Yesterday, I finished up my rundown of Bing and provided my own two cents of how I felt about the decision (they've got me) engine. To keep with the trend of search, I found a very interesting video relating to keyword research.

Abby Johnson of WebProNews interviewed Christine Churchill, who's the president of KeyRelevance to gain insight into how the "experts" tackle their own keyword research.

The beginning of the interview relates to the economy, and how keyword usage has changed accordingly. Churchill cites research to suggest that certain words which had consistent popularity throughout the past couple of years are downward trending due to the lapsing economy.

She has noticed that pairing core phrases with terms such as 'discount', 'cheap', and 'inexpensive' has dramatically effected results for the better. Churchill then goes on to suggest that you rethink your keyword strategy, if you're going by research a year or more old.

The second part of the interview is what I really wanted to focus on, keyword tools. "I call it keyword tool synergy"...one point goes to Churchill for using a snazzy term. Basically, Churchill's keyword tool synergy is a fancy way of saying that you should be using multiple tools. Not only should you be using more than one keyword tool, it's essential to use them in harmony. She doesn't give away too many of her secrets, but provides sound advice to get started with.

For example, she begins her research by using a tool that provides help in brainstorming. Then when she has a developed list, she'll switch to a tool that provides trends for the keywords in her list. Churchill mentions that you shouldn't focus too much on raw data, because certain tools use a specific group. Therefore, you should be checking trends on multiple tools then find which words are listing high consistenly across the board.

After checking out the interview, did you take anything away that was helpful? She mentions Google Trends, which is one tool that I do use. I have to admit though, I find myself getting one dimensional from time to time. How about you? Do you use a variety of keyword tools, or do you have an old standby?

The ideas presented in the WebProWorld newsletter editor's note do not reflect the thoughts, and ideas of the WebProWorld community.

| JohnnyV |