The Lifecycle of a Keyword

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“The Keyword Lifecycle”

I have heard this term bandied around like it is some sort of super Advanced Keyword Research secret that only those ‘on the inside’ are privy to. That’s the way some of the courses I have paid for go on about it anyway, and it was not until I learned of the meaning that I looked in the mirror and saw the all day sucker staring back at me.

I know I am going off the point a little, but I am sure we can all relate to the above scenario. You pay for some ebook or course and they talk about this ‘super affiliate secret’ that once learned will give you the advantage over 99% of the competition. And then you find out the secret is something like ‘submit videos to YouTube … A LOT’ Well duh! Do anything A LOT and you will get traffic (I suppose it’s also true that if you do anything a lot you WILL have the advantage over 99% of the competition – because the competition is lazy!)

Anyway, so I learn that the keyword lifecycle is nothing more than an expression that refers to the lifecycle that a user goes through when exploring, refining and eventually purchasing a product or service online. That’s it? OK so I kind of knew this much already but understanding this process is just common sense if you ask me, not something worth its own pull out section! So let’s take a look at this super secret insider…secret(?) and see what all the fuss is about.

A Keyword can be classified into three main groups, and these groups help categorize where the buyer is in the cycle, but more importantly they can help you determine where to try and get their attention. Generally the higher you go in the cycle, the more targeted the keywords are, and therefore there is a LOT more competition. Obviously finding longtail keywords (little competition relative to trend and search volume) as far into the buying cycle as possible is the key to successful niche marketing, but I’m not here to post about that just yet, sorry. For now let’s look at the three keyword groups and discuss how you can monetize each.

Browsing Keywords

Generally one or two key phrases with significantly high search volume. These Browsing Keywords are for just that; Browsing, and as such are not brand/model/colour/or type specific in any way. Examples include ‘Digital Camera’ and ‘Baby Toys’.

Most Keyword Research and Niche Marketing ebooks will tell you to avoid these keywords because they have high competition and are not specific enough to turn the visitor into a buyer. I am not debating these facts because they are indeed right, but one thing that I keep in mind is that although the competition is high, so is the search volume. If you are not trying to sell products through Amazon, eBay, ClickBank etc but are merely trying to make money through Adsense, then getting a site ranked for a browsing keyword can potentially mean huge numbers of visitors , I mean impressions. No, I mean visitors.

Comparison Keywords

Generally two or more Key phrases with middle of the range search volume and this is where the phrases start to get more model, colour and type specific. This is still not considered the buying stage as the target is merely comparing and reviewing what they have already learned from their ‘Browsing’ period. Examples include ‘Canon SLR versus Nikon SLR’ or ‘Review Fisher Price baby toys’

One thing to keep in mind is that although these Key Phrases are not necessarily buyer specific, if you have a decent enough niche site that has the requisite information easily available, turning the comparison shopper into a buyer is not that uncommon.

Buyer Keywords

This is where you hit the pay dirt if you can find a buyer keyword with low competition! Buyer keywords are exactly that and include terms like ‘Buy’ and ‘Cheap’ in the front of an even more specific key phrase, example ‘Buy Nikon Coolpix S series’ or ‘Cheap fisher price activity centre’. Specific model and type products are also considered buyer keywords without the ‘buy’ addition since you generally know what you are looking for when you type in ‘Canon Powershot G11X SLR’ (I just made that up for those playing at home)

There are many methods to finding longtail buyer keywords, but a quick idea is to use other keyword modifiers and not just stick with ‘Buy’ and ‘Cheap’. Adding words like Best Price, Cheapest, Second Hand, Used, Fake and other additions can sometimes find you staring at a very delicious longtail keyword indeed! Stay tuned for an upcoming post where I go into various methods of finding longtail keywords – in a niche near you.

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Tagged as: keyword lifecycle, keyword research, longtail keywords, targeted traffic