Do you use the keyword analysis tool before you write your blog posts? If not, you could be missing out on using keywords that your target audience are using to search for your type of business.
This tool is provided by Google and can also be used to gauge the effectiveness of keywords for using the google adwords service, however, I tend to use it for web copy and blog posts. Using targetted keywords means that your blog or website will feature much better in the search results.
How do you use it? It is best to use your gmail account to sign in as it then suggests more keywords for you.
1. Type in a couple of single keywords or phrases pertaining to the service or the product you wish to focus on within your blog post.
2. Click on the relevant category.
3. Decide on the country that you wish to target by clicking on Advanced Options and Filters, click on the relevant country.
4. Click ‘search’.
5. Scroll down to see how the keyphrases you typed in are performing. You will see the number of searches per month globally and within your chosen country. You will also see whether the competition for your keyphrase is low, medium or high. Underneath you will see a list of keyword ideas pertaining to your search along with indications of the numbers of searches for each one.
6. It might sound like a bit of an oxymoron but ideally you want keywords that have low competition but high search numbers.
I hope you have found this useful. If you have any questions, do leave them in the comment box below, Lorna 
This is a great post Lorna and much needed. I never use this tool and I should!
Light snow and freezing here in Galway.
Thanks Mona, have just realised having done some mentoring sessions, that so many people are using the ‘wrong’ keywords for optimising their blogs or websites, often using a keyword that is scarcely being searched for at all. A handy tool.
Thanks Lorna, your instructions were very easy to follow…. now to figure out how best to incorporate the results!
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