Keyword research is an integral part of any SEO or SEM campaign. It shapes the activities that are followed in the design of the campaign and the search engine optimization tasks for a website.

Successful keyword research would primarily involve the understanding of the client’s business … getting to the niche or speciality of his product or service. And then evaluating the popular terms used to search for that particular product or service.

Generic terms would need to be eliminated and the competition for each keyword should be considered before a PPC campaign or SEO job is carried out. If you launch an ad for a very competitive keyword you might find yourself in a flood of ads of similar businesses thereby eliminating the impact of your ad. Bidding for the Top 3 positions is advised only if the expense is justified for the campaign.

Shortlisting of keywords after an exhaustive keyword research should consider the relevancy of the keyword for the business, the traffic that the keyword can generate for you, the competition involved with the keyword and the cost of the keyword (PPC campaigns).