Sunday, October 23, 2005
Using SearchIt! Free Research Tool for Advanced Keyword Research
The SearchIt! free search tool consists of a window with two dropdown boxes and two text boxes. In the two dropdown boxes, you select the type of search you want to do. In the two text boxes, you select the search criteria (such as keywords or URLs) you want to use.
Rather than repeat the introductory info about SearchIt! that I shared last week, I suggest that you see the October 2nd blog for this information. Or simply realize that it is important to click all the links and read all the instructions that SearchIt! tells you to do.
You'll find SearchIt! A LOT easier and more valuable to use if you do that.
Using SearchIt!
The last couple of weeks we looked at using SearchIt! for researching keywords. This week we'll look at the tools that show you advanced information about how you or your competitors use your keywords.
In the Step 1 dropdown box, scroll down under KEYWORDS and select Where Are They?.
Click the dropdown box for Step 2: Select Search Type. You'll see the following options.
These types of searches mainly show which sites are making an effort to optimize for your keywords.
I, personally, make a lot of use of the Link in Title searches to get a feel for how many pages provide serious optimization competition for mine. There is a SIGNIFICANT difference in the number of pages you get for a basic search of the keyword itself and the type of specialized searches here. I always use the Link in Title searches to evaluate the true amount of competition I face.
Here's a tip if you're trying to find out how many pages are actively optimized for your keywords: note the number of results for the search. You can find this in the blue bar above the search results, where it says something like "Search Results 1 - 100 pages of about XXXX pages for (your keyword)." The number of pages it states shows you approximetely how many pages are trying to rank for that keyword.
Keyword in Link
Let's start by looking at the Keyword in Link option.
This kind of search shows you which sites include your keyword in links somewhere on their page. This should not be confused, however, for a search of sites that have your keyword frequently in links coming INTO their page, which would be a lot more revealing information. But many SEOs will use this type of search as I describe above, as an indication of how many pages are making a serious effort to optimize for that keyword.
You can also use this option as a brainstorming tool to check out the type of CONTENT other sites are developing around this keyword. Seeing the types of content that other sites are building can give you new ideas for additional content that you can build. In other words, this can be a good brainstorming tool to use for building content for your most important keywords.
To do this kind of search, type your keyword in the Step 3 box and click the SearchIt! button. Read the information about this search and click the link at the bottom to show your results.
Keyword in URL
This option shows you how many pages have your keyword in their URL. Type your keyword into the Step 3 box. Click the SearchIt! button. Its uses are similar to the ones described above for the Keyword in Link search.
Keyword in Title (Yahoo!) or Keyword in Title (Google)
Both of these options are essentially the same, merely done against the databases of two different search engines. As I said above, this is the test I always do on a keyword when I want to find out how stiff the competition is for it.
Since the search engines consider a page's title to be the most significant indicator of what that page is about, it's pretty likely that someone who puts your keyword in her page's title is trying to rank for that keyword.
If this type of search reveals that less than 1,000 pages are optimized for your keyword, you have an excellent chance of optimizing your page into the first page of search engine results. I've had success optimizing pages with up to a few hundred thousand results for this kind of search, but only with a lot of effort and a site that focuses specificially on those keywords.
Again, to do this search, type your keyword into the Step 3 box, click the SearchIt! button, read the information on the instruction page, and click the link to see your results.
Keyword in Site (Site-Search)
This tool shows you all the pages that contain your keyword within a specific site. Type your keyword into the Step 3 box and type a domain name (without the http:// or www.) in the Step 4 box. Then click the SearchIt! button.
The instruction page that appears has some great ideas for using this kind of search, such as searching for your keywords on major reference sites like About.com or forums to find ideas for content. The instructions also provide a link that you might find useful as an example of this kind of search. They do a search of their own site for all the pages that deal with monetizing a website. You might want to give those pages a look. They give a lot of great tips for ways to earn money from your site.
Next week
This Sunday, I've covered just the advance keyword search options that SearchIt! provides. Next Sunday, I'll show the tools it has for brainstorming or researching domain names and checking trademark information.
All in all, SearchIt! can find you lots of keywords and much other valuable information. The main thing to remember is to READ THE DIRECTIONS. With as many tools packed into this one interface, you're not going to take one look at it and intuitively understand how to use every one of them. But the directions they give are easy, and they do more than just tell you how to use each tool; they also throw in tips on how to use the results you receive to make your site more successful.
SearchIt! is one of these free tools that really produces value for you. I recommend that you check it out and make it a part of your web marketing arsenal.
