When trying to make sense of a huge body of incoming search keywords found in log files collected by a web server or exported from Google Analytics keyword reports, we have traditionally found it incredibly useful to organize these keywords under themes. This helps our clients understand what types of content are in the greatest demand and can help define their future content strategy to better align with the prevailing flow of the oft-mentioned ‘river of demand’.
Depending on the particular services, information or causes a client is involved with, knowledge in various fields is required in order to effectively and accurately categorize keywords and place them into meaningful and useful buckets. By ‘meaningful and useful’, we can also infer ‘actionable’ – a term used to describe information or communication that is useful enough to drive and support a particular course of action. Sorting the keywords used by individual search users to arrive at your site in such a manner can help an organization make important decisions about the future direction of their website and the content that will best satisfy demand. Evidence-based decision-making at its finest!
The problem sometimes faced by web marketing consultants and business owners alike is that only an expert in a given field could understand the language used by visitors to find a website that specializes in particular topics – be that health, technology, governance, or products from any number of specialty e-commerce shops.
Who can accomplish this daunting task?
Therefore, the same sort of mindset that might win games of Jeopardy! or Trivial Pursuit might very well prove invaluable when making sense of a huge body of keywords. The ability to learn, retain and effectively recall (or at least recognize) a large variety of topics, themes, and ideas referred to by a particular keyword is critical to quickly and accurately categorizing keywords, and in determining the categories under which they will necessarily fall.
Failing that, you’ll need someone who is incredibly quick and efficient using Google to find related information; an approach that will inevitably still take much longer and be much more cumbersome than actually possessing a general knowledge of a large number of fields.
It is because of this that experts in SEO or web analytics who rely heavily on keyword analysis for their business will, for the most effective and efficient discharge of their duties and contractual obligations, need to venture far afield of their specialty to dig deep into the peculiarities, unique language and different ways of thinking in which their clients are involved.
As a result, it could be argued that individuals with a diverse range of experiences, interests, and education, or at least those who know or can quickly find out where to look, would be best equipped (and most cost-effective) to take on such tasks.
To fail to completely understand all of the relevant facets of a client’s business, mandate, or cause, is to fail to provide the best possible service as an SEO or analytics consultant.
Read more about keyword research on Cardinal Path.com
