When you hear "Boot Camp", what comes to mind? For me, it's the thought of physical torment <g>. For some, perhaps an exhilarating test of physical endurance. For others, maybe something in between? Today, I participated in the SMX Boot Camp and it opened up my mind to a whole new meaning...Fundamentals! In this case, search marketing fundamentals. If you're new to SEM or need a refresher hopefully you will find these tips useful.

As SMX West kicked off, so did the SMX Boot Camp in which I decided to take part. I'm going to break this track into three posts including: Keyword Research Tools & Techniques, Copywriting for Search Success and Paid Search Fundamentals.

Keyword Research Tools & Techniques

One key to success for any marketing campaign is to know your message. With search marketing, it means knowing the search terms that are being used by your target audience. By understanding what they're searching for, you can make the most of their traffic via search engines. Be sure to leverage the tools and techniques for performing keyword research to help you increase conversions.

Everything related to online marketing starts with keywords. In other words, you need to know what customers are typing into the search box (or querying) to find your product or service. Then, you can match your keywords used within your site with their query so they can find you more easily. The keyword importance theme carried throughout all of the Boot Camp sessions. 

Three quick tips to enhance your site:

1. Determine the best keywords to use with each page on your site and leverage them

• Start with your own brain and brainstorm; remember to use synonyms and common misspellings.
• Discover new keyword opportunities and put them to use; there are likely overlooked and/or new keywords that you are not yet using so be sure to weave these in
• Keep in mind that each page should target its own keyword phrase. Or as Danny Sullivan has said before: Each page sings its own song.
• Don't force the use of keywords. There is no need to repeat keywords a certain number of times. There is no magic number, just use the word(s) as it makes sense within your copy.

2. Learn the customers' lingo and speak it

• Increase conversion by speaking the customers' language. If you say "duplicate a CD" and the customers are searching for "burn a CD", there's a disconnect.
• How do you figure this out? Leverage customer interviews, surveys and focus groups, talk to your support or sales personnel who talk directly to customers (they usually have a good pulse on what customers are saying), review blogs and/or forums.

3. Use keyword tools - be sure to use a variety of them and use them in combination (no keyword tool is perfect)

• There are many keyword tools to choose from, some are free and some fee-based.
• For example, Microsoft Advertising Intelligence is a keyword research and optimization tool that operates seamlessly in Microsoft Office Excel 2007. It provides keyword expansion, research, pricing, and KPI data allowing you to maximize marketing ROI for your paid search and content ad campaigns.
• Some others include: WordTracker.com, Wordstream.com/keywords, SEMrush.com, Technorati.com and comScore Marketer.

Stay tuned for more fundamentals.  Next we'll take a look at Copywriting for Search Success.