Let’s face it, websites do not optimize themselves and while SEO may not be rocket science, it does require tact and there are various stages and layers involved before you start ranking for substantial keywords. This is why it’s imperative that you create a blueprint for success and use it as a schema to develop a self-reciprocating formula to reinforce your website as a contender for a given niche-market or industry.
Keywords and Modifiers: Your Bridge to Consumers and Conversion
Keywords [the words or phrases people use in search engines] are the bridge between your website and new business. Each additional combination of keywords that blends with other modifiers (see below) represents an immense opportunity to branch out from your originating topic and encroach on various streams of revenue.
By mastering this approach, you can appeal to a vast array of consumers by cuing in on search behavior since each person communicates intent through their queries to search engines differently. Keywords are the gatekeepers between consumers and conversion; the more keywords your website ranks for, the higher probability your pages have for ranking across a broader array of popular search phrases.
Competitive keyword positioning starts with working your way up the ladder until your website has enough term frequency, depth and authority to garner a more saturated/competitive keyword. Through using modifiers, you can (a) scale your websites’ relevance model in addition to (b) positioning your pages through multiple top 10 rankings for less competitive phrases.
The aggregate affect of punches in bunches and scaling traffic and relevance over time vs. trying to go for the knock out with a blockbuster / top tier competitive keyword is a tried and true method for increasing conversion and the footprint of website authority.
It has been a while since we covered the topic and it’s time that a refresher is in order. For those unfamiliar with the term, a modifier is a descriptive word that augments another word to create context and eliminate diffusion.
For example is you typed in the prefix “most expensive” AND “your keyword” you would get an entirely different set of search engine result pages than if you typed in “Affordable or Cheap” AND “your keyword”. Both are modifiers that look for context to provide you with as close a match as possible to what you are looking for.
If you multiply your modifiers when optimizing root keywords, you can create viable shifts in rankings as search engines begin to identify your pages with a broader array of related/themed branches of the tree/theme.
Here is an extended list of keyword modifiers you could use to increase keyword stemming. Just add these to your root phrase and now you have a veritable list of supporting landing pages and keywords that overlap and can attract more viewers to your most prized offers.
Add Any of These Modifiers to Your Main Keyword(s):
- Company
- Companies
- Service
- Services
- Process
- Method
- Training
- Pricing
- Rates
- Free
- Consulting
- Consultant
- Leading
- For sale
- Buy
- Order
- Best
- Local
- How to
- Affiliates
- Affiliate Programs
- Top
- Business
- Affordable
- Quote
- Quotation
- Network
- Professional
The list goes on and on, but you can get the gist. It’s not just about keyword research; it’s about common sense and understanding search behavior that separates a fledgling cookie cutter approach from a campaign based on conversion and conversion optimization.
For example if my keyword were the keyword “SEO” (one of my favorites), then we could apply a few of the various modifiers above as a suffix and/or prefix to facilitate a higher percentage of market share.
For example: “Best SEO Company, Leading SEO Consultant, SEO Rates, Professional SEO, Local SEO, SEO Training, SEO Services”, or even combine them even further “Affordable SEO Pricing, Free SEO Quotation, SEO Affiliate Network, etc…”.
All SEO companies are not created equal, the essence of search engine optimization boils down to the tactic and approach. With more than one way to reach the same goal, tactics are the distinguishing factor that differentiates a cookie-cutter campaign that runs in the red vs. ROI in the black in a fraction of the time.
Keywords, the selection of modifiers [and accommodating landing pages they are aligned with] represent your first line of offense for garnering a larger percentage of market share and interested consumers to broaden the lip of your various sales funnels as they translate into conversion.
Here is one of our old, self explanatory SEO Tools that allows you to add an array of keywords and modifiers to see how many competing pages are in Google’s top search results. Just add your keywords and enable keyword mixer mode and click the submit button to check the barrier to entry. The application is available for download to run as a desktop aplication as well.
Great article! I hadn’t thought of how to increase visits and conversions using modifiers in this way, and it seems so obvious! Thanks for opening my eyes to this.
Using modifiers in keyword targeting is a great way to broaden search engine visitor traffic. This article provides a great foundation for targeting more users.
Some things are so difficult to understand and some are so easy. Thank you for information.
There’s an African proverb that says “there more than one road that leads to the market”.
Your post and the emphasis on various tactics to achieve the same objective has just proved that proverb correct.
Thanks for your post.
Thanks for your great comments as usual Mauco, you would be surprised how many people try to tackle competitive verticals from the top and end up stuck, frustrated and agitated after not seeing movement for months.
The logical method, use root phrases from the strongest sites, link to the page with various “related” anchors within the site and build enough pages to support the synonyms and long-tail low hanging fruit. Eventually, search engines will get the gist and everything in between including the competitive keywords will start to appear on the horizon.
It’s easier to reach keywords within reach, then as your site matures raise the bar. We have blog posts that rank for keywords with 12 million competing pages with only a few backlinks “just from using this tactic” deemed as topical relevance. It works and will continue to hold weight due to the fact that search engines treat concise content written with intent and reward it with relevant traffic when the site crosses the tipping point.
Its up to you to step up, get in line and then make your case why your site should be a contender….I have always found that a content-rich ranking strategy provides foundation, what you do with those pages later is your choice, but if you intend to reach the keywords you consider out of bounds, content and internal links can do wonders for traffic and positioning. Don’t take my word for it, just look at Wikipedia as a prime example.
Simplicity is often overlooked…Good for us!
It is a good article. I don’t know to increase traffic but your article give me a way to promote by keywords and through keywords I can increase traffic. Such a great knowledge on SEO.
Really Very Informative post! Many things I came to know with this blog..
I’m so glad that this post has come to me at the very right time! Thanks for sharing this post and your insight on this topic.
Thank you Jeff for the wonderful tool and great advice. It will come in handy when aiming for local competitive terms. It makes researching multiple competitors for multiple keywords much easier.
Good post congratulations.
Oh wow… I am planning to take up a project in Search Engine Optimization and I am sure that these tips are going to help me a lot…
Keep posting….
Hi … Your site is just amazing. It has a decent amount of information and it is very haelpful. Thank you for posting. Keep up the good work.
It’s all about common sense tactics, isn’t it.