization process, but all keywords identified through research and by using keyword suggestion tools), including all prioritization data you have collected for each keyword. Over time, this will be the place where you store all keywords relevant to the segments and products your company is targeting, allowing you to build upon the existing knowledge and data you’ve collected for future projects.

As the keyword research project ends, work with the project sponsor (or online content manager, if the role is present) to plan for a refresh of the keyword list. Depending on your company’s resource allocation and operational rhythm, plan to re-run the process in six months to one year’s time to ensure that your keyword strategy is not outdated. In many organizations, there is a dedicated keyword manager who constantly updates the keyword list based on continuously capturing and analyzing feedback and input from the market. At the very least, schedule future tasks to measure the success of your keywords in terms of achieving their intended usage.

An additional resource on keyword database building:

 

How to build a smart keyword infrastructure (WordStream)

That’s all folks! For previous entries in this series, check out the Keyword Generation landing page. For more from Tien Anh, check out his blog or follow him on Twitter @tienanh.