Creating The Ideal Keyword/Domain Watchlist

Keyword research tools, aside from their calculations of keyword data over the Internet, usually also have a feature which aids in the tracking of certain domains and their use of keywords. For example, one of KeywordSpy.com's special features is a Watch List in the upper left corner of its page. This watch list, available to paid subscribers of the service, is made for the competitors you would most like to keep an eye on. Now, not all the time your keyword competitors will be at the top of their game. There'll be times that their usage of keywords will fluctuate and you may not feel the least threatened by them.

Suppose you find yourself in the situation that your your keyword competitors aren't what you make them out to be. So you have to redo the search, and clean up the rankings. But if you had the right choices from the start, you wouldn't have to change the rankings ever so often.

So how can you come up with an effective keyword watch list? One technique is by checking the Time Machine function. Over a span of months you will see what Web sites would bid on keywords more consistently. Supposing we have a site that would bid on 400 to 450 keywords from June to August, then will fall down to an average of 300 from September to November, then partially back up to 350 from December onwards. There's hardly little fluctuation there, so it seems a good candidate for the research watch list.

But then we come across a keyword competitor that bids on an average of 600 keywords from June to September, then the number falls drastically down to 150 come September to October. Then the number will rise up to 200 for the last two months. Is this still a likely candidate for the watchlist? The answer is, it depends on what parameter you would like to follow. If you count on the total average of keywords for the year (and yes, it is still quite a big one all in all) , it is still viable and you would think that numbers would be up for the year.

Another thing to consider would be the seasonality of the product/lkeyword you're promoting. Flowers would always be in demand come Valentine’s or Memorial Day (US), so expect keywords related to it to be up on those said dates. Whilst we see a steady decline in certain models of cellphones (most probably no one will be looking for a Motorola KRazr or a Nokia N96 model real soon), so it may be better to put off bidding on keywords which represent such models and always be on the lookout for more modern paraphernalia.

Remember, your watchlist will be the key to your keyword and domain research, and your hold on your prospective market. It is there to serve as a handy, quick reminder of what you will be up against in your SEM strategy. Make informed choices for the list so that you keep your game on.

By RON ABAGNALE