Keywords and Google Analytic
If you're not checking and leveraging the keywords found in your Google Analytic reports, you're missing out on some of the best web visibility opportunities available.
Sure its great to chase the popular and high value keywords like every other business in your niche. However, all to often obtaining visibility for this keyword type can become expensive and time consuming, while keywords which are currently on Search Engine's radar and delivering visitors to your web site are over looked.
Checking Google Analytic Keywords
Discovering the keywords successfully used to find your web site is just a few clicks away once you're logged into your Google Analytic Account.
From your account's Dashboard > Traffic Sources > Keywords and you will be presented with a list of keywords currently delivering web site visitors. The value of these keywords and how much traffic delivered will in most cases depend on the general strength of your web site's Domain.
A web site with a strong domain is likely to be gaining significant traction from this strength, as well as ensuring keyword relevancy is at the forefront of content creation and development.
Keyword Selection
Once you get to the Keyword dashboard you will be provided with a list of the keywords which have delivered traffic to your web site. Google Analytic provides plenty of data on these keywords which assists you to determine which keywords and phrases are best selected for additional Search Engine Optimization opportunities.
A couple of the data sets to take note of are:
Visits and New Visitors
These two data sets will provide you an indication of the popularity of the term by providing you information on how many visits a keyword has delivered. New Visitors numbers are also important to determine which keywords are delivering the most new traffic to the site and therefore, have better overall rankings in the Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs).
Time on Site and Bounce Rate
These data sets are also worth reviewing. High Time on Site values indicate the content provided was engaging and met the users needs and therefore, another good selection indicator. Alternatively low time on site may not necessarily indicate content issues as might be assumed. It may indicate that the Search Engine has not properly identified the topic of the page and the page should not have been included in the listings.
Bounce Rates follow a similar pattern as Time on Site. A term with a 100% bounce rate is not the ideal candidate for future optimization. However, researching the reasons this may be the case is highly recommenced.
Keyword Optimization
At this point you've got a list of keywords which are either doing well, or are just starting to show up in SERPs and could use a little help to improve overall positioning
The objective here is to build up the strength of these keywords so they deliver even more traffic. With some content planning, you may find this method of increasing web site traffic easier than anticipated.
Content and Keyword Relevancy
To improve the volume of traffic a keyword or phrase provides your web site, the Content Development Program needs to focus on providing the Search Engines with more and more content based on the targeted keyword and its derivatives.
Supporting the keywords currently working for your site with similar content sends a clear signal to the Search Engines regarding the topic of your web page, and high relevancy to the topic due to all the supporting content items.
Social Media Content Optimization
At this stage new content items have been developed using Search Engine Optimization best practices and the beginning of content bank from which to select content for sharing on Social Network web sites.
In many cases the keywords discovered in Google Analytic may not have high search volumes and therefore, will never really drive significant traffic to the site. Social Media Optimization leverages the high powered keywords related to the niche. These keywords are usually out of reach for the average business. However, in Social Media these are your headlines, your attractants.
Optimizing Social Media Updates
Tweet, Facebook or Google+, where ever you're promoting your content, the messages follow similar Social Media Content Optimization best practices.
Use those attention grabbing keywords and phrases at the beginning of your update and integrate the keywords identified in a supportive manner. Simple as that.
Remember, its not only a Social game going on here. Search Engines monitor the Social Media Networks when possible and interpret and integrate these signals into the Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) This goes full circle and improves your Search Rankings to drive more traffic and Social Media. Win win.
Good luck, share your results and any questions just leave a comment.
