There was a time when you could get away with bidding on Broad Search terms using Pay Per Click (PPC) and you could make good money. Nowadays with the increase in competition in almost every Niche you need to find different keywords, which have fewer competitors and as a result will help retain or even increase your profit margins.

The answer is the Longtail of the search and put simply these are keywords that have fewer searches than the ?Core Keywords? but also tend to be more profitable as they are more ?targeted?. These Longtail keywords are made up of the core keywords along with Modifiers or Qualifiers.

What are Keyword Modifiers?
So what are Modifiers and how can they turn a highly competitive phrase into a Longtail profitable keyword?

Lets start with a simple example of a Core Keyword and expand it using Modifiers:

Core keyword: Sat Nav

Core Keyword with a Brand 'Modifier': Garmin Sat Nav

In the example above the Brand Modifier keyword tells us that the searcher has done some basic research or at least knows what brand they want to purchase or research.

Targetted & 'Profitable' Keywords
So how can we make this keyword even more targeted and for PPC how can we tell whether it is a keyword which will convert for us?

Well that's where the use of another Modifier comes into play. For example when people search for devices on the Internet they go through various stages of research prior to purchase. At the point they are ready to purchase they then use additional Modifiers to allow them to ?home in? on the best supplier and the keyword they use becomes highly targeted.

The following is a great example of how the core keyword has expanded to the point where the searcher is looking to buy a Sat Nav device:

Core keyword with Brand/Model and Buy Modifiers:

Buy Garmin 250 Sat Nav

As you can see the addition of the ?Buy? Modifier and the model number is now very targeted and it is these types of keywords which are not as competitive as something like ?Sat nav? but none the less are the most targeted and as a result tend to more profitable.

Conclusion
In order to succeed at PPC you MUST look at keyword research in a different way than your competitors. That not only means you need to find keywords no one else is bidding on but you must also come up with all the right Modifiers for each Niche you are operating a PPC Campaign.

Keyword Modifiers and the right combination of Modifiers will help you generate far more profitable keywords, putting lots of extra $$$$$'s in your pocket. Do not ignore their power!