Select Your Keyphrases
Step 1: Brainstorm Keyphrases
Keep your audience profile in mind as you start your keyphrase list by brainstorming with three kinds of people:
- topic experts (probably from within your organization)
- visitors to your website who have already completed your call-to-action
- friends or acquaintances who have never visited your website, but who fit within your audience profile
Finding topic experts to interview will be the easiest, but spend most of your time brainstorming keyphrases with representative end-users and people you wish were end-users.
Ask: "If you were using the internet to look for <fill-in the blank>, where would you search — and which search terms would you use?" Probe further: "Suppose you didn't find what you were looking for. What other search phrases might you try?" Keep probing: "Imagine that you wanted another opinion. What other search terms might you use?"
Keep each informal brainstorming interview going for 5-10 minutes, writing down as many keyphrases as are offered. Don't worry about getting the list perfect yet. Just get the ideas on paper.
