This article is not aimed at the advanced level reader here folks. I talk to many people that don't even spend a passing thought on the KW/P research - this posting is written to give the reader a foundation - not as an advanced guide. Of course, this being an in-exact science, there could be some gems in here for the ragged SEO warriors as well.

For a while now, I have been intending to give my perspective on Keyword/Phrase ( KW/P ) research and targeting. Why? Because I think it is an essential if not mandatory part of any SEO campaign. Each and every term you target will have a cost associate with it. This is where the rubber meets the road. In simplest terms, if I spend $500 on link building, $200 on content creation, $100 on site adjustments then I am looking at $800 invested. Once we reach the desired ranking, how long will it take to recoup that cash (including ongoing maintenance). In short, where is the ROI and what is the ‘break even’ point? That is a very simplistic example, but hopefully you get the idea.

Simply aiming to be #1 on Google is foolhardy since some terms contain little reward (traffic). Remember, cash that gets tied up chasing non-performing terms is money that could have been used elsewhere in your marketing endeavors. So, this is certainly an important step in the SEO process. Mistakes here can be very costly later on and in the over-all ‘big picture’ that is the sites financial health.

I have furthered this post with; Keyword or Phrase Research and Targeting

It’s been said what is old is new again, and it seems the days of on-page optimization, specifically keyword/phrase targeting are once again upon us. Since 2004 SEO was all about links and link text. Sure, we created content and did some basic on-page optimization, but we understood Back Links were king and he with the biggest pile wins.

The search engines began to combat Link Spam in a variety of ways, from methods of identifying link profiles better to placement of weight on other factors in the ‘document indexing and retrieval’ process. The end result is that one can no longer count on ranking well by throwing a ton of paid and otherwise manipulated back links to ones site. Developing a strong link profile is still an essential element of any SEO program, it is merely not the ‘path’ to the top - that it once was. Fine by me… it made it too easy for my web spam-M8s anyways.

Getting the idea

I have since updated this post with; Link Building Ideas for 2008

No matter how you look at it, links are a very important part of the SEO process. To what degree, varies over the major engines. They each have their own particular ‘flavor’ as to how they apply weighting and filtering in the treatment of links pointing towards your site, known as Back Links or In-Bound Links.

I wanted to give my personal take on the world of linking as well as some ideas to get you started promoting your site and building a stronger Link Profile. To begin with, this is NOT an exhaustive listing nor is it a comprehensive guide. I am merely outlining some strategies and ideas that can further your own creative promotional endeavors.

Having a propensity for the melodramatic, I may over-stated the title somewhat. Ok, maybe we can cease the hostilities and work together. It’s just that I am usually asked about these 2 kissing cousins in a format relative as such. If it’s not that it’s an article or a Blog post seeking to tear asunder this little Search Marketing family. It doesn’t have to be this way.

In truth, they serve somewhat separate functions and as such can usually play well together with minimal supervision in the playground (keep them away from the pool though; they have a ‘weight’ problem). During the marketing life cycle of your internet business both of these strategies can find a home to co-exist within.