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