Numbers First, Keywords Second

Usually you need to think of a keyword first. You enter it into a keyword search tool to see if it has potential. You’re then looking for numbers for how often people search the term and how many page results make up the competition. My experience is usually…nope…zip…shoot, I thought that’d be a good one…fuddy duddy…. Until I run out of ideas.

With Gimme a Niche!, you instead first set the desired numbers for search volume and search results. When you run the program, you get keywords that fit within the ranges you selected for volume and results. All of the keywords you get should have high search demand compared to low volume of page results.

Search that Keyword

There is a handy Google search box at the bottom of the tool. Use it to check page results. I did notice some inaccuracy with the search volume and page results for a keyword or two. For instance the keyword “rottweiler puppies for sale” said it “gets 2300 monthly searches, and returns 0 search results.” Upon testing the search, there were actually 979,000 Google page results.

Be suspicious of a keyword that says there are “0 search results.” It’s obviously a glitch. However, most of the keywords I randomly selected to test with a Google search resulted in a number of page results close to what the tool stated.

Gimme a Niche! Jogs New Ideas

Not all of the keywords that come up are so hot. Most of them are brand names or names of a business location. But if you keep clicking on the “Gimme a Keyword!” button, you will discover keywords that jog your thinking.

For instance, when “Preparation H for wrinkles” popped up, I smiled. (I’ve always wondered if that was true.) Why not buy a tube? Give it a fair trial (find a suitable subject, as I certainly have no wrinkles…ha, ha). Do a lit review and…voilà! Create a website on the topic.

Google Adwords Keyword Tool confirmed that search and results numbers for “Prep…H…” fit in the range of a potentially good keyword niche. I wondered, what other health-related topics might be fodder for niche sites that search engines favor?

Therein lies the greatest strength of Gimme a Keyword. It helps you think outside the box when your cognitive wheels are stuck in a rut.

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Google News allows you to set up a news feed for topics relevant to your blog. Do you write about celebrity gossip? Post about technological gadgets? Blog about cats? Whatever your niche, run a Google News search to zero in on your topic research. Below are examples of how you can research your niche topic in Google News, and even discover unexpected but valuable related news articles.

Google News: Cat Fancy

Let’s say the readers of your blog are cat fanciers. You know people are fascinated by animals dressed like humans, and that it is a controversial topic among animal lovers. You decide to add a new section about cat fashions to your blog.

Go to Google News and form a search query like this: [cats fashion OR clothes OR dressing –football]. (Use Advanced Search to insert query syntax automatically.)

The results include a fascinating article about wigs for cats (Want to Dress Up Your Cat? Explore the Enchanting World of Kitty Wigs), including a delightful photo your readers will love (see above). Bingo! You also pick up an article about Dewey the Library Cat being made into a movie starring Meryl Streep. This one isn’t actually about cat fashions, but it is none-the-less a newsworthy item for your cat blog.

Goolge News: Florida Vacation Rentals

What if you blog about vacation rental properties? Say you want to research for an article specifically on Florida vacation rentals.

Enter the following search: [Florida "vacation rentals" holiday OR renting OR time-share]. (Again, use Advanced Search for ease.) The results include an excellent article about vacation home rentals (A Holiday Home Away From Home). It isn’t necessarily about Florida, but gives readers applicable advice for rentals in any region – information you can use for your blog.

Hmm…better try a new search to snag only Florida rentals. How about the exact phrase: ["Florida vacation rentals"]. It returns an article from Australia (Florida Vacation Rentals Site Offers New Destinations). It’s about staying in smaller historic towns in Florida, such as Tarpon Springs (my hometown; and yes, it’s on the money!) This is a perfect reference for the article you’re writing!

Google News Custom Sections

Streamline the work flow of your Google News research with Custom Sections, a new feature that allows you to turn your searches into permanent news feeds. Very convenient! Once a Custom Section is set up, you can always click on the section in the left-hand sidebar to get the latest news on your niche topic.

Want to drill down to regional news? Custom Sections let you restrict your search to sources from a particular country or U.S. State.

Once you run a Google News search that effectively returns the kind of results you want for your topic, scroll to the bottom of the page. You’ll see links for staying up-to-date on your search results:

• Create an email alert for [your search topic]
• Add a custom section for [your search topic] to Google News
• Add a news gadget for [your search topic] to your Google homepage
• Search blogs for [your search topic]
• Search Google Fast Flip for [your search topic]

Creating Quality Content

Instead of reviewing what other bloggers are saying about your niche topic, go straight to original news sources with Google News. You’ll be ahead of the curve.

Increase your content productivity with Custom Sections. Check each of your Sections fast…boom, boom, boom!

Find news worthy of your readership? Discover something completely unexpected? Start blogging about it!

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A bit of the Great Free Online Resources List.

Free and Valuable Online Resources

The àlaBuzz Great Free Online Resources List is always expanding and becoming more comprehensive. It’s a repository of free Internet tools, applications, services, and expert information sites that I’ve discovered in my online travels. Either I use the resources myself or believe other people (site owners, Web surfers, social media mavens, Internet researchers, etc.) might find them beneficial. All of the resources in the List are free to use, even when they are located at commercial sites.

The Great Free Online Resources List Now Includes Search Tools

The former àlaBuzz Search the Internet List has been consolidated into the àlaBuzz Great Free Online Resources List. It was redundant to have two lists. The Socrata database service, where the Great Free Online Resources List is housed, provides excellent sort and search capabilities, eliminating the need for separate lists.

Sort and Search the Comprehensive Great Free Online Resources List

The Great Free Online Resources List covers a comprehensive range of tools, applications, services, and expert information sites. As an ongoing project, some categories in the List are more developed than others. But all resource areas will eventually receive due attention. Resources are organized according to the following main categories:

• Audio - Podcasting, recording applications, etc.
• Blogging - Platforms, communities, etc.
• Content - Site management, SEO, articles, etc.
• Design - Images, photos, web design, etc.
• Ecommerce - Tools, services, etc.
• Presentation - Applications for tutorials, course instruction, etc.
• Productivity - Office suites, meeting management, etc.
• Promotion - Marketing information sites, press release sites, etc.
• Research - Competitive research, following trends, etc.
• Search - Search engines, answers, people, etc.
• Social Media - Networking sites, bookmarking sites, management tools, etc.

You can scroll through the List to view resources grouped together according to main category. Better yet, sort columns alphabetically or use the search box. The List utilizes tags to cross-index resources, so search results are more relevant and inclusive. Search, sort, and tag capabilities keep the Great Free Online Resources List simple and effective to use, no matter how large it becomes!

Promoting àlaBuzz Favorites

Rest assured, when àlaBuzz gives a free resource favorable mention, you know that I have actually visited, looked around, and/or played with the resource. Such resources will automatically be included in the Great Free Online Resources List. This supports two goals:

• To provide extra value to List users.
• To give an àlaBuzz “bump” to sites that deserve recognition for providing outstanding free resources to the online community.

You’ll be eager to investigate potentially useful or intriguing resources for yourself. Each entry in the List provides a link for instant transport to the resource’s home page.

BTW, please don’t hesitate to offer recommendations for additions to the list!

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My resource was WebDev2.0. It is a cool site that spotlights some of the “great innovations out on the Internet today.”

• Bliipa – Two-column results: regular search and real-time social results.
• Collecta – Find mentions of your search term happening right now.
• DeepDyve – Search for research. Access a wealth of untapped information that resides on the “Deep Web” for in-depth, professional content. Returns results uncluttered by opinion sites and irