The first stage of keyword research is to gather all the raw data you can find. Raw data is simply a collection of every possible keyword phrase that pertains to your industry and will deliver relevant traffic if top positions are achieved. In the raw data collection stage you’re really not as concerned about traffic volume or how often words are searched as you are about uncovering every possible variation that might produce some measurable amount of relevant traffic.
In the next few days I’ll highlight three different ways to gather raw keyword data: server logs, WordTracker, Google/Yahoo PPC accounts.
This post is part of a continuing series on the topic of:
Optimizing for Maximum Search Engine Performance
Sub-Topic: Research Your Targeted Keywords.