Matt O'Keefe, Author at The Blog Herald The leading source of news covering social media and the blogosphere. Tue, 22 Mar 2016 09:30:50 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.9.9 https://www.blogherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/favicon.ico Matt O'Keefe, Author at The Blog Herald 32 32 6 Quick Ways to Choose a Good Keyword https://www.blogherald.com/seo/6-quick-ways-choose-good-keyword/ Sat, 20 Dec 2014 00:18:17 +0000 http://www.blogherald.com/?p=30295 It takes a lot of people a long time for them to choose a quality keyword for their website or for a specific blog post. There are tools like Wordtracker that allow you to test out keywords you’ve already thought up, but little that helps you actually choose a good keyword to test in the first place.…

The post 6 Quick Ways to Choose a Good Keyword appeared first on The Blog Herald.

]]>
Quick ways to choose a good keyword.
Image – Mike, Flickr.

It takes a lot of people a long time for them to choose a quality keyword for their website or for a specific blog post. There are tools like Wordtracker that allow you to test out keywords you’ve already thought up, but little that helps you actually choose a good keyword to test in the first place. Here are a few key principles you can follow in order to come up with a solid keyword fast.

Know what’s not necessary already.

A little research goes a long way. Knowing that the meta keywords tag and other aspects of the process aren’t necessary to have success in search engine results will save you valuable time every time you’re working on SEO.

Don’t go too niche with your keyword.

When thinking up possible keywords, make sure that you’re reaching a fairly sizable subset of the larger audience of people who would be interested in what you’re selling. Even if you’re writing about a very specific subject in the blog post, it would likely be more beneficial to have a keyword that allows people with something less specific but related in mind to find you.

Don’t go too broad with your keyword.

There are a lot of people competing for that front page of Google or Bing or Yahoo (mainly Google), so don’t expect a keyword like “event planning” get your event planning company at the top of the search engines. Even if you specify your city after it, it’s unlikely you’ll crack the first page at first. Be wary of those broad, oft-searched words and phrases if you want to choose a good keyword.

Don’t go too short with your keyword.

Even if the word or phrase you’re using is uncommon, there’s a good chance that it has already been “spoken for” by other marketers optimizing their sites, blog posts, etc. if it’s not very long. To choose a good keyword you should usually be brainstorming phrases that are three words or longer.

Don’t go too long with your keyword.

While there are too many people vying for the short keywords, there are too few people searching for the extremely long phrases. If your long phrase really seems like something searchers would type out completely, then it might be worth using Wordtracker to see if it’s a viable choice. But as a general rule of thumb, long keywords are likely to get you less clicks.

Quick ways to choose a keyword.
Image – Aray Chen, Flickr.

Don’t limit yourself to sensical words or phrases.

If you look back on your Googling history, you’ll probably notice that sometimes what you put into a search engine is bizarre. You don’t write in complete sentences. In searches that have multiple words, the words may be in an atypical order. Get in the mindset of someone who is rushed while typing something into Google. Brainstorm as many words and phrases that wouldn’t make sense if spoken aloud but seem completely rational in the mind of someone doing a quick search on the internet.

Get into the mindset of a searcher.

The most important thing to keep in mind if you want to choose a good keyword is to not approach the search process from your perspective. Rather than looking for a keyword as a seller, get into the head of a potential buyer. Jot down as many different kinds of searches that you can think of which fulfill the needs of someone who might want to visit your website or blog, and you have a better chance at finding some success.

ALSO READ:

How to Find Keywords For Blogging

Sunday Morning SEO: Keywords Vs “Clever” Words

The post 6 Quick Ways to Choose a Good Keyword appeared first on The Blog Herald.

]]>
Figure out the Best Hashtags to Use With These Tips https://www.blogherald.com/guides/figure-best-hashtags-use-tips/ Thu, 18 Dec 2014 13:30:57 +0000 http://www.blogherald.com/?p=30265 The value of a great hashtag is vastly understated in the social media marketing scene, even though they’re becoming more and more common. People, businesses and brands can benefit greatly from having one that is memorable, impactful and useful in more than one setting. Choosing a truly great hashtag for your social media outlets, however,…

The post Figure out the Best Hashtags to Use With These Tips appeared first on The Blog Herald.

]]>
Best hashtags to use
Image – Anna Creech, Flickr.
The value of a great hashtag is vastly understated in the social media marketing scene, even though they’re becoming more and more common. People, businesses and brands can benefit greatly from having one that is memorable, impactful and useful in more than one setting. Choosing a truly great hashtag for your social media outlets, however, isn’t as easy as some might think. There are some key components to finding the best hashtags to use. Read about some of those below.

Make the hashtag unique

Be sure to research the hashtag you’re considering using before making it a focal point of your social media campaign. I don’t care if you’re the Louisiana Organization for Lollipops, #lol will not be a fruitful hashtag for you on any social media platform. The best hashtags to use are ones that aren’t already being used already, or at least not used very frequently. Type the hashtag you’re thinking about into the search engines of all the social networks you’re using to ensure that you’re not stepping on another trend’s toes.

Make the hashtag short

Social media users are extremely fickle, and probably won’t exert the energy to remember a hashtag that’s too long. The best hashtags to use are ones that are pretty short. They should generally be no longer than 3 or 4 words. There are some exceptions to that rule, though. One of those is if you…

Make the hashtag catchy

A long hashtag is forgivable if the phrase is a popular one or, better yet for the sake of uniqueness, a catchy one that you made up on your own. Think about alliteration, assonance, rhymes and more literary techniques when considering the perfect hashtag for your business, person or brand. The best hashtags to use are ones that are remembered, and making your hashtag catchy is a great way to stick it in social media users’ minds.
Best hashtags to use.
Image – Ken Varnum, Flickr.

Make the hashtag relatable

The best hashtags to use are the ones that make readers go “Uh-huh!” Dig deep to find a word or phrase that feels relatable to the people reading your post. Your hashtag is a winner if it makes others feel closer to you, your business or your brand. Do your best to make some sort of connection in around four words or less.

Make the hashtag universal

While you want your hashtag to be relatable, you also don’t want to make it too individualized. Rather, make your hashtag feel universal, or at least universal to your audience. Don’t just go after a small subset of them, unless that’s all you’re really trying to attract with the posts that utilize that particalular hashtag. The best hashtags to use mean something to a large number of people, not just a handful.

Make the hashtag malleable

This is pretty tricky, but the very best hashtags to use are ones that can mean more than one thing. Nike’s slogan “Just do it,” for example, refers to both getting out for exercise and going out to buy Nike products. If at all possible, your hashtag should be similarly malleable. That’s yet another way to create a successful social media hashtag

ALSO READ:

The post Figure out the Best Hashtags to Use With These Tips appeared first on The Blog Herald.

]]>