by Andy Mindel
http://www.wordtracker.com?wtcm24

Many of us who are struggling to make our online businesses work
look at those who've achieved top 10 search engine positioning
and wonder how they did it.  We may be doing all the right
things, but we're just not getting the traffic or business we
deserve.  Why do some people find success in using keywords,
while others do not?

The answer is simple.  You can choose keywords that get top
positions on search engines, but if no one is searching for those
particular words, no one will find you and see what you have to
offer.  Plus, finding out what keywords people ARE using can not
only help you get great search engine position and more hits, it
can also help you stay on top of what consumers are really
looking for. In short, while keywords are great for search engine
positioning, that isn't all you can do with them.

Fortunately, there are some little-known things we can do to make
sure we're using keywords to their fullest potential, and I'm
going to tell you about the most important one: using popular
search terms to find new trends for your new or existing
business.

If you're looking to start a new business or take your current
online venture in a new direction, investigating the search terms
people are using can be extremely helpful.  If people start
searching for terms like "discount DVDs" and you're aware of it,
you could position yourself on those keywords and get a lot of
traffic that otherwise you would have missed.  More importantly,
you could be on top of an upcoming trend in consumer demand.

Looking at the emerging patterns in search terms can help you
identify new trends in what people are really looking for before
everyone else is offering it.  If you stay in tune with what
people are just beginning to want and answer that call, your
success is all but guaranteed.

To stay ahead of the game, try keeping an eye on the search terms
people are using, including those common misspellings.  If you
keep your ear to the ground, you'll be able to detect and take
advantage of the trends before they've come and gone.

Author Andy Mindel is founder of Wordtracker.com.  Wordtracker
specializes in tracking what search terms are being used and how
popular they've become.  To ensure your business takes full
advantage of its keywords (and to find others you may be
missing), see http://www.wordtracker.com?wtcm24.  Andy can be
reached by email at support@wordtracker.com.