...derstandits different needs and functions. We can divide the list intoseveral broad categories. 1) Master Keyword List - this list has all the keywords that youcan come up with for your particular need. All other lists aretaken from this Master List.2) Pay-Per-Click List - this is a subset of the Master List andwill vary depending on how you are using PPC and which searchengines you are buying positions in.3) Tag List - this subset of the Master List helps you fill inthose Me...

...ta Tag fields. Although many search engines are notcurrently paying much attention to Meta Tags, that could changeat any time and the search engines will not let us know if orwhen they begin watching Meta Tags again. So the safe bet is tostill keep these tags properly populated.4) Web Site List - this is another subset of the Master List andis more targeted than the PPC list. This list also helps youwrite powerful content on your site. And don't forget to referto this list when setting up the Alt tags for your images (youare using Alt tags aren't you?).5) Email List - Are you using keywords in your email? You shouldbe. Keywords are not only used to help people find your site insearch engines, but they are words people are actively searchingfor. Your marketing should be addressing their needs, and yourkeyword list shows you what they are looking for. Just likecreating copy on a web page, use the keyword list to target youremail campaigns as well.So how do you go about creating the Master Keyword list? Youfirst have to decide what you need from your keywords. Mostlikely you will have a product or service that will dictate thebroad category for the list. As an example I will use NikonCamera as my starting point. Maybe I have a site thatspecializes in information about Nikons, or I have a store thatsells Nikon Cameras, or maybe I sell software that wouldcomplement a Nikon Camera. These questions and more will beginto focus your keyword search.Start by building a basic list using this approach, you don'tneed to capitalize, leave everything lowercase.nikon, nikon camera, nikon information, nikon sales, nikonsoftwarePut down the basic keywords that spring into your head whenthinking about your subject. This does not need to be anexhaustive list, just a starting point.We now need to expand on this list by using tools freelyavailable on the internet. My personal favorite is onOverture.com in their Resource Center. They have a valuablelittle tool called the Keyword Selector Tool. This tool willgive you a list of keyword searches on Overture over a one monthperiod. Simply type in your keyword and hit the button. You willget a list of keywords including the keyword you typed in andthe number of searches performed on the keyword.A search for "Nikon" came back with 100 keyword possibilities.Depending on your original keyword search you may have to cleanthis list up a bit before using it. For instance one of thekeywords was "Nikon rifle scopes", not what I need so I willdelete that one. I usually copy the information from this webpage and paste it into an Excel spreadsheet where I canmanipulate it as I like. Each month you may get a different setof keywords on Overture, so don't just do this one time andforget it. Keep on checking back to add more keywords to yourlist.Another valuable tool is over on Google. (https://adwords.google.com/select/main?cmd=KeywordSandbox) Youcan also find this tool in the Tools section of Google Adwords.This is used like the Overture tool, simply type in your keywordand click on Get More Keywords. This search gave me 225 possiblekeywords, many of which I will clean out. A nice feature of theAdwords tool is that it allows you to download the list as a CSVfile for use in Excel or another program.There are many other sources for keyword lists. A good place tostart is on Search Engine Watch at http://searchenginewatch.com/facts/article.php/2156041Don't forget specialized sites like eBay. They have a banner adprogram named eBay Keywords where you can find suggestions forkeywords to use with banner ads on eBay. http://ebay.admarketplace.netAnd finally pay attention to the log files for your web site.You will have a list of searches people used to find your site.This is a very targeted list of keywords that were actuallysuccessful in driving traffic to your site.Now that you have a huge list of keywords you are ready tocreate your Master Keyword List. Place all these keywords into aspreadsheet and clean out the inappropriate keywords (like"Nikon Binoculars"). Then arrange in order from most relevant toleast relevant.You need to weed this Master List down for your PPC campaign.You may find that the keywords near the top of your list are themost expensive and that the ones in the middle may have a bettercost to sales ratio. But the more keywords you can use on PPC,the broader your exposure.The top 25 should work well for your Meta Tag list. Depending onyour needs you may need to remove duplicate words. Try to limitany individual word to 5 uses or less (example: don't use"nikon" more than 5 times).The top 10 keywords are your sales words for your web site andemail campaigns since these are the most tightly focusedkeywords in the list.Don't forget that the needs of your list will be changing as themarket place shifts. Every month or so do a new search forkeywords to keep your keyword list up to date. Trim out thewords that are either no longer appropriate or effective. Besure to keep an eye on your log files. Keep your sub-listscurrent. And give your Keyword List the care and attention itneeds to live a long and active life.And finally, if only 4 people purchase some training off of mysite due to the keywords in this article I can finally get thatNikon Camera that I have been wanting.