Welcome back! This week, we’re looking at the KEI, or Keyword Effectiveness Index, which is a very good indicator for you to use to determine the best keywords to use when performing SEO.

If you have any further questions about search engine optimization or website design, please feel free to contact us through our website or call us at 859-325-6956. We’re more than glad to talk to you informally and answer any questions that you may have without a pushy sales pitch.

Enough of the cheap plugs, on to the article!!!

The KEI is calculated as follows:

# of searches * # of searches / # of results

By definition, the best type of business to open is a businesss with great demand and low supply. The KEI uses this simple economic principle to determine which keywords are best.

For example, one of our clients, Auto Interior Products, specializes in custom interior sales and service for classic and muscle cars. While performing SEO for them, we analyed their keywords for KEI, with very interesting results.

Erik had been using the phrase “custom auto interior” as a major phrase for SEO purposes. Upon conducting KEI analysis, we realized that it had a KEI value of .1667, and after using Google’s Adwords tools, this phrase had 116 million competitors or search results, but only 4,400 searches, meaning that AIP was a little fish in a BIIIIIG pond. As a result, we are tweaking their SEO to use “custom car interior”, which has a KEI of 12.84, or 11.4 million results, but 12,100 monthly searches.

How To Use It In Search Engine Optimization

When performing SEO, there are dozens of factors to assume and calculate, so no single factor will make or break your results (except for unethical SEO tactics). For example, if your business is primarily service related, such as a landscaping company or auto shop, then you probably need to focus on specific keywords including your city or region. Even though Laymon Designs can design for clients nationwide, our main focus is central Kentucky, specifically, Harrodsburg, Danville, Lexington, Lawrenceburg, Versailles and Nicholasville. While we can, and have worked with clients as far away as Florida, we target local clients. Since our main search results are so specific, we use KEI to find good terms, such as “website designers”, or “webmasters”, then simply add a regional phrasing, such as “website design in Danville, Ky”, or “webmasters in Lexington, Ky”. Businesses or organizations desiring to be found nationwide don’t have the luxury of using regional phrasing, so they will have a larger hill to climb to get to the top.

But How Reliable Is It?

So while KEI isn’t the top factor to consider when performing SEO, it should definitely be factored. If you’re speaking to a potential Web master or designer, ask them how they use KEI in their Search Engine Optimization, as well as other informed questions. If they look at you like you’ve just grown an extra arm from your forehead or dismiss your question, you may want to consider whether you’re going to be paying for a website that will never see the light of day on page 1 of Google.