• Market Samurai User Guide  » 
  • Keyword Research

Introduction to Keyword Research

VIDEO

See this video in High Definition | Download this video

Leave a Comment

Video Transcript

Definition of a market

When you first start exploring the world of Internet marketing, you’ll often hear people talking about different online markets.

The best definition of a market is that it is a community of people who share a common interest in a particular subject or activity.
Often this community has its own language made up of terms and acronyms that only make sense to other members of the community.

The easiest way to understand this view of a market is to take a look at some examples:

Example #1

The ‘Brides to be market’ is made up of women who are currently planning a wedding.
Their area of interest is of course - weddings.

Some examples of the language that is used by members of this market include:

FH - which is an abbreviation for future husband
FMIL - which stands for future mother in law, and…
MOH - which stands for Maid or Matron of honor

Example #2

The next example we’ll look at is the online gaming market which is made up of people who enjoy playing computer games with others using the Internet.

For example their area of interest might be playing World of Warcraft which is a popular multiplayer game.

And some examples of the language that is specific to this market include: A Zerg Rush, AOE, and Squishy.

Example #3

Finally lets look at the Golfers market

Their area of interest is of course golf, and some examples of their community specific language include:

Texas Wedge, Mid-Marshie and Apron

Once you understand this concept of a market as a community with its own internal language, you’ll quickly realize that there are hundreds and thousands of different markets out there waiting to be explored.    

Now let’s move on and take a look at the concept of niches.

Definition of a niche

Within every market you’ll find multiple niches.

A niche is a subset of a market that relates to a specific topic. The easiest way to understand the distinction between a market and a niche is to take a look at an example.

Example of niches

Members of the ‘Brides to be’ market will be interested in a wide range of topics that relate to weddings. These include:

(1) Wedding flowers
(2) Wedding rings
(3) Wedding photography
(4) Bombonieres
(5) Reception Venues
(6) Wedding dresses

Each of these topics can be thought of as a niche that will be of specific interest to members of the ‘Brides to be’ market.

Now lets take a look at keywords and how they relate to market niches.

Definition of keywords

Example

For example, Sarah and Karen are both members of the ‘Brides to be’ market.

When Sarah sits down at her computer to explore the wedding photography niche, she enters the keyword phrase ‘Wedding photography tips’. Google then returns a list of sites that contain tips for getting great wedding photos.

When Karen uses Google to explore the wedding photography niche she enters the keyword phrase “Wedding photography pricing’. Naturally she receives a different set of results to Sarah because her keyword phrase has a different focus.

The first thing to notice here is that Sarah and Karen are both exploring the same market niche, however, they generate a very different view of that niche based on the keyword phrase they enter into Google.

The role of keywords

A great way to think of keyword phrases is that each phrase is literally a KEY that unlocks a specific door to provide access to a market niche.

Value of keywords

The second important thing to note is that the number of people using each keyword phrase to explore a niche varies greatly.

For example, on average 217 people per day use the keyword phrase ‘Wedding photography tips' to explore the wedding photography niche. In contrast, only 5 people use the phrase ‘Wedding photography pricing' to access the niche.

This means that each keyword phrase has a value based on the number of people who are using it to access a particular niche.

The keyword phrase 'Wedding photography tips' generates more traffic to the wedding photography niche than the phrase 'Wedding photography pricing'.

As a result, the phrase "Wedding photography tips' is considered to be a more valuable keyword phrase than the phrase 'Wedding photography pricing'.

The Internet Eagles

Now that we've discussed online markets, market niches and the role of keywords, let's take a look at why these concepts are SO important in the real world.

A few years ago, the CEO of Noble Samurai Eugene Ware, myself and Ed Dale created the Internet Eagles project. For 12 months we worked with three complete beginners to help them create online businesses from scratch.

All three of them worked extremely hard to create their own eBooks and they all followed exactly the same marketing process.

However, the results they achieved varied dramatically.

Different markets, different results

The first Internet eagle instantly began earning thousands of dollars per month. The second internet eagle basically broke even and the final internet eagle lost money each and every month.

What we learnt from this experience is that when it comes to Internet marketing, success is not necessarily achieved by the person with the best product or the person who works the hardest.

In fact ‘It takes the same amount of time and effort to build an unsuccessful online business as it does to build a successful business’.

Success factors

The biggest factors that determine whether you succeed or fail are:

(1) The market you select
(2) The keywords you target

If you get these two factors right your online business may produce an income stream that can completely transform your life.

However if you get one of these factors wrong, you’ll probably join the large number of people who make little or no income online.

The difference between success and failure

In our experience, the main reason people fail is that they do not spend the time up front to do the market research necessary to check if their business idea is viable. Instead they rush in, select a random niche, target random keywords or worse - they don't target keywords at all and then they just hope for the best. This is usually a recipe for disaster.

The people who succeed online take a very different approach. They research markets carefully, they identify profitable niches. They target specific keywords and they follow a proven plan.

At Noble Samurai, we want you to be in this second group and our main focus is to develop the tools and the training that you’ll need to build a profitable online business.

Summary

In this lesson we looked at what online markets are and defined them as communities of people who share an interest in a particular area and who often have their own internal language.

We then saw that within each market there are many niches which relate to specific topics of interest to members of a market.

Next we looked at the role of keywords and found that they are the keys to unlocking a niche. We also saw that different keyword phrases have different values depending on the amount of traffic they generate.

And finally we discussed the importance of keywords and found that choosing the right market and targeting the right keywords are two of the biggest factors in determining the success or failure of your online business.

Previous Lesson: Glossary of Market Samurai Acronyms
Next Lesson: Golden Rule #1: How to Find Relevant Keywords

130 Responses to "Introduction to Keyword Research"

  1. Jerry Waxman Says:
    November 9th, 2009 at 8:46 am

    Outstanding introduction.
    Outstanding lesson.
    Outstanding teaching.

  2. George Says:
    November 9th, 2009 at 10:27 am

    Hi Anthony just read the transcript of the first of the new training videos and you have done a great job. Simple straight forward definitions of the different terms used puts everything in perspective. Thank you

  3. Kelvin Fox Says:
    November 9th, 2009 at 2:11 pm

    This is one of the best intoductory guides i have seen on keyword research and what market niches really are. Great job!

  4. Georgina Says:
    November 9th, 2009 at 6:53 pm

    Dear NOble Samurai (dear Everybody),

    Noble Samurai for me is a quality class (equals Mercedes among cars or something like that), with other words you are an etalon in the marketing field. (I am online now since more than a year and as a professional infohunter and quality seeker I am always honest).

    Long introduction, short content:

    Please do not offer translations because everybody knows that Google translations are very very bad (worse, but I do not want to use dirty words.)
    The software is even unable to make a difference between singular and plural. It is very bad in choosing the right words. Working with Google- translated text causes a lot of anger and stress.

    Thank you!

    Georgina

    professional German-Hungarian translator

  5. Andrew Finkelstein Says:
    November 9th, 2009 at 10:01 pm

    Your introduction was a good as it gets. I now feel 100% confident I know and can explain what keywords are. Thanks you.

  6. Cliff Says:
    November 11th, 2009 at 9:42 pm

    The quintessential company of customer service and fine products....

    You people are amazing. Thank you!

  7. Tim Says:
    November 12th, 2009 at 6:43 am

    You were my favorite guy to listen to during the 30DC. Much love for Ed Dale but the Australian accent is a million times cooler.

    "Put another shrimp on the barbie!"

  8. Marilyn Martyn Says:
    November 13th, 2009 at 4:38 am

    Thank you. A clear inciteful presentation.
    My overwhelm on this topic has decreased significantly.

  9. Reid Peterson Says:
    November 14th, 2009 at 12:37 am

    You put it so simply, but with tremendous precision! Thank you greatly. I will refer you to anyone I know who expresses interest in learning more about Internet Marketing.

  10. Sally-May Schinkel Says:
    November 15th, 2009 at 10:36 pm

    Excellent presentation, I like the format of:-
    Explaining What we are going to learn,
    Explaining Why we need to know it
    Then explaining it
    Refresh/summarize at the end
    Also all the learning styles are covered
    Watch the video - which are nice & quick to load
    Listen
    Read the PDF

    Very well thought out & presented.

    Thank You :-)

  11. Joe Says:
    November 17th, 2009 at 11:35 am

    I appreciate the transcript. It is helpful since I am deaf. I am glad you listen and provide. The transcript also provide a benefical to different audience for different reason such as learning style or something like that.

    Keep up great works.

    Many thanks.

    Joe

  12. Pedz Rodulfo Says:
    November 20th, 2009 at 12:28 am

    I have gone through a bunch of SEO tutorials and paid lessons. They all tell me that Keywords are important - but until now there was never an explanation on why & especially how to quantify "importance", "relevance" and "competition". Thanks for opening my eyes!

    Pedz Rodulfo
    Super-H2O.com

  13. Pavel Says:
    November 21st, 2009 at 3:51 am

    That is the best explanation i have ever seen!

    thank you!

  14. Cliff Says:
    November 21st, 2009 at 10:54 am

    I have a brain that i have to hammer info in again and again until it just knows it by that time i have lost interest and found somthing new. Your lessons because they have pictures are so easy for me to learn I know that might sound like i am stupid haha but just the way my brain works i will deffinatly be upgrading thanks

  15. Dr. Stuart Marmorstein Says:
    November 22nd, 2009 at 11:26 pm

    My first website for my professional practice gradually started attracting people as I learned by trial and error. The new blog I'm creating should attract people much more quickly because of the great market understanding and keyword understanding your fine tutorial clearly delineates. Thanks!

  16. ryo Says:
    November 23rd, 2009 at 7:00 am

    very good explanation, thanks

  17. chewie Says:
    November 23rd, 2009 at 8:26 am

    Hi, i like to thanks you for your articles. I have watched all your videos and i have learnt a lot. Thanks.

  18. LJ Says:
    November 25th, 2009 at 6:00 pm

    Great presentation. I'm a newbie to online marketing and greatly appreciate this video. Straight forward and to the point.

    Thank you.

  19. Ian Carter Says:
    November 27th, 2009 at 8:18 pm

    This is a very clear presentation - idiot-proof, I'd say!

  20. Larry C. Says:
    December 3rd, 2009 at 11:24 pm

    I am enjoying this new training especialy because you can download it. The training is so valuable because it is put out by those of you who actualy built the software. I took the 30dc this year and actualy purchaced the tool last year. The one thing I see about the new training you are releasing is you are giving away more of the reasoning for the why you do things vs the 30 day challenge which only had a small amout of time to cover it in it's overall scheme. continue with this type of training. the gaps that this new training is filling in is very valuable in deed. As the 30 day challenge proceeds as it will every year I hope the companies that Ed chooses will improve the sucess of the tools they offer by offering additional training in there specific tools. way to go market samurai, I have a friend that is a member of world wide brands and he says your company is well known on there forums as a maker of quality tools for online business.

  21. rahmanhammed Says:
    December 7th, 2009 at 5:13 pm

    Wow this is great work hope to finish it and come back keep it up

  22. Glessie Says:
    December 10th, 2009 at 3:39 pm

    Thanks for a very plain and straight forward explanation given here. As one who has been trying to understand internet marketing it is now coming to light. You are one who can impart your stuff for others to understand. If I had gotten this so clear before I would be still at the beginning. Now I work towards my goal.

  23. nalliah S nathan Says:
    December 11th, 2009 at 6:05 am

    well explained and for us it was easy to understand.
    deserves 5star

  24. Lizzy Says:
    December 16th, 2009 at 10:00 am

    This is terrific training. I would recommend for anyone starting out. Filling in some gaps very nicely for me!
    Thanks.

  25. pemasaran international Says:
    December 18th, 2009 at 2:56 am

    sungguh luar biasa , terimkasih atas tutorialnya, mejadi semakin jelas dan gamblang

  26. Anthony Judge Says:
    December 26th, 2009 at 8:44 pm

    Just started with the TRIAL. Excellent video tutorial. Cracking start!

  27. sha Says:
    December 28th, 2009 at 8:42 am

    Informative. Thank You so much.

  28. John E. Says:
    December 29th, 2009 at 2:52 am

    Dr. Anthony Fernando, thank you for your invitation to the Noble Samurai Dojo. I have learned the laser precision of your knowledge and key survival factors from the Introduction to Keyword Research. I strive to be worthy.

  29. Bob Says:
    January 1st, 2010 at 3:49 pm

    Great intro lesson. If the rest are similar--as I trust they are--you have created a lot of added value to your software product. I\'m pumped! :-)

  30. April Says:
    January 19th, 2010 at 2:05 am

    This clarified so much. Very informative and the information was very well presented. Thank you! I can't wait to continue.

  31. Eric Schwager Says:
    January 23rd, 2010 at 8:16 am

    thank you for laying it out so well!

    BTW you have a typo in the link to the pdf for this lesson - a "/" instead of a ".".

  32. Noel Guilaoro Says:
    January 27th, 2010 at 4:42 am

    Excellent,semplice, clear and very understandable presentation.

  33. Alfredo Says:
    January 31st, 2010 at 6:48 pm

    Just a great intro to understanding Niche business world

  34. Sara Says:
    February 17th, 2010 at 10:44 am

    Fantastic video - so succinct, relevant and clear -many thanks!

  35. Brian Says:
    February 24th, 2010 at 3:29 am

    Hey - this is the first time I have looked at your training area for a number of weeks. From this first look, you have made a huge leap ahead from what you offered previously. Congratulations!

  36. Andre Says:
    February 26th, 2010 at 5:41 pm

    This is so good!
    You couldn't have made it clearer. I'm just so disgusted that I didn't start with this type of training when I first ventured into internet marketing a year ago. This stuff is the true starting point, the first most fundamental things to get right before doing ANYTHING else.
    Thank you so much

    Now I understand...

  37. Rasul Says:
    March 23rd, 2010 at 3:24 am

    This was awesome. Very simple, but powerful. Without knowing it, I realized that the Keywords you pick are critical. Thanks for confirming what I found out through experience.

  38. Brent Rangen Says:
    March 31st, 2010 at 2:57 pm

    Very good tut! Easy to read and stay focused with the writing style and images.

    Perhaps at some point you could make a tutorial on using Market Samurai on regular sites (not affiliate sites) like real estate, chiropractor, and other industries that have much vested interest in local search.

    Brent Rangen
    brent.rangen.net

  39. Barry Frank Says:
    April 8th, 2010 at 9:00 pm

    I'm quite impressed
    I believe this program has the ability to take me to another planet financially.

    Thank you,
    Anthony

  40. Steve Moss Says:
    April 25th, 2010 at 4:57 am

    I'm a web application programmer of some 10 years and new to the actual business of the internet. Really appreciate the work you've done and the excellent presentation of that work. This is perfect for an analyst type like me that wants to do the research necessary before 'pulling the trigger' on an online venture.

  41. Maria Eves Says:
    May 6th, 2010 at 3:17 am

    This is AN amazinG TOOL. One of the best Iv come across. Very detailed, easy to follow, clear and precise!

    Many Blessings

  42. Tony Thomas Says:
    May 6th, 2010 at 5:21 pm

    Very easily understood and follow.

    One of the many reasons I love your products and company!

  43. Joanna Dabrowska of getaheadconsulting Says:
    May 17th, 2010 at 10:46 am

    excellent material and very well presented.... I bought Market Samurai a few months ago, but I hav not seen the videos. The interface is intuitive enough to get buy, but you get the the full understanting of the power of this tool only after viewing the videos. Well done guys!

  44. Iris Says:
    June 7th, 2010 at 12:08 am

    The video is good, but a little high level for newie business owners who might want to use market samurai.

  45. James Says:
    June 11th, 2010 at 6:38 pm

    I found this introduction to be very clear and informative. If this presentation format sustains the same high level of delivery I will find it well worth watching and hope to learn a lot from it.

  46. Tess Robinson Says:
    June 12th, 2010 at 11:03 pm

    This is absolutely excellent keywork information. I will enjoy promoting this as an affiliate as it really does make a difference to an online biz. Great stuff

  47. Thato Says:
    June 14th, 2010 at 11:55 am

    Even I could understand this lesson. The reason: it was
    well presented and easy to follow. Well done guys!!

  48. Harshal Bharambe Says:
    June 26th, 2010 at 7:12 am

    Very good tool... never seen before

  49. Richard Says:
    June 27th, 2010 at 8:23 am

    Great video, well done , in the back of my mind I knew communities speak there own language. I have played golf, motorcycle rider, pilot training etc, I see what you mean about local speak. I understand this concept about niches and markets. Thanks

  50. Jerry Nielsen Says:
    June 30th, 2010 at 7:04 pm

    Hands down one of the most succinct and on target explanations of keywords I have seen. Can't wait to complete this training.

    Jerry Nielsen - iMarketOnmac

  51. Ron NG Says:
    July 4th, 2010 at 8:18 am

    Excellent presentation and very useful.

    Thanks.

  52. Mike Wilson Says:
    July 12th, 2010 at 10:42 am

    Just adding my kudos to the above.

    I am starting "The Challenge" today and thought I would get a little head start on the work.

    And with this I certainly did. Thank you. I look forward to learning from you.

  53. Dr. Marie Mastria Says:
    July 13th, 2010 at 2:00 pm

    Having spent so much to get my site up, I find the thought of learning what to do and how to do it not only cost-effective, but necessary to my work with professionals entering this marketing zone.

    You certainly know about learning styles.
    Thank you,
    Dr. M
    CommuterAssist.com

  54. Gilles Vitu Says:
    July 26th, 2010 at 4:16 am

    Nice video... simple and easy to understand. When I started on the web, I wasn't looking carefully about this Keywords... Today I use relevant keywords everywhere: on my blogs, articles, webpages, videos, etc... This is the first step to achieve success online.

    There is 3 kind of person:
    1- the person who doesn't know about it (will never results)
    2- the person who knows and doesn't do anything (will never results)
    3- the person who knows and use them (will always get good results)

    And the secret to get very fast results is to use Software that do all the work for you (Samurai).

    Thanks a lot.

    Gilles Vitu
    www.gagnerargentsite.com

  55. Phill G. Deal Says:
    July 28th, 2010 at 8:28 pm

    This is bar none the most overlooked necessity when people start an online venture. For a long time I had not even touched the subject & had no idea how hard I was working building my biz on an island where no ships sailed by.

    Thanks fellas!

  56. Victor McPherson Says:
    August 6th, 2010 at 12:04 pm

    For the first time ever I think I am begining to get a true understang of what internet marketing is about. This jargon free presentation, has demystified what so many internet marketing courses have managed to confuse. Thanks guys.

  57. Todd B Says:
    August 16th, 2010 at 3:40 pm

    Thank you for creating straightforward and practical training videos. For a long time I did not have a website because I was intimidated by the complexity and felt it was for the "experts." What a poor excuse! Thanks for de-mystifying the subject.

    -Todd

  58. Manny Montala Says:
    August 19th, 2010 at 3:04 pm

    This is the I read this kind of tutorial about keyword research. Very unique approach and the lesson was straight forward. Why didn't I thought of those lingo in a certain niche can be considered as keywords too?

  59. Claude Belanger Says:
    September 6th, 2010 at 10:00 pm

    Very well presented! The material is clear and easy to follow. I'm new to Market Samurai although I had heard about this quite some time ago. I'm convinced now that this program will help me achieve the success level I am looking for. Thank you so much!

  60. Martin sweeney Says:
    September 10th, 2010 at 6:32 pm

    Great introduction. Looking forward to learning more.
    Cheers
    Martin
    The Geared Co.

  61. Brian Flynn Says:
    September 21st, 2010 at 8:37 am

    Excellent stuff...if the rest of your videos are as good as this then you have a superb educational tool!

  62. Dante Balmeo Jr Says:
    September 27th, 2010 at 11:42 am

    Why is it that the guys OUT there could not simply explain things as clear as the way it has been clearly explained here? Well maybe because of experience.

  63. Douglas Bell Says:
    September 28th, 2010 at 4:59 pm

    For the first time, I've actually learned some worthwhile things from a training video. I'm thoroughly impressed with the presentations/videos I've watched so far! Hopefully, this will get me some sales as I'm going to redo and confirm the keywords I'm presently using. Thanks again for the great tutorials!

  64. Marilyn Cameron Says:
    October 2nd, 2010 at 9:31 am

    I am so new at anything to do with the internet and online businesses, but so much what you say makes me realised how quickly we rushed into things. However with this tool I an sure we will have a better understanding of what we need to do.

  65. Neo Says:
    October 21st, 2010 at 6:34 pm

    This keyword research information literally made sense to me for the first time! At least I have a map now of how to get content on the internet. Superb!

  66. Goldy Says:
    October 23rd, 2010 at 12:18 pm

    Wow! Such a thorough explanation about Internet Marketing.. Right place to know the basics.:)

  67. Anthony Judge Says:
    November 6th, 2010 at 10:28 pm

    Excellent content presented in a clear and concise manner. As good an explanation of the topic as I have ever heard or read.

  68. Aliyah Says:
    November 9th, 2010 at 10:05 pm

    Very informative. Great job!!

  69. Veronica Says:
    November 16th, 2010 at 11:08 pm

    I'm trying this tool out for the first time. I'm very old school when it comes to IM, so this i

gipoco.com is neither affiliated with the authors of this page nor responsible for its contents. This is a safe-cache copy of the original web site.