Keyword Classification: An Approach to Defining Sound SEO Strategy

As our SEO firm (www.gnosisarts.com/search-engine-optimization-marketing2) is currently consulting for a large national law firm, I have been called on repeatedly to lay out and explain the global Internet marketing strategy. And, as search marketing is such an organic, respond and react process, it can be difficult to do this. So, lately I've been thinking about how to systematize the process of SEO strategy creation through keyword classification.

A. Five Keyword Types
In my thinking about global SEO strategy, I've identified five different keyword types that website optimzation can fall under.

1. Long-Tail Keywords
The first type are the long tail keywords. Most SEOs know what long-tail keywords are, and there are several ways to define the term. A simple definition is: If there are more than four words in the phrase, then it's a long tail keyword. Examples include "website promotion and link building" or "the relationship between ethics and counseling theory" or "what did Paris Hilton do last night in Vegas"

These long-tail keywords are typically the easiest to rank well for. This is because there are usually far fewer web pages competing for the phrase in its entirety, and far fewer searchers searching for the phrase in its entirety.

* Optimization Methodology for Long-Tail Keywords
Usually, all it takes to get good rankings for long-tail keywords is good on-page optimization.

2. Local Search Keywords (City-Included in the
Keyword Phrase)
The second keyword type I call Local Search Keywords. These are keywords that have a city attached. Examples include "boston sports club" or "Bedminster NJ government offices."

This type of keyword is a bit more difficult to rank well for than the long-tail. There are generaly more competing websites, though they are not usually terribly difficult unless they city is a major urban metroplex like New York or LA.

* Optimization Methodology for Local Search Keywords
For these keywords usually you can rank well with
i. Good on-page optimization
ii. Local Search Optimization

3. State Keywords
The third type of keyword I call state keywords. Examples are "Ohio business schools" and "luxury hotels in Idaho". These keywords are substantially harder to rank well for than the Local Search Keywords due to greater competition and higher search volume.

* Optimization Methodology for State Keywords
Ranking well for this type of keyword will require what is necessary for local search keywords. Additionally, you will often need the strength of some good, theme-relevant directories that rank well for state terms, as well as some strong anchor-texted backlinks. It is also a good idea to create geo-specific microformats for each page.

4. National Keywords
For our purposes, national keywords are those with no city or state geography attached. For example, "multimedia firm" or "best web design companies". Ranking well for this type of keyword really requires a bit of grace and a ton of ingenuity. They are extremely competitive keywords, and ranking for them can be hit or miss at times.

* Optimization Methodology for National Keywords
Unfortunately, there really is no set SEO strategy that works in all cases for ranking for national keywords. Certainly excellent on-page optimization and high-powered links are vital, but even these may not be enough depending upon how competitive the keywords are.

One strategy for national keyword optimization is the creation of several microsites with authoritative information about the keywords. It would also help to establish the microsites under various IP addresses in different states and with different webhosts, thus establishing credibility as a national brand. Citations in nationally recognized publications will also help. And actuallly having offices in different states is helpful too.

If your organization has the budget, national keywords are great candidates for a PPC ad campaign. Though these keywords can get expensive, this is often the only legitimate way to generate ranking and traffic for this type of keyword. But if managed properly, costs can be kept at a minimum and the ROI can be huge. If costs are prohibitive, a PPC campaign across the "lesser" search engines (e.g., MSN, Bidvertiser, AOL, Facebook) may be the best course.

5. Single-Word Keywords
These are typically the most difficult keywords to rank well for. And truth be told, the chance of any one website ranking highly for a single term is so slim that the time and money put into it is often incommensurate with the ROI those keywords will produce.

§ Optimization Methods for Single-Word Keywords
Like national keywords, a PPC campaign is usually in order to achieve decent rankings for this keyword type. Ensure that your landing pages are well optimized for this keyword type in order to maximize your Quality Score. This will help drive down the CPC you will have to spend on these keywords.

Often you will find that the types of websites which rank well for this keyword type are informational (i.e., not-for-profit) in nature. Wikipedia, Answers.Com and DMOZ are three commonly-seen examples. Where the sites are for-profit, they will often be large, well-aged national directories, such as the Yahoo Directory, Best of the Web and niche national advertising sites. Be sure to capitalize on these when possible.

§ Concluding Remarks
By classifying the different keyword types, we can get a better handle on the methods and strategems that may be involved in improving website rank, visibility and traffic. Remember that SEO is an ongoing process that takes data collected over time and reacts to it in strategic ways. It also requires a comprehensive approach that takes into account many factors. As SE algorithms become increasingly sophisticated, the "one size fits all" approach is fast becoming obsolete, if it hasn't already.