If you have looked into Website Optimization and read some of my previous articles then you will be aware how important robust keyword research is. However have you ever considered the strategies to selecting your keywords? This article will look at potential keyword strategy and how you can select them to position your business in a dominant position.

There are a large number of different strategies that you can go for with your keywords and we will look at the main ones in this article. I have written a lot in the past about how to do your research and to get a group of keywords that have high value to work with. However this can still leave you with a large number of keywords to choose from and it is your strategy that will determine which set of words you go for. Below are the details of the strategies you can go for:

1. Direct Strategy

This is where you basically go straight up against your competitors. The aim is to select the keywords that they have top positions for and try to beat them. This can be advantageous as if your competitors are getting a lot of business from them. If you can get a slice of this business then you should be doing well. However some of the disadvantages are that it could be difficult to get to the top. Your competitors will have a head start on you and so may be able to counter your actions and keep you out of the top 10 for a long time.

2. Indirect Strategy

This is where you go for keywords that are in a different set to your competitors. This may mean finding yourself an angle as you are marketing one this with the aim of directing your consumers through to different products or areas. This can be good as you are working in a completely different area to your competitors so may be able to get a large audience that never consider your competitors. However the disadvantage could be that you slightly miss the mark and they never actually come to you for your main products. This could make it much harder to build your business and get your place in the market.

3. Divisional Strategy

This is where you consider the same set of keywords as your competitors but you go for variations that they have not considered. This way you could get a wide audience that are highly targeted but your competitors are not going for. This could allow you to get a strong hold in the market and dominate your competitors. However on the down side the traffic could be less for these keywords so it could take longer to build your presence.

As you can see there is a lot to consider when selecting your keywords and the strategy you choose will very much depend on the industry you are in and the potential keywords. However it is clear that you need to think very carefully when selecting your keywords to make sure you get it right. Where do you want to position your business? Where do you think you can get the maximum benefits? Once all of this has been considered you can select your keywords and begin your search engine optimisation campaign with clear goals.