1. Do qualitative market researches
Qualitative market researches do a better job of engaging the respondents. As opposed to quantitative researches, the qualitative method does not present respondents with a predetermined set of answers to choose from. This allows respondents to express themselves comfortably, often sharing more than the answers you need. This gives marketers a deeper understanding of “yes” and “no” and helps them know their market beyond product usage.
Qualitative researches are gold mines for consumer insights. Marketers can use this information to make better products and to optimize communication strategies. Online marketing relies heavily on owning the right niche keywords. Qualitative answers straight from your consumers will tell you which words are relevant to their searches.
2. Socialize with you niche online
Your need to come up with an online marketing strategy already tells you that your niche is technologically savvy. You can bet that these people also go to other websites and spend their time socializing online. Social networks and social bookmarking networks like MySpace, Facebook and Stumbleupon host numerous registered members. Create a personal account and an account in behalf of your brand.
As your network grows, you’ll be able to identify which of these people belong to your niche. Engage them in meaningful yet entertaining discussions. Find out whose blogs they read and which forums they frequent. Actively participate in the discussions by offering relevant information. Pay attention to how these people post their opinions, and take note of the potential niche keywords.
3. Check out your competition’s web content
The fact that you still have competition simply means that they’re not doing everything wrong. It won’t hurt to visit their web pages regularly to see what kind of content they offer. Note that this is not a suggestion to replicate their content. The objective of going through competitive content is to make sure that you aren’t behind with your niche keywords.
See how your competitors organize and write their articles. Pay attention to terms and phrases set in bold. These are the words that they’re optimizing for. Compare your keyword list with theirs and think about the differences. Don’t be scared to stick with your list if you’re confident about the research that you’ve done.
4. Pay attention to customer feedback
This is where the comments function in your web pages comes in handy. Allowing the public to leave comments about your online content gives you an opening to engage people. If they give you praises and thank you for “the very informative article,” then you know you’re on the right track.
There will be times when readers will share their opinions and leave comments that might be slightly negative. Thank them for their thoughts and say that you’ll take them into serious consideration—and do it. Constructive criticism helps you stay on top of your game. This ensures that your content stays relevant and that the words you use always add value to your overall optimization efforts.
5. Update your customer knowledge
Niche keywords change as soon as shifts happen to your niche, and change comes often. Periodic researches assure you that your knowledge of consumer insight is updated. Regularly logging on to forums and reading up on your competition helps you update your niche keyword list.