Sometimes things surprise you

image credit: Sir Mervs

On June 25th, 2009 the world lost one of the most audience-effecting artists of a generation – Michael Jackson.

Now, I am a big fan of Michael Jackson’s music and efforts in the entertainment industry. He was creative, innovative, and fearless when it came to crafting original art that he used to connect with arguably one of the largest audiences ever to exist.

It was for this reason that I wanted to write a blog post about Michael Jackson.

I didn’t want to write the standard “I was a huge fan of MJ” post so I thought I’d do what I always do and draw some parallels between Michael Jackson’s success, blogging, and being an entrepreneur.

The result was:

The Michael Jackson Guide to Success

To say the post was a success would be both an understatement while also bringing about the topic of this post – Keyword Confusion.

You see, the Michael Jackson blog post

has been a huge driver for traffic to Hunting Business Marketing and that’s great, but after thinking about what my goals for the site it may not be the most relevant traffic (for HBM or for the visitors).

Let’s take a closer look…

Keyword Confusion

It’s probably obvious that the audience I’m trying to reach with the blog posts on this site includes hunting business owners and bloggers.

Often times I like to write about other things I enjoy in life such as music (usually country music or even Bon Jovi) and other topics. I find that writing about what I enjoy and find interesting usually leads to the best posts.

And while I feel it’s important to write about what you love, I also believe you have to keep a focus on the audience you’re trying to reach on the Web.

Since I wrote the MJ post on June 27^th, 2009 it’s become the most trafficked post on Hunting Business Marketing and Michael Jackson has become the 2^nd biggest search term driving traffic to this blog.

The stats just for the term “Michael Jackson”

While I didn’t intend for this to happen, it’s been a nice surprise to get a spike in traffic as a result of the Michael Jackson Effect.

It’s also a classic case of keyword confusion as it relates to Hunting Business Marketing as a business.

While there are benefits to writing a post about Michael Jackson that might connect and be found as meaningful by a searcher on Google, it’s likely that person will not read much of the other content on the site and that’s understandable.

I think there is room for both a focused approach to your keyword initiatives as well as the occasional stray from the ordinary.

Focused Approach

When I write most of my blog posts I like to cover the topics that readers like you ask about or seem to be questioning in the blogosphere. I also like to focus on the questions and problems I have when I’m working in the hunting industry or with marketing on the Web.

I try to focus on keywords that have a decent amount of monthly traffic while also focusing on keywords that my target audience is likely using as they search for information on marketing their hunting business (specifically marketing their hunting business online).

These keywords (as you may know) include:

Hunting Business Marketing

Hunting Business

Hunting Blogs

There are always the long-tail keywords that work just as well:

Starting a hunting guide service

How to make a successful hunting business

How to start an outfitter in Wisconsin

With some of these I have been successful:

Hunting Industry

Hunting Industry Statistics

Hunting Blog Titles

I’m going to continue with my focused approach as one of my goals for writing quality posts. I focus first and foremost on answering your questions, but where appropriate I like to use keywords effectively as well.

But if you know anything about me…you know I can’t settle for just the focused approach…

A Little Fun

I think it’s just as important to write about seemingly outlandish things from time to time as well.

This is why I write posts like:

The Convenience Store Guide to Blogging

The Jon Bon Jovi Guide to Making it Big on the Web

A Story of Focus: My Rubik’s Cube Weekend

I think a good outlandish post, while remaining on topic somewhat, has the ability to attract quality attention while connecting with readers in a way standard or “safe” posts may not.

This is why I like to write uncommon posts once and awhile – to catch you off guard and keep you coming back while still providing valuable content to help you market your hunting business or blog on the Web.

Summary

It was fun writing the Michael Jackson post

for this blog and I hope you enjoyed reading it (and checking out the fun dance sequence).

The truth is that while I hadn’t planned for that post to be anything more than a fun, effective post about being successful in life, I had no intention of it turning into the current, most trafficked post on Hunting Business Marketing.

The truth is that it’s important to remain focused with your keyword strategy for your hunting business site and blog.

But it’s also important to keep your Website fun and if it’s in your nature you should write about some outlandish things once and awhile. It’ll keep your audience on their toes while hopefully providing them a connection to your topic of focus at the same time.

Use a good blend of focus and fun with your blog posts and site content and you’ll attract the audience you’re after.

The real secret to Web success is realizing that it’s all about your genuine personality and showing your true voice.

Related posts on Hunting Business Marketing

Effectively Using Keywords in Your Blog Titles

Paid vs. Natural Traffic: It’s like Baiting vs. Funnel Hunting for Deer – Part 1

How to Drive Visitors Deep Into Your Website

Related posts on the Web

Do Keywords in Post Titles Really Matter?

A Blog Search Engine Optimization Strategy – Maximize The Long Tail

How to Find and Target Long Tail Keywords for More Search Engine Traffic