Keyword research used to be a real task for me; my problem was where to start. Keyword discovery tools treat keywords like orphans and give little or no clue as to how they relate to one another or how the content they target fits into the overall information architecture of a site.  

Ask the client and he will wax lyrically about processes, using industry specific jargon, rather than discuss the benefits his products extend to the end user.  This probably explains why the majority of web content is process driven and fails to answer the immediate needs of the consumer.  

(In some cases, keywords that describe processes can be important especially for B2B’s that deal with professional buyers, but that’s another post.)

Looking at logs or analytics will tell you what keywords are being used to find a website, but if the content is badly written and keywords poorly chosen, there is only so much you can glean. Finding a workable solution

What I needed was a system for discovering keywords, a system that would work for any website, product, or client, and one that the client could understand and participate in. I think I have read every piece of information online about keyword research in my quest for a workable solution. Yet everything I read talked about keyword discovery in the same way, a mechanism that aligned well-searched keywords with specific pages.

But isn’t that what keyword research is? Yes and no. Sure, you want to give each page the best possible chance to rank for its target keywords, but you also need to think about the logical relationships between pages, not just for search engines but for the user experience as well.

The Logical Path

In the end it was planning for a good user experience that provided the key. Achieving a good user experience doesn't happen by chance. It starts by identifying the different groups of people who will visit a website, evaluating the range of goals they will have, and structuring information into logical paths that help them achieve their goals in the minimum number of clicks. The paths should initially address your visitors' immediate needs by answering their questions and concerns, then steer them towards completing the goal or call to action you have set out for them:

• Identify the different groups of users who will visit your website
• Determine what each of these groups wants to achieve on your website
• Provide the information and resources they need to achieve this (within a logical structure)

From this information you will be able to identify what pages to include and how these pages are connected. The site structure then literally builds itself.  Using this approach, pages become tightly focused and keywords are easier to identify; in fact, most are discovered during the process. Finally, keywords can be checked and tweaked using the plethora of tools out there.