Formatting Keywords and Meta Tags

At the start of an ongoing search engine optimization campaign there is normally a list of keywords chosen to optimize for based on the keyword research that was done. Rankings and return on investment can be tracked for these targeted search terms over the duration of the campaign. What is often not tracked is the related long tail keywords that also benefit from the SEO strategies used to improve rankings for the main targeted search terms. Because the keyword phrases are closely related and are often found in the content of the targeted landing page, the related long tail keywords also receive a boost in rankings. This boost will not be apparent in reports focused on the primary keywords alone because these terms are usually not tracked with the main targeted keyword phrases.

Example Main Search Term (Bees)

Related Long Tail Keyword (Honey Bees)

Related Long Tail Keyword (North American Honey Bees)

So then what should you do if after several months you are not seeing an ROI for your main targeted keywords? Look at the website traffic from a broader perspective. Look for long tail keywords that relate to the main targeted search terms and find revenue generated by those keyword phrases. That revenue is also part of the ROI for your SEO campaign.