Jeff
The SearchIt! free search tool consists of a window with two dropdown boxes and two text boxes. In the two dropdown boxes, you select the type of search you want to do. In the two text boxes, you select the search criteria (such as keywords or URLs) you want to use.
Rather than repeat the introductory info about SearchIt! that I shared last week, I suggest that you see the October 2nd blog for this information. Or simply realize that it is important to click all the links and read all the instructions that SearchIt! tells you to do.
You'll find SearchIt! A LOT easier and more valuable to use if you do that.
Using SearchIt!
The last couple of weeks we looked at using SearchIt! for researching keywords. This week we'll look at the tools that show you advanced information about how you or your competitors use your keywords.
In the Step 1 dropdown box, scroll down under KEYWORDS and select Where Are They?.
Click the dropdown box for Step 2: Select Search Type. You'll see the following options.
- Keyword in Link
- Keyword in URL
- Keyword in Title (Yahoo!)
- Keyword in Title (Google)
- Keyword in Site (Site-Search)
These types of searches mainly show which sites are making an effort to optimize for your keywords.
I, personally, make a lot of use of the Link in Title searches to get a feel for how many pages provide serious optimization competition for mine. There is a SIGNIFICANT difference in the number of pages you get for a basic search of the keyword itself and the type of specialized searches here. I always use the Link in Title searches to evaluate the true amount of competition I face.
Here's a tip if you're trying to find out how many pages are actively optimized for your keywords: note the number of results for the search. You can find this in the blue bar above the search results, where it says something like "Search Results 1 - 100 pages of about XXXX pages for (your keyword)." The number of pages it states shows you approximetely how many pages are trying to rank for that keyword.
Keyword in Link
Let's start by looking at the Keyword in Link option.
This kind of search shows you which sites include your keyword in links somewhere on their page. This should not be confused, however, for a search of sites that have your keyword frequently in links coming INTO their page, which would be a lot more revealing information. But many SEOs will use this type of search as I describe above, as an indication of how many pages are making a serious effort to optimize for that keyword.
You can also use this option as a brainstorming tool to check out the type of CONTENT other sites are developing around this keyword. Seeing the types of content that other sites are building can give you new ideas for additional content that you can build. In other words, this can be a good brainstorming tool to use for building content for your most important keywords.
To do this kind of search, type your keyword in the Step 3 box and click the SearchIt! button. Read the information about this search and click the link at the bottom to show your results.
Keyword in URL
This option shows you how many pages have your keyword in their URL. Type your keyword into the Step 3 box. Click the SearchIt! button. Its uses are similar to the ones described above for the Keyword in Link search.
Keyword in Title (Yahoo!) or Keyword in Title (Google)
Both of these options are essentially the same, merely done against the databases of two different search engines. As I said above, this is the test I always do on a keyword when I want to find out how stiff the competition is for it.
Since the search engines consider a page's title to be the most significant indicator of what that page is about, it's pretty likely that someone who puts your keyword in her page's title is trying to rank for that keyword.
If this type of search reveals that less than 1,000 pages are optimized for your keyword, you have an excellent chance of optimizing your page into the first page of search engine results. I've had success optimizing pages with up to a few hundred thousand results for this kind of search, but only with a lot of effort and a site that focuses specificially on those keywords.
Again, to do this search, type your keyword into the Step 3 box, click the SearchIt! button, read the information on the instruction page, and click the link to see your results.
Keyword in Site (Site-Search)
This tool shows you all the pages that contain your keyword within a specific site. Type your keyword into the Step 3 box and type a domain name (without the http:// or www.) in the Step 4 box. Then click the SearchIt! button.
The instruction page that appears has some great ideas for using this kind of search, such as searching for your keywords on major reference sites like About.com or forums to find ideas for content. The instructions also provide a link that you might find useful as an example of this kind of search. They do a search of their own site for all the pages that deal with monetizing a website. You might want to give those pages a look. They give a lot of great tips for ways to earn money from your site.
Next week
This Sunday, I've covered just the advance keyword search options that SearchIt! provides. Next Sunday, I'll show the tools it has for brainstorming or researching domain names and checking trademark information.
All in all, SearchIt! can find you lots of keywords and much other valuable information. The main thing to remember is to READ THE DIRECTIONS. With as many tools packed into this one interface, you're not going to take one look at it and intuitively understand how to use every one of them. But the directions they give are easy, and they do more than just tell you how to use each tool; they also throw in tips on how to use the results you receive to make your site more successful.
SearchIt! is one of these free tools that really produces value for you. I recommend that you check it out and make it a part of your web marketing arsenal.
Jeff
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