Tags |
|
|
Links |
|
|
Casual Articles - The Overture Keyword Assistant Tool, Highly Inflated Impressions and Phantom Traffic
First, a few words about my qualifications. I was a Yellow Page consultant for nearly 25 years and, prior to that, had my own advertising agency. I also have a degree in marketing. I’ve been designing Yellow Page ads for the past three decades. So I have experience in creating ads and have advised almost 7000 companies on how to put together the most effective ones. If you have a display or in-column ad, regardless of size, color or position, I can tell you it most probably needs improvement in essentials areas like the headline, artwork, body text, placement, book, or heading. So, whether you have an ad or are thinking about placing one, please read on.The small, home-based business was the backbone of our directory. Because they wanted to target a localized market area, the Yellow Pages was ideal. It allowed them to choose the heading, the directory and work within their budget. So, assuming that you are like them, how should you proceed? I’m so glad you asked. Here are a few things that every succes
1. Manual SEO Position checking
People manually checking the search results to ascertain a websites position. Search phrases that are perceived to be high traffic yielding in theory will have more people conducting optimisation and therefore more people manually checking their positions. More people manually checking their positions causes the number of impressions to be inflated (phantom traffic). This is self perpetuating; the more people checking results inflate the number of impressions, causing even more people to target the phrase and manually check their positions etc. etc. etc.
I’m certain this is impacting the Overture Keyword Suggestion tool significantly enough to cau
With the internet so big and full of information, finding a free internet marketing strategy shouldn't be hard -- and it's not. You can find experts all over the place who will tell you what to do. Of course, they will usually have a product for sale that explains the details. So if you're really looking for a free internet marketing strategy, what do you do?Here are four easy steps you can take when you're looking for free business information online to keep from being "taken in" by a huckster or scam artist.1. Know who you're dealing with. An early internet cartoon showed a dog sitting at the computer and the caption read, "On the internet, no one knows you're a dog." That's something to keep in mind when looking for a free internet marketing strategy. Just because a web site looks fancy, or just because the copywriting is excellent doesn't mean the person behind it is an expert. If you've never heard of the person before, do some research to find out how long they've been in business and what
Some companies will sub contract the keyword research to a specialist company and others will tackle it in-house. Regardless of who performs the research, a large number of people will primarily use the information provided by the Overture Keyword Assistant as the foundation of the project. I’ve been of the view for some time that the data Overture provides is often inflated, especially primary keywords. Recently I have been conducting tests to ascertain the accuracy of Overtures data in an effort to prove my suspicions and to see how big the problem is. The results so far are way beyond what I expected.
The SEO Research
Approximately one year ago I set up a new website focused on VoIP phone systems (www.ip-phone-system.co.uk). The website was built to rank highly on Yahoo for the search phrase “Phone System” and a number of other keyword phrases. According to Overture the phrase “phone system” has 350,066 searches performed each month in the UK alone. The website is currently on the first page of results in Yahoo.com and in the top three positions for Yahoo’s UK only search.
With the keyword tool reporting this amount of searches and the websites position, you would expect the site to be receiving a large volume of traffic. But to put it simply, it does not. For example, over the last two months the site has only received three visits from people searching for “phone system”.
This test is not concrete because the majority of searches for phone system could be performed on another engine that Overture pulls its results from like MSN. But you would have to agree that it’s not very likely. Especially when you consider the site ranks in the top three positions for the search phrase “phone system” on MSN.
Overture’s keyword tool pulls its results from a number of sources, Yahoo and MSN being the largest in terms of traffic. The site has a large number of top three listings on apparently high traffic yielding phrases e.g. IP Phone, Business Phone System, Office Phone System etc. yet only receives a very small number of visitors.
Phantom Traffic
So what’s causing the highly inflated number of impressions the tool returns? I can’t say for sure but can certainly name a few things that could be significantly contributing to the effect. I’m also going to try and coin a phrase here and call the phenomena “Phantom Traffic”, which simply means non-genuine traffic or searches conducted for other reasons than an actual genuine interest of finding a site relating to a keywords particular theme. I strongly believe both of the examples below are affecting Overtures data and are contributors of phantom traffic.
1. Manual SEO Position checking
People manually checking the search results to ascertain a websites position. Search phrases that are perceived to be high traffic yielding in theory will have more people conducting optimisation and therefore more people manually checking their positions. More people manually checking their positions causes the number of impressions to be inflated (phantom traffic). This is self perpetuating; the more people checking results inflate the number of impressions, causing even more people to target the phrase and manually check their positions etc. etc. etc.
I’m certain this is impacting the Overture Keyword Suggestion tool significantly enough to caus
A 25 year study of U.S. ReadersThey HATE Reading!The smarter, richer and more successful on the economic ladder – the greater the number admit they hate reading.A quarter-century of studying the learning-skills of executives and professionals, CEOs, chairmen of university-departments, attorneys and physicians - PhDs in industry and at the university – we conclude the more reading they do – the greater their dislike for this form of information-processing.They complain it requires too much effort to obtain the required result of information. They prefer oral-reports, visual-presentations, and summaries by subordinates. “A good graph or flow-chart is worth ten-books,” was agreed to by 50-to-1 in the executive-suite.Why?They are ‘too-smart’ to operate at a snail’s pace to absorb the written word. They find their mind wanders while reading – (because they read so slowly). Instead of concentrating on the author’s ideas, these top executives and professionals are problem-
The SEO Research
Approximately one year ago I set up a new website focused on VoIP phone systems (www.ip-phone-system.co.uk). The website was built to rank highly on Yahoo for the search phrase “Phone System” and a number of other keyword phrases. According to Overture the phrase “phone system” has 350,066 searches performed each month in the UK alone. The website is currently on the first page of results in Yahoo.com and in the top three positions for Yahoo’s UK only search.
With the keyword tool reporting this amount of searches and the websites position, you would expect the site to be receiving a large volume of traffic. But to put it simply, it does not. For example, over the last two months the site has only received three visits from people searching for “phone system”.
This test is not concrete because the majority of searches for phone system could be performed on another engine that Overture pulls its results from like MSN. But you would have to agree that it’s not very likely. Especially when you consider the site ranks in the top three positions for the search phrase “phone system” on MSN.
Overture’s keyword tool pulls its results from a number of sources, Yahoo and MSN being the largest in terms of traffic. The site has a large number of top three listings on apparently high traffic yielding phrases e.g. IP Phone, Business Phone System, Office Phone System etc. yet only receives a very small number of visitors.
Phantom Traffic
So what’s causing the highly inflated number of impressions the tool returns? I can’t say for sure but can certainly name a few things that could be significantly contributing to the effect. I’m also going to try and coin a phrase here and call the phenomena “Phantom Traffic”, which simply means non-genuine traffic or searches conducted for other reasons than an actual genuine interest of finding a site relating to a keywords particular theme. I strongly believe both of the examples below are affecting Overtures data and are contributors of phantom traffic.
1. Manual SEO Position checking
People manually checking the search results to ascertain a websites position. Search phrases that are perceived to be high traffic yielding in theory will have more people conducting optimisation and therefore more people manually checking their positions. More people manually checking their positions causes the number of impressions to be inflated (phantom traffic). This is self perpetuating; the more people checking results inflate the number of impressions, causing even more people to target the phrase and manually check their positions etc. etc. etc.
I’m certain this is impacting the Overture Keyword Suggestion tool significantly enough to cau
How many of you have a shoebox of receipts that you go through at the end of every year? Do you pay an accountant to go through those receipts for you? You already know how important it is to keep track of those receipts and take each and every deduction you can. Below are some tricks that I use so that when tax time comes, I don't spend hours getting ready to do my taxes or have to pay someone to organize FOR me. My hope is to make your "tax life" a little less stressful.Organizing receipts throughout the year: 1) Get a plastic expanding file folder with 10-20 pockets and self-labeling tabs in it ($9.00-$15.00 @ Staples)2) Make sure it is easy for YOU to open and close. Most have an elastic band that is easy to use.3) Create tabs for each tax category that you will have receipts for (see list of possible categories below)4) Put the file folder in a place where you'll see it and use it!!5) Whenever you take receipts out of your pocket, wallet, purse e
This test is not concrete because the majority of searches for phone system could be performed on another engine that Overture pulls its results from like MSN. But you would have to agree that it’s not very likely. Especially when you consider the site ranks in the top three positions for the search phrase “phone system” on MSN.
Overture’s keyword tool pulls its results from a number of sources, Yahoo and MSN being the largest in terms of traffic. The site has a large number of top three listings on apparently high traffic yielding phrases e.g. IP Phone, Business Phone System, Office Phone System etc. yet only receives a very small number of visitors.
Phantom Traffic
So what’s causing the highly inflated number of impressions the tool returns? I can’t say for sure but can certainly name a few things that could be significantly contributing to the effect. I’m also going to try and coin a phrase here and call the phenomena “Phantom Traffic”, which simply means non-genuine traffic or searches conducted for other reasons than an actual genuine interest of finding a site relating to a keywords particular theme. I strongly believe both of the examples below are affecting Overtures data and are contributors of phantom traffic.
1. Manual SEO Position checking
People manually checking the search results to ascertain a websites position. Search phrases that are perceived to be high traffic yielding in theory will have more people conducting optimisation and therefore more people manually checking their positions. More people manually checking their positions causes the number of impressions to be inflated (phantom traffic). This is self perpetuating; the more people checking results inflate the number of impressions, causing even more people to target the phrase and manually check their positions etc. etc. etc.
I’m certain this is impacting the Overture Keyword Suggestion tool significantly enough to cau
A game is where opponents meet in a confrontation with the objective to beat the other party for example by finishing the game with the highest score. The referee is a professional who is in charge to check whether the rules are followed by both parties.Knowledge of the rules is a first requirement to become a referee. Rules are the main area of focus. And the main productivity profile of a referee (or umpire) is concentrated around only a few situations in which the referee is to take a decision, regarding those rules and how either party has followed these. Another important competence of the referee is that fact that he is independent.Most of the playing time requires no intervention because the rules are followed or the conflict is solved by itself (the advantage rule). There are however other situations where the referee will declare a foul. In such situations the referee is acting like a judge; much of the proceedings of the game depends of this judgment about the specific incident. In foot
Phantom Traffic
So what’s causing the highly inflated number of impressions the tool returns? I can’t say for sure but can certainly name a few things that could be significantly contributing to the effect. I’m also going to try and coin a phrase here and call the phenomena “Phantom Traffic”, which simply means non-genuine traffic or searches conducted for other reasons than an actual genuine interest of finding a site relating to a keywords particular theme. I strongly believe both of the examples below are affecting Overtures data and are contributors of phantom traffic.
1. Manual SEO Position checking
People manually checking the search results to ascertain a websites position. Search phrases that are perceived to be high traffic yielding in theory will have more people conducting optimisation and therefore more people manually checking their positions. More people manually checking their positions causes the number of impressions to be inflated (phantom traffic). This is self perpetuating; the more people checking results inflate the number of impressions, causing even more people to target the phrase and manually check their positions etc. etc. etc.
I’m certain this is impacting the Overture Keyword Suggestion tool significantly enough to cau
Many business leaders are good at starting a business or maintaining one that has already been well established. However, they are not good at fixing a seriously sick business. Avoid bankruptcy by hiring the turnaround experts.They often do not have the experience, skills, temperament or willingness to do a proper turnaround. Sometimes, the business leader himself is the hindrance and obstacle to the entire turnaround process because of past encumbrances and prejudices. An outsider is quite often required to execute the turnaround.Most of the time, a troubled company cannot be fixed solely from the within. The management may harbour too much prejudices, vested interests and baggage. If the medicine is too bitter, management may not have the guts to swallow it. The company needs somebody from the outside who is able to say “no” firmly when necessary. If the internal management is the cause of the internal woes, then the use of internal management for the turnaround is like using
1. Manual SEO Position checking
People manually checking the search results to ascertain a websites position. Search phrases that are perceived to be high traffic yielding in theory will have more people conducting optimisation and therefore more people manually checking their positions. More people manually checking their positions causes the number of impressions to be inflated (phantom traffic). This is self perpetuating; the more people checking results inflate the number of impressions, causing even more people to target the phrase and manually check their positions etc. etc. etc.
I’m certain this is impacting the Overture Keyword Suggestion tool significantly enough to cause many sites to chase phantom traffic. I also believe this to be the biggest contributing source of phantom traffic. Many webmasters manually check their rankings every day and some even more.
Auto Generated Pages Compiled from SERP’s (Search Engine Results Pages)
Spam sites gathering keyword rich content from the SERP’s. These sites will automatically query search engines for their most sort after keywords (probably researched via the Overture keyword suggestion tool). The sites automatically copy the results pages of the search engines which are highly keyword focused. Quite often these sites will auto generate tens of thousands of pages, all focused on a select number of keyword variations. These keyword rich pages are normally buried quite deep in the site because they have no value to human visitors. Each page will be linked using rich anchor text and then pass the relevance back to one of the main pages via an anchor text link.
The idea behind this SEO trick is simply to produce large amounts of optimised content that’s linked together in a favourable fashion. Some of the programming that goes into these kinds of practices can be very clever, while others are very basic indeed. The problem is virtually every page being generated or regenerated for that matter is influencing Overtures data, unless the programmer is using an API key (which is unlikely).
Conclusion
This is very worrying to me as there must be a large number of people who base their entire keyword research campaigns on the data from Overture. This may cause their entire marketing campaign to focus on nothing more than Phantom Traffic. So what can one do to avoid targeting phrases that mainly consist of phantom traffic?
Well first of all it’s wise to use a combination of data sources. Wordtracker provides similar data to Overture but it’s gathered from different sources. Comparing the two data sources can sometimes highlight phantom traffic. If you notice keywords with an extremely high number of impressions, just ask yourself if it’s believable. Common sense can go a long way in this game.
Personally I’ve always advised clients to target sub-primary keyword phrases first and once rankings are achieved to focus on the next sub-primary phrase. If you intelligently select sub-primary keyword phrases that include the primary keywords, you are optimising the primary keyword at the same time.
Example
A good example of this is the sub primary keyword phrases, “web design Manchester”. The company I work for is currently listed on the first page of the major search engines for this phrase. The primary phrase is “web design” and is also being optimised at the same time because the words are contained in “web design Manchester” (we’re currently holding position 11 on Yahoo UK for search phrase “web design”). The search phrase “web design Manchester” is also one of our best performing keywords because it is so targeted. Anyone searching on
HTTP = HTML link (for blogs, profiles,phorums):
<a href="http://www.casualarticles.com/article/78066/casualarticles-The-Overture-Keyword-Assistant-Tool-Highly-Inflated-Impressions-and-Phantom-Traffic.html">The Overture Keyword Assistant Tool, Highly Inflated Impressions and Phantom Traffic</a>
BB link (for phorums):
[url=http://www.casualarticles.com/article/78066/casualarticles-The-Overture-Keyword-Assistant-Tool-Highly-Inflated-Impressions-and-Phantom-Traffic.html]The Overture Keyword Assistant Tool, Highly Inflated Impressions and Phantom Traffic[/url]
Related Articles:
Affiliates Need To Read Their Newspaper
Starting an E-Commerce Business - Consider Which Keywords You Will Use
Bookmark it:
|