| You've probably heard the standard advice about | | | | want them to buy. |
| keywords.. "Find lots of keywords that are | | | | Continuing with horses, here is an example. |
| relevant to whatever you're selling, get lots of | | | | Imagine that most of your horses are sold to |
| traffic, and you'll make lots of sales". Sounds | | | | dressage enthusiasts. Let's say that the big |
| sensible, doesn't it? | | | | dressage event is called "Dressage 2005" (not a |
| Unfortunately, it's rarely that simple. | | | | real event as far as I know, I'm making it up for |
| To make it clear why that is, let's start with an | | | | this example). Let's also suppose, for the sake of |
| extreme example. For a site selling horses, the | | | | example, that there were a huge number of |
| phrase "horse pictures" is clearly relevant. In many | | | | searches last year for the phrase "dressage 2004 |
| ways, it looks like an ideal phrase. It gets quite a | | | | schedule", so you have very strong reasons to |
| lot of searches. There is very little competition in | | | | expect a lot of searches for "dressage 2005 |
| organic listings. You can get very prominent | | | | schedule". |
| positions for this phrase cheaply on most | | | | In order to convert a reasonable percentage of |
| pay-per-click search engines. But you are very | | | | the people who search for "dressage 2005 |
| unlikely to ever sell a horse using the phrase | | | | schedule" into buyers, you need to create a |
| "horse pictures." | | | | landing page on your site that features the |
| Why doesn't the phrase "horse pictures" generate | | | | schedule of events for "Dressage 2005" very |
| sales? Because the people who type this phrase | | | | prominently. Make it as clear and detailed as |
| into the search engines are either the parents of | | | | possible. Immediately below the schedule place a |
| children who want to look at pictures of horses or | | | | headline that presents your horses for sale as |
| the children themselves. In almost every case | | | | compellingly as possible, and include sales copy and |
| they have no interest in buying a horse. Worse | | | | / or pictures to entice visitors to check out your |
| yet, they have no place to put a horse if they did | | | | horses. Done properly, this solves your visitor's |
| purchase one. The most persuasive sales copy in | | | | problem, frees them to think about other things, |
| the world couldn't sell these people horses. | | | | creates some small measure of goodwill, and |
| The phrase "horse pictures" connects you with | | | | coaxes them to consider your horses for sale. |
| the wrong person. Many other phrases connect | | | | The easiest sales are made to the right people |
| you with the right person, but at a time when | | | | when they already have the right mindset. |
| they are in the wrong mindset. If you have the | | | | Phrases like "buy horses" and "horse prices" can |
| right person in the wrong mindset, you will | | | | put cash in your pockets, but if your market is |
| probably fail if you try to bully them into buying. | | | | competitive, it will be hard to get good listings in |
| But you can often make sales by leading them | | | | organic searches and expensive to buy them in |
| into the desired mindset. | | | | pay-per-click listings. |
| How do you change someone's mindset? It's | | | | If you master the subtle art of adjusting the |
| often easier than it sounds. Just figure out what | | | | mindset of your visitors, you can make money in |
| the person wants and give them exactly that. | | | | almost any market. |
| Then immediately follow up by offering what you | | | | |