How do you combine the benefits of niche marketing and keyword selection for maximum business impact?
First, let's talk a bit about niche marketing.
What is it?
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With the ability to set up websites, blogs and forums online inexpensively and quickly we now see a situation where there is information, products and services on virtually anything. The search engines have the ability to find and deliver this information to anyone searching for it. This results in very small niches being formed. Indeed the smallest niche would be a niche of 1 person and we suspect that 1-person niches exist.
For a business, to focus your marketing effort on a very small niche would not make good business sense. However, if you try to appeal to too big a very big niche (or market) then you may not actually be marketing to a niche and your message may not be clear. Also, the competition may be fierce as a big market attracts competitors and typically competitors with significant resources.
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The solution for many businesses is to focus on a big enough niche to make it worth while but not too big that the costs to compete are high.
We know of a used car/truck dealership that concentrates on used Jeeps. This is a perfect example of niche marketing. The business can truly become an expert in this niche. The niche enables the business to have a concentrated and focused message for a specific target audience. This makes the message clear and unambiguous. Also, the niche is a passionate niche and the business respects (even enjoys) their passion and aligns with it.
The business can keep costs down because knowledge, parts and service are focused on a narrow topic. The sales & marketing is streamlined to the niche and this also helps to reduce cost and improve effectiveness. The business appears as an expert in this niche and it is a business with high expertise and knowledge in its area of focus.
How does this relate to keyword selection?
The best keywords are like small niches. Consider a scenario where someone is looking for used transportation. This sequence depicted in the table below goes from the least specific and broadest market to the most specific or niche.
| Search Term |
Number of Websites Indexed by Google |
Comments |
| Cars |
535,000,000 |
Too broad - not a niche |
| Used Cars |
128,000,000 |
More specific but still very broad |
| Used Jeeps |
12,300.000 |
Better but still very broad |
| Used Jeep Wrangler |
391,000 |
More focused and if someone is looking for a used Jeep Wrangler and you sell used Jeep Wranglers then we are getting close to making a match that has a high chance of being closed business. |
| Used Jeep Wrangler under $10,000 |
19,000 |
This is better still. Now geography may be the key factor. |
| Used Jeep Wrangler under $10,000 in New Hampshire |
4,800 |
This is better and very close to being a great match. We note that some of the sites being presented by Google are New Jersey based. |
| Used "Jeep Wrangler" under $10,000 in "New Hampshire" - "New Jersey"
(The minus sign subtracts out New Jersey from the search results) |
749 |
The quotes and the minus sign make the search much more specific. Many people do not search with such precision but if they do then they know what they want and if they find you then a sale is likely. |
As you can see by properly selecting keywords for your search engine optimization and for the text for the back links you can align nicely with a niche. If the niche is sufficiently large and Google searchers are passionate about the niche then there is a much higher chance of business success.
Advice:
- Do your homework. Know the niche or target audience that you want to align with.
- Do some research to make sure that the niche is big enough to support your business.
- Focus on this niche; know what excites them and the language that they use. By developing a marketing message for the specific niche your message will be clear and easy to relate to.
- Have products and services and a call to action that meshes well with the target audience.
- Use keywords for on-site search engine optimization and for your back links that are terms that the niche will use when searching for your business.
Next Step:
If you would like Website Link Tactics to help you to get links into your website
that are keyword-based and embedded in paragraphs with text related to your
business then give us a call.
We will be happy to discuss how linking can help boost up your position in the
search engines and help to drive targeted traffic to your website.
Also, you can simply fill out the form on our Inquiry Page and we will get back to
you shortly.
Printable Version: Niche
Marketing & Keywords for Search Engine Optimization (PDF).
