Search Intent: Understanding Your Audience
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Before diving into specific keywords, think about what problems your ideal customer is desperate to solve. Are they looking for:
- Ways to make extra income: “side hustle ideas,” “make money from home,” etc.
- Specific skills: “affiliate marketing for beginners,” “how to build an email list”
- Product reviews: “[product name] review,” “[product name] vs [competitor]”
- Success stories: “how I made my first $1,000 online”
Targeting the Right Stages of Awareness
- Top-of-funnel: These are broad, informational keywords attracting people with a general interest (ex: “what is affiliate marketing”)
- Middle-of-funnel: People are looking for solutions, comparing options (ex: “best affiliate programs for beginners”)
- Bottom-of-funnel: Searchers are ready to buy (ex: “[product name] discount code”)
Keyword Research Tools
Don’t just guess! Here are a few tools (many have free plans) to find out what people actually search for:
- Google Keyword Planner: The classic. See search volume and competition level.
- Ahrefs: More advanced, shows you what keywords your competition ranks for.
- Answer the Public: Helps discover long-tail, question-based keywords.
- Also see: Ubersuggest, SEMrush.
Specific Keyword Categories with Examples
- General BizOpp/MMO:
- “make money online”
- “passive income ideas”
- “work from home jobs”
- Niche-Specific:
- [your niche] + “affiliate programs” (ex: “yoga affiliate programs”)
- “how to start affiliate marketing in [niche]”
- Product-Focused:
- “[product name] review”
- “[product name] bonus”
- Long-Tail Keywords: These are less competitive, often easier to rank for:
- “how to make money online without a website”
- “best affiliate marketing courses for moms”
- “can you really make money on WarriorPlus”
Bonus: Incorporate “local” keywords to reach people in your area. Ex: “[niche] affiliate marketing in [city]”
Important Notes
- Balance high volume and low competition: Aim for a sweet spot where there’s some search demand, but not overwhelming competition.
- Don’t forget about related products/services: Think about what else your ideal customer might buy (web hosting, email marketing tools, etc).
- SEO is a long game: Be consistent with great content using your chosen keywords, and you’ll see your search traffic grow over time!
Best,
Tim
P.S. Questions or comments? Reply via email.
P.P.S. Want to grow your online business?