When it comes to search engine optimization, one of the biggest mistakes is focusing solely on the amount of traffic generated. Some people will invest heavily in general keywords/phases, mistakenly equating more traffic with more revenue. This focus of quantity over quality can be a costly mistake. The real goal of search engine optimization is, of course, conversions and sales. Therefore, the best approach to search engine marketing is not just to target high volume keywords, but high conversion keywords. After all, what good is more traffic if it doesn't lead to more revenue? Below are some more common mistakes.

1. Forgetting about competition.

People tend to target keywords with a high search volume without ever considering the amount of competition. On the surface, a highly searched keyword looks like a good one to invest in. However, most highly searched keywords are highly competitive as well, requiring a larger budget in order to be competitive. So, if you don't have the budget to compete at that level, you won't be able to obtain the type of results you're looking for.

The best approach is to look up related keywords that may not have as much popularity, but have lower competition. This allows you to dominate the keywords and see more traffic than you would targeting a highly competitive term. It's better to be a big fish in a small pond as they say.

2. Broad match vs exact match.

The Google Adwords Keyword Tool defaults to "Broad Match" mode. This allows your ad to show on similar and relevant variations of your keywords, even if they aren't on your keyword list. For example, "Broad Match" for the keyword: running shoes may show your ad on searches for:

• running
• shoes
• buy running shoes
• running shoe photos
• running shoes
• running sneakers

These general terms will result in significantly inflated numbers that are useless from an SEO perspective.

With an "Exact Match", your ad is shown only for searches that match your exact keyword/phrase. For example, "Exact Match" for the keyword running shoes will show on searches for:

• running shoes

Ads won't show on searches for:

• buy running shoes
• running shoe
• running shoe photos

So always remember if you are doing keyword research for SEO in the AdWords Keyword Tool: untick the box next to Broad match and tick the box next to Exact.

3. Bad keyword definition.

When you're so immersed in your business and industry, sometimes its difficult to look at things from your audience's perspective. Words that are in your day-to-day vocabulary may not be familiar to your customers. This results in the targeting of keywords they don't even use. If you're not sure, ask customers or those outisde your industry what they would type in to find your products/services.

4. Failing to target singular words.

We all know Google is smart enough to determine that searches for the singular and plural version of a keyword is pretty much the same. However, there are many cases where the search results may vary greatly. People usually focus on plural words without ever realizing that many users search for the singular version of the keyword. While singular terms tend to be too broad and overly competitive, they could result in higher revenues for businesses with a larger search engine marketing budget.

5. Forgetting to conduct keyword reviews.

The Internet and marketplace is constantly changing. Its a good idea to regularly review keywords and eliminate those that are performing poorly. There might also be new terms and phrases that are growing in popularity.

Those are just some of the common keyword research mistakes. If there's any you'd like to share, leave a comment below.