Search engine optimization is the much talked about process to rank highly in the search engine results page or SERPs. Millions of articles have been written about this all important part of reaching the first page of Google and other search engines. Determining what works now versus what worked last year can be difficult for beginners just creating their first website or blog.

The first step in search engine optimization is proper keyword research within the niche that has been chosen. Choosing a highly competitive keyword will only encourage disappointment if one does not have the proper knowledge starting out. Highly competitive keywords, usually single words in a competitive niche, are difficult to rank for since experts that have years of experience already hold the first position in the search engines. This is not to say that eventually a beginner cannot go after highly competitive keywords, on the contrary, eventually a beginner should go after competitive keywords but only after experience and knowledge have been attained.

Long tailed keywords in a particular niche should first be sought as they are easier to rank for and will ensure success. Ensuring success with long tailed keywords in the beginning will not only rank the beginners website and blog first but will also build the confidence and knowledge needed to later rank for competitive keywords.

Long tailed keywords are words or phrases that have a single competitive keyword within the phrase. Golf, for example is a highly competitive keyword because golf is both popular and golfers spend a lot of money within the golf niche making golf a highly sought after keyword. Ranking highly for golf would be difficult, take a lot of money and a great deal of time and effort. However, long tailed keywords within the golf niche such as golf shoes, discount golf clubs, personalized golf balls, golf travel bags are just a few of the long tailed keywords that can be used as a less competitive keyword within the golf niche.

Researching long tailed keywords within a niche is probably the most important factor before even the design of your blog or website. Once a keyword is chosen, work designing the site can begin and it is very important to ensure the your keyword is located in the URL of your website or blog since this will be the first aspect that the search engines will look at to determine what your blog or website is about.

There are many other factors involved with proper search engine optimization, however keyword research is the first and most important part of search engine optimization. Keywords are the cornerstone of the entire search engine optimization process in which the blog or website is built upon. Doing proper keyword research will not only help make an informed decision on what the competition may be, but also can determine the success for a beginner just starting out in gaining page rank within the search engines.

The beauty of long tailed keywords is there can be hundreds or thousands of variations of one root keyword in different long tailed forms. For golf alone there are hundreds of long tailed keywords in which to choose to build a website or blog around. These keywords may not receive the traffic that highly competitive words receive but long tailed keywords generate laser targeted organic search traffic that has a greater conversion rate than generic search terms. Long tailed keywords are a natural fit for specialty items since they target organic search traffic that is looking specifically for a certain item which increases the chances of a better conversion rate.