Expanding Your SEO Keyword List With Niche Topics

How To Raise Your Creative Edge For Exploring Hot Topical Niches

From time to time when you are doing your keyword research, you probably come across some very “hot” or busy trends.

What I want to share with you today is an easy way that you can begin using whatever creativity you have to explore those trends a little deeper. If you search carefully, you find even more than you perhaps ever expected, including some new, low hanging fruit or user behavior that will allow you to take advantage for SEO purposes.

Obviously, I can’t take the time to teach keyword forensics in its entirety on this blog post. So for today I am simply going to give you an example of how you can discover things on your own by turning up your built in creativity.

Before we start, I already know there will be someone who says, “Wait, I just have no creativity.”

The truth is that we all have creativity to some degree, but like anything else, there are some who will find it easier than others. However, even if you feel like your creative ability is at zero, the amazing thing is that with a little exercise or practice, your potential will grow greatly. But if you never try, then you will remain the same even though the hidden latent potential is there.

From class conversations:

I remember asking a question to new SEO students, often website developers or web designers:

“What do you think a good keyword phrase might be for your business?”

99% of the time, they would think–and many would reply–with their best guess: web design!

It would be the case nearly every time. Web design is not a great phrase because every web developer out there thinks and tries exactly that same thing.

It’s highly competitive. A quick search on Google at the moment shows one billion, one hundred and ten million competing pages.

Of course there are still a few who are taking advantage of the first page by doing pay per click for the most competitive phrase, which is fine, but it’s not SEO and requires a budget.

So I would say, “Better try again.”

I would try to get them to name a few other services that they offer (besides web design). I heard in reply, “graphic design”, “web development”, “graphic designer”, “web developer”, etc.

I’d ask them things like, “What happens if I need someone to build me a database?” They say, “Oh, I can do that.” And with a little conversation I would have them thinking of entirely new ways to attract their target audience, but without trying to go after the absolute most competitive phrase.

I’d ask the students, “How do I know what the most effective colors are for use on a new website?” Consider exploring a search phrase like “the meaning of color.” Okay, a few eyes would start opening.

That is just a snippet of how we get started to teach the new SEO students to begin to think differently about how they explore the options for keywords. In the advanced class, we get into what I refer to as “Keyword Forensics” or exploring the hidden elements of user search behavior, with the ultimate objective of identifying “user intent.”

Enough class talk–let’s get you thinking.

Let’s try to get you turning up the dial on your own creativity so you can start recognizing new opportunities that exist for keyword topics that apply to your own business. High demand, but low competition.

I need to illustrate by giving you an example. There was a time I liked to write articles on an older blog, giving readers hundreds of examples of the hottest keyword phrases every week. Eventually, I stopped doing that because I realized that many people would get so worked up over my observations that they tended to merely copy my examples. Seldom were they using my principles to discover their own new trends.

Our goal at Search Engine Academy is to get each participating student well equipped so they can tap in to the whole world of user behavior, much of which remains hidden unless you learn how to think differently.

Today’s Keyword for SEO Example

As long as we are looking for trends to take advantage of, why not pick a hot one where the demand for information is already peaking?

Then, once we have it, you can use your creativity to explore the possibilities that most people never explore. The result will usually always be a few very busy keyword phrases that only a few people are taking advantage of. 90% of the competition NEVER thinks beyond the obvious.

I won’t go into to how to spot the hottest trends today, but if you need a hint for a free tool, think Google Trends.

The example I have chosen for today is the word “memories.” Not what you’d call hot, but the whole point is you can start with nearly any word or topic.

Let’s think about the word memories for a minute.

After all, most people love to reflect on any positive memories, right?

Let’s not just focus on the keyword. Ask yourself a deeper question, like “why do people like to recall things from the past?”

• Because it takes them back to their younger days?
• Perhaps they like to reflect on things they have accomplished?
• Maybe they’ve forgotten what it felt like to think like a child?
• Or maybe they just love anything nostalgic?

Hmmm, that nostalgic feeling clicks.

Bingo! There is a hot trend. That word “nostalgia” is a pretty good start for our research.

But now it is time for you to turn up your own creativity for exploring that keyword.

I am only give you a few hints to get you started because the sooner you start to exercise your own creative ability, the faster it will start to grow.

How to get started?

It will be by using other descriptors to take you down different trails. Some of them will be lined with gold, waiting for you to spot them and help yourself.

Your ideal goal is not just accomplishing your SEO purposes, but understanding why people search the way that they do.

This is extremely powerful for generating your own original content as well as dynamite for finding strategic low hanging fruit.

For this exercise, if you are new, don’t even worry about a keyword tool. Just try just doing a few searches on Google.

Here are a few hints at how you may want to explore the term “nostalgia”.

Some random thoughts might be:

• Early nostalgia
• Popular nostalgia
• Humorous nostalgia
• Nostalgic examples
• Samples of nostalgia

I could list many more, but now it is time for you to go exploring.

You cannot possibly make a mistake because your objective is to explore all that is out there.

Don’t be afraid to explore illogical phrases either, because these are often the root to exceptional gold that nobody ever takes time to try looking for.

With practice, you will learn to recognize umbrellas of opportunity around keywords that are already sizzling hot. Don’t spend hours trying to analyze one just set of results.

Look quickly and learn to trust your eyes when you see something that is exceptional. You won’t need me or anyone else to tell you when you see it, because you’ll learn how to think this way over and over and never get stuck again.

Remember, your creativity is like a muscle. It grows stronger every time you exercise it, no matter where you’re currently starting from. Have yourself some fun. Here’s to your success.

If you need refined training in keyword forensics skills, remember that Search Engine Academy still teaches it during their 3 Day Advanced hands-on SEO Workshop.