There are some words that should never be used together: 'self install' and 'gas oven' for instance!
On the internet there are others that are so synonymous, like ' flights' and 'cheap', they are seldom seen apart. 'Hot' and 'stocks', ' replica' and 'watches' are among the more common online bed fellows.
Search marketeers are usually trying to predict what phrase their target audience is likely to be searching with, not ones that return the least results.
However, like backing up a drill to clear the bit of debris, it can sometimes pay to think counter clockwise.
US search guru Gary Stock, in an idle moment, invented a new game that can serve to aid the process, although self amusement was his intention.
It is called " Googlewhacking" and has one primary rule: find two words that, when entered into Google, give a single, solitary website back (read the rest of the rules at www.googlewhack.com).
Classic Goolgewhacks include "pimplier batgirls", "sawdusty barmen" and, my favourite, and only just discovered " worldwide fuzzyheadedness".
They are harder to find than you might think. You can't just make up rubbish because to qualify as Googlewhacks there has to be a page, somewhere out there on the web, which contains the words together, in what Google deems to be " legitimate text".
In an attempt to get your website to the top of Google for a given search word, you might be tempted to use that word so repetitively on your home page that it makes no sense. But Google can spot pages with so-called artificially improved keyword density and treats them with suspicion.
If you have a keyword density of greater than ten per cent, you'll probably get busted by Google as a spammer!
This is why getting a specialist web author to write the content for your website is important. The words on your site need to make sense to people but also focus on what they might type into the search engines if they were looking for your services or products.
In a 'crazy logical' sort of way, being good at Googlewhacking is actually a useful skill. If you want to get to the top of the search engines all you need to do is find, or possibly invent, a phrase that is unlikely to be coveted by others.
I'll admit that being number one for a phrase no one uses is of little commercial value. However, finding some phrase between the popularity of "cheap flights" and "world fuzzyheadedness", lies the route to search marketing success.
If you have a Google Adwords account you can find out from Google how often search terms are used. Use this to guide your decision on the target words to choose.
There may be some words that your competitors have not thought of putting together, yet are frequently used on Google.
* Chris is managing director of Internet consultancy WebXpress. This and other unedited articles can be found at webxpress.com.E-mail: chris@webxpress.com
