Using Google Correlate for Website SEO
SEO is all about optimizing a website to achieve the top search results. To do this, not only do we have to understand how search engines operate from a technical level, but we also have to understand customers and how they may use different search phrases on a search engine. And just as major search engines such as Google and Bing are constantly changing how their search engines operate, people also change their search phrase behaviors based on times of the year and geographic location.
If only we could somehow figure out a way to correlate some search phrases with others based on past history and search locations. Using this correlated search phrase information, we could more accurately target the people we want to visit our website. Remember, the more you can learn about how your customers search, the easier it is to optimize your website for them.
But where can we go to find this kind of linked search phrase data? Look no further than Google Correlate.
Google Correlate is a new search tool (currently found in Google Labs) that lets you run search queries based on trends such as dates and locations. If you think this sounds a great deal like Google Trends, you are absolutely right. Google Trends basically presents us with the same time- and location-based trending data that has been detailed in the past. The difference between Google Trends and Google Correlate is that we get to see search phrases that are correlated in some way to our original search phrase. It does this on a historical and/or location basis so you can see what additional search phrases are connected to your target search phrase based on times of the year and location of the search.
These associated search phrases can be used to better understand what people are looking for and what associated keywords are being used today, in the past and in various locations. You can then modify your website to target these newly discovered correlated search phrases using standard SEO techniques.
Just remember however, even though much of the information that can be pulled out of Google's new lab tool is useful, correlation does not imply causation so make sure you understand why Google is claiming certain search phrases are linked to each other. If you don't understand why search phrases are correlated, you may end up optimizing your website for the wrong people.
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