Frequently Asked Questions

These questions represent the most commonly asked, but if your questions aren't answered here, feel free to and we'll get back to you with in-depth answers.

• How many search terms will you include in your report?
  We usually find around 500 search terms. Sometimes much more, depending on the site. We provide estimated search volumes for Google and MSN, on all the search terms we find. We are always looking for ways to improve the quality of our reports, so please contact us if you have concerns, feedback, questions, or suggestions.
   
• What if our site hasn't been built yet? How do you handle that situation?
  This is the best time to do keyword research, and we handle these opportunities the same way we approach keyword research for all sites. We just need you to let us know a little bit more about your site. Based on your description of the site's focus, and any competing sites you know of, we build an initial list of search terms. From there, we use a number of different tools to expand the list of keywords, including Altavista's PRISMA search, Teoma search, Wordtracker's lateral & thesaurus searches, etc.
   
• How can I communicate additional information to SEO Research Labs about my site?
  When you place your order, there is a field on the Paypal order form to send a note to us. You can use that field to tell us anything you need, make special requests, etc. We also hold all incoming orders for a minimum of four hours, and you can send additional information by email to , including attachments up to 5MB if necessary.
   
• What data is included on the outsourced reports, and where does it come from?
  All data on search volumes comes from the Wordtracker service. We include the estimated search counts for MSN and Google, as well as "competing sites" for these search engines, along with Wordtracker's "KEI analysis," in our detailed reports. Any additional data generated by Wordtracker is available as a custom option. The answer above describes how to contact us about your report. If you have any special needs or concerns, feel free to email - we'll be happy to discuss your specific needs.
   
• Why shouldn't I just do my own keyword research?
  We offer outsourcing services to let SEO consultants and web designers focus on what they do best. Quality keyword research requires a very specialized skill set, and we gain a lot of efficiencies by doing as many reports as we do. If you can produce work of equal quality at a lower cost, please let us know how you're doing it. We examine each report we produce, and continually seek improvements to our process that will let us deliver higher quality and more value to our clients.
   
  If you decide to do your own keyword research, we recommend using Wordtracker as opposed to any "free" keyword suggestion tools. Other sources of keyword data can be badly skewed by automated rank checking software, and the Wordtracker team has taken great care in selecting the most reliable sources. See www.wordtracker.com for details on their service, which is very affordable. If you decide to do this on your own, be sure to read the Wordtracker manual before you sign up.