Definition:

The exploration of keywords relevant to one’s website and their evaluation regarding which ones are capable of yielding the highest ROI (return on investment)

Information:

Three prime steps make up the keyword research regime:

1. Discovery:

   Looking for as many keywords as possible that are relevant to one’s website. Marketers can now fasten the research process by making use of online tools that help in finding relevant keywords and their respective search fame.

2. ROI Analysis:

   Seeking the most suitable set of keywords for one’s website. Keywords that are generic are used the most. However, the rate of competition is also higher here and they might bring lower conversion rates. The highest ROI can be obtained by using phrases that specifically target the features of a website/page.

3. Competitive Analysis:

   Evaluating the potential of rivals for likely keywords. The way websites optimize different factors and the amount of related inbound links they have got can be considered competitive factors.

Free tools:

Google AdWords Keyword Planner:  It requires you to signup to Google AdWords and uses search query data from Google.

Bing Keyword Research: It requires you to signup for Bing Webmaster Tools, which is another source of search query data.

Google Trends:  It compares keyword popularity across geographies and other terms.

Related Terms:

Keyword Marketing, Keyword Density, keyword