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SMX London – Keyword Research Tools & Techniques

posted on November 24, 2008

Christine Churchill – KeyRelevence.com

Following on quite usefully from the information we had been given about the Microsoft keyword research plug-in, Christine Churchill looked at a big question ‘Why do keyword research?’

She suggested that there were a number of reasons why keyword research is so vital:

1. It is fundamental in Search Marketing
2. It can correct bad keyword choices
3. It is market research
4. Keyword research can help increase conversion rates
5. Research can also help find more niche keywords

From here Christine highlighted the main stages of keyword research process of

1. Brainstorming & discovery stage
2. Keyword expansion
3. Keyword evaluation

Keyword Research process

The brainstorming stage means a wide net can be cast and the process can be inspired by a range of activities including:

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SMX London Part 5 – Understanding the Needs of a Searcher

posted on November 24, 2007

(GSINC‘s Gareth Davies couldn’t resist the lure of SMX London and took excellent notes while he was there. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4)
understanding searcher needs at SMX panel profile photos

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Understanding the needs of a searcher
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On the morning of day two I made my way to the first session of the day. The first person up to speak to us was Gord Hotchkiss from Enquiro. Gord had a charismatic style and even though it was first thing in the morning, he knew how to engage his audience.

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SMX London 2007 Conference Notes: Part 4

posted on November 23, 2007

(GSINC‘s Gareth Davies couldn’t resist the lure of SMX London and took excellent notes while he was there. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4)

“What’s New with the Algorithm?”
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The final session of the day this was an informal Q+A on the subject of “What’s New with the Algorithm?” This session had the infamous DaveN aka Dave Naylor on the panel who had recently returned from a visit to SeoMoz’s office in Seattle.

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SMX London 2007 Conference Notes: Part 3

posted on November 23, 2007

(GSINC‘s Gareth Davies couldn’t resist the lure of SMX London and took excellent notes while he was there. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4)

Ken,dixon and rob kerry photos

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Cutting Edge Link Building Tactics
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I was looking forward to the “Cutting Edge Link Building Tactics” and first up was Ken McGaffin of Wordtracker and Linking Matters fame.

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SMX London 2007 Conference Notes: Part 2

posted on November 23, 2007

(GSINC‘s Gareth Davies couldn’t resist the lure of SMX London and took excellent notes while he was there. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4)

Kelvin, andrew and lisa photos

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Leveraging Social Media Networks
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This session was packed and the first to speak was Kelvin Newman of Site Visibility.

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SMX London 2007 Conference Notes: Part 1

posted on November 23, 2007

(GSINC‘s Gareth Davies couldn’t resist the lure of SMX London and took excellent notes while he was there. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4)

On the morning of Nov 15th I headed down to the inaugural SMX in London held at the Hilton Metropole. The night before I had the rather dubious honour of staying in a cheap Bayswater hotel that had no internet connection, subsidence and only served up two thin pieces of cheese and bread for breakfast. So it was a joy to walk into the rather upmarket Hilton Metropole (and I vowed never to skimp on hotels again).

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10 Traits of Highly Successful ECommerce Companies

posted on January 31, 2007

[Editor's note: With this article, we're welcoming guest contributor, Gareth Davies of GSINC, to the Marketing Pilgrim team.]

How come some ECommerce websites flourish but many just drift along or even fail altogether?

Having worked with many websites that have grown to turnovers of £1m GBP (and more) we have been able to observe common traits that apply to almost all of them. As a result we have compiled our list of the ‘Top 10 traits of highly successful ECommerce companies’.

1. A clear vision and goal
They know exactly what they want to achieve. This ‘laser like focus’ helps form an unshakeable conviction and dedication to building a successful online business.

2. Patience and a long-term view
They constantly measure if they are gradually getting there. And they can live with the paradoxes in online retail. For example the Internet changes quickly but organic SEO is a relatively slow process. Every day, every week, every month gives feedback measured in many ways against targets.

3. Taking calculated risks
Taking necessary risk and being prepared to invest is key. Investment is the fuel of a business so choosing where to spend money is critical. Successful websites invest money in activities that generate growth or make them more efficient – ideally both at the same time.

4. A commitment to ‘Kaizen’ or continuous improvement
Winners know this and delight in every little enhancement they make. Whole redesigns are common every 6 – 12 months. The search engines love it. These websites never rest on their laurels because within a few weeks someone could come along and take some of their business. Which is not part of the plan.

5. Successful sites employ good advisors
No one can be expert at everything and having specialist advisors you can trust and follow (and measure results from) is essential. ECommerce does not get simpler as time goes by. Winners pay for the best advice when it comes to strategy, tactics and growing the business.