When you are doing Niche Research using a keyword tool like Market Samurai (or any other tool), what does keyword volume, number of searches per day or month, really tell you?

About the only thing it tells you is that people searched for that keyword or phrase in the past.. that's it.  Doesn't tell you who searched for it,  why or if they are a good fit for your product.  And it doesn't mean the same number of people are searching today.

A Guideline...

Search numbers found with any tool can only be used as a guideline; a starting point of your research.. a way for you to filter, categorize and prioritize the keywords you think have potential.  If you have a 100 keywords, of course, you'll gravitate to those with more volume, but it doesn't end there!

Once you have a good keyword list, then you start eliminating the keywords that aren't targeted enough and prioritizing those that have the best chance of leading to a sale or the action you desire.

That's key.  Your primary goal is to build a list of keywords and then whittle it down until you are left with a keyword(s) that you feel will stand the best chance of looking for the information or products you are selling. (and then filter those using other data like strength of competition)

That's normally not going to be the keywords with the most searches! You can get a TON of searches, 1000s, and no conversions.  And you can get a small amount of searches and  GREAT conversions.

Being Targeted is Your #1 Priority...

Focus more on how targeted those keywords are to your offer and content.

Would you rather be the guy or gal that can brag they get 10s of thousands of visitors, but few sales?  Or the one that only gets a few hundred but is smiling all the way to the bank? 

What's even better, in Search Marketing, the more targeted your keywords are the more likely you'll have a great Click Through Rate.  When someone is searching in Google and they see a title and description that fits perfectly to what they are seeking, of course they'll click it.  If it's not targeted, they'll be less likely to click.

So a person with 1000 searches on the keyword they are targeting might only get 10 click a day because they are poorly targeted... and then you could have someone with a 100 searches a day getting 10 clicks as well because they are more targeted (AND it's more likely they'll convert that traffic).

Keyword tools are very, very important.  Especially ones like Market Samurai that allow you to drill down, filter, create projects, manage, get great details about the traffic (including competition, SEO related data, other market data)..  they make finding keywords faster and easier.  But 'Search Numbers' are only a starting point. Just keep that in mind.

-Matt Levenhagen

P.S.  This is even illustrated more when you find keywords that get some volume that you don't find using a Keyword Tool... New products, new trends or simply low volume searches that aren't picked up by tools... they can provide incredible conversion rates.  They have low searches, but they are extremely targeted - the person searching wants exactly what will be found when they click through.. and might even be looking for that buy button Right Now!

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It's always refreshing to read someone that has a lot of experience and influence talk about the things that I focus on and have been telling others for years. :)  ....not trying to pat myself on the back here but truly, it's proof that I'm not alone in believing this is one of the best approaches to dominate any niche.

Michel Fortin (A direct response copy­writer and mar­ket­ing con­sul­tant for close to 20 years (on the Inter­net since 1992)), you may have heard of him, has a great post related to Niche Marketing that I really had to share with you.  He starts:

Since I hated prospect­ing, I found more effec­tive mar­ket­ing strate­gies that caused high qual­ity prospects to come to me instead of the other way around. I no longer had to prospect. I no longer had to be rejected. I no longer had doors slammed in my face.

In short, I went from prospect­ing to positioning.

In other words, I decided to spe­cial­ize in a spe­cific niche and deal with only a small per­cent­age of the mar­ket — even though my employer did not require it of me. I posi­tioned myself as an expert for a spe­cific tar­get mar­ket within that company’s larger market.

Read the Entire Article:  Carve Your Niche By Dominating One (Good Stuff!)

Boom, Boom, Pow!  Right on, right on..

I can totally relate to this adjustment of approach both online and from my past offline experiences.

Before I became a full-time Internet Marketer back in 2005, I had run a number of different businesses.  In each of them, I carved my niche and specialized in certain things within a much larger market.

Early in my Insurance Career we had an independent agency that literally sold products from 50+ insurance companies.  We pretty much could sell anything for the right price.  We even had "Lloyds of London" and other speciality line companies that would do things the average company wouldn't or couldn't do.

But you know something?  Like Michel we knew we couldn't just market that whole darn thing.  We could sell almost everything under the sun, but we needed to specialize!

Early in my career I specialized in Commercial and Small Business insurance.  That was my niche.. that didn't mean I didn't sell anything else.  In fact, I still handled other business and cross-selled other insurance to my business clients (always tried to get ALL their business).

But I was the 'go to' guy for the business insurance end of things.. or so that's what I strove for.

Later on in my career, after I had left that agency partnership, I changed that and focused on just Life Insurance.  And note!  Not just any life insurance; I had that segmented too.  Again, this type of life insurance was my focus.  It brought in the clients through word of mouth and other efforts and I could still cross-sold them other things (or I referred business I couldn't or didn't want to do to other agencies who in turn referred business back to me...).

Always finding my niche and focusing on a segment of my market.

Same thing after my insurance career for the few years I got into the Construction/Painting industry.  I had to find my 'niche'.  I identified the market I wanted to go after, tuned my services to it... and specialized.  Out of that came other types of larger projects because once I built a relationship I could again -- Cross-Sell other things.

Back to the Online Realm...

For a few years I tried to do too much and teach too much...  a few years back I decided I needed to 'specialize' online too.  So I focused on becoming the "Niche Marketing" guy.  And I focused on my skills and teaching "Search Marketing" primarily.   Those are my primary focuses and it's my continued hope that individuals continue recognize that and continue to recommend my memberships and services because of it.

That doesn't mean I don't teach some other things, but those are what I'm primarily known for and people turn to me for.  And yes, like Michel, they seek me out.

It's the same way in the Non-IM niches I focus on; I carved my niche, positioned myself and do well.

When you become a perceived expert and authority in your niche, it gets easier!  You don't have to work so hard at link building because links become more natural.  People want to link to high quality content from perceived experts and authorities.  Just like what Michel said above, "...caused high qual­ity prospects to come to me instead of the other way around".  So will link love!

Business and sales (affiliate or your own products) become easier when people trust you and perceive you as a specialized authority in a defined segment and niche.

These are the things my product, Niche Authority, revolves around.  Making your business more profitable by specializing and becoming the 'Go to' guy or gal in a particular niche.  Dominating it!

Carve your niches; specialize!  You'll likely see a major, positive, impact on the money that finds your bank account. 

-Matt Levenhagen

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