My Adwords Keywords Research Cheat Sheet

Let’s talk Adwords keywords.

Thought I’d take this opportunity to drop some free knowledge on a topic that comes up twice a week: Adwords keywords.

Note: If you’re too lazy to read this, jump to the bottom and get your free cheatsheet you lazy bastard.

I can’t speak any more intelligently on SEO than Moz’s Rand Fishkin when he says (and I’m paraphrasing): Focus on what you do great that works instead of keywords you think people search for.

What this means is that your white whale is not a highly searched keyword phrase or people problem you don’t have expertise in or can’t solve. If “plumbing supplies” gets 10,000 searches a day but you don’t offer plumbing supplies, move on. (Unless you want to tick off a lot of people, which Google just loves of course.)

Your white whale is what your strengths are. What works. The answers to problems that you solve every day. Own the hell out of those keyword phrases (if they receive traffic) and you’re off and running.

Now, I don’t get a ton of email, well, I don’t read a ton of email, but the majority of copywriting inquiries I receive usually revolve are two topics: headlines and SEO, particularly keyword research.

So against better judgment, I’ve compiled my comprehensive steps to finding keyword phrases for my clients. It may change tomorrow of course, depending upon Google or Buzzsumo or Armageddon.

And if the process looks like a pain in the ass, yeah, sometimes it is. If you want average keyword phrases that anyone can find, I offer that option too. But if you want what’s best for your writing, your clients and humans in general, do the long way one time.

It helps to be curious (calling all writers) and it helps to always remember that you aren’t writing SEO for Google or even your client or company. You’re writing for people. So you need to know how they talk and what they’re searching for.

Humans > computers. (At least for now.)

GET YOUR CHEAT SHEET HERE (Yes, it’s ungated.)