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Weighing the Options for Start-Up Online Business' Keyword Research

When it comes to determining all relevant keywords, should we attempt to do it ourselves or is it better to hire an experienced company or freelancers to perform this mission?

The answer to this central question depends upon a number of related variables. Here are some of the most significant of those related variables:

1. The extent to which you understand how to locate keywords and track down keywords that are closely related

2. Access to the tools that are available to assist in this process

3. Your skills at using the software

4. Your ability to interpret the results so that you are able to separate the useful words and phrases from those that will have little business significance

5. Your budget

Glancing at those five, notice that they boil down to how much you have studied the process of keyword research and whether the outsourcing alternative is within your financial resources. Let me address each of those in a bit more detail.

What You Must Understand

Identifying relevant keywords and phrases is as important as any other part of your new business. In fact, it is more important than most of your planning. The lengthy list that you generate is central to all of your marketing efforts in the short and long term. The tactics impacted include your article marketing, your search engine optimization, your paid advertising and your copywriting. In other words, without a good foundation of keyword research, all other aspects of your marketing will suffer.

Some available tools are free to use, such as Google's keyword research tool. Others can be purchased as desktop software or as online membership applications. It is important to use multiple tools for your research, because results will different based upon the databases that the tools consult and the formulas with which they conduct their searches. You should gather information comparing various keyword research software options.

While use of the tools is relatively simple, in most cases, interpreting the results can be very tricky if you do not yet have considerable experience or a significant knowledge base. Not all of the keywords that are uncovered are of equal value to a business, and the number of searches for any given keyword does not automatically make that keyword of greater importance to you particular business than another keyword that draws much less traffic.

Money

I believe that even if your funds are limited, keyword research is so important that, if you are not capable of conducting and interpreting the study, this is a place to spend those precious financial resources. The expense of outsourcing keyword research is rather modest when you consider the potential return on that investment. I recommend that, if you do hire professionals for this task, that you make sure that they also do a competitive analysis of your industry or niche and offer advice concerning how to use the findings of the study to your competitive advantage.

Sometimes, although not always, researching keywords is part of an overall search engine optimization (SEO) package. Consequently, if you plan to invest in such a large scale purchase, there is usually no point in buying a keyword or niche research package as well. If you choose to go this route, be absolutely certain that your SEO company will be extremely thorough in its keyword research and that the complete keyword list is included in your report from that company.

Bottom line: You can do this task yourself if you already know a great deal about the process (or are willing to take the time to learn what you need to) and if you have the critical tools.

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