It is often asked, "what really is the point of keyword research? I have asked this same question before, and hopefully I'll be able to answer your questions about the why's and how's of keyword research in this article.

Why Research Keywords?

Ok, why should we do this in the first place? Well, to put it simply, I have preached many times that the future of all business is online. This isn't to say that there isn't anyone using the internet. We all know that there are millions upon millions of internet users, and along with them, comes millions upon millions of websites.

When you want to stand out, and have potential customers or clients find you, you have to be different, and use different methods to get found.

This is where keywords come into the picture.

What are Keywords?

Most people use search engines on a daily basis, to find pretty much anything they are looking for on the internet, be it "how to" methods, nearby destinations, or any kind of general information. Take Google for example. Google is the most used search engine on the internet. They have a program that combs the internet to find what people are looking for. When someone types in something to find, the software pulls up a list of sites with the matches of what they were searching for. These searches that users have typed in are called keywords.

How does this information help?

When someone types their query in and does a search, the list of sites and blogs shows up for them to go through. Most people will never go past that first page of listings, and hardly anyone goes past the second page. So, you are trying to get your site/blog/article listed on that first page. You do this by finding out what searches are performed per month on any kind of word you think could be geared toward the niche you have built your site around. The coolest part of all this is that there are tools to do this research available to you without spending hours typing them into search engines. Google has one called Google AdWords that you can use. But they are out there for you to use. This type of study is what will set your site apart from the rest of the millions, and get you traffic you never dreamed of.

What is the point?

So, what's the point of keyword research? This is how you attain the traffic to your site or blog, and this is free traffic. The coolest part about this is that you can find the words that are best, and then spread them out across the internet, so even more people will find your site. You can do this by of course having a page on your site geared towards this keyword, you can blog about this word, and you can write articles and post in forums, and every one of these methods is going to be bringing you even more free traffic. This is the only way you are going to make sales, is if someone visits your site. And how will they find you if you don't show up in the first page rankings? That, my friends, is the point of keyword research!

So, pull out your tools and get to work. They are sitting there waiting on you to get on the first page, because you have the information that they need. Remember, also, that you are writing good content, because Google's software programmers are smarter than me and some of you and their algorithms are amazingly efficient, and you don't want to get booted because you tried to trick the system. All the information you need to find those keywords and market your site can be found on the internet with a little effort, and what you put into it, you will get so much more in return if you push forward. Find out what keywords in your niche don't have too much competition, and plunge full tilt ahead using those. You will be rewarded with the traffic fairly easily.

Good Luck and Happy Helping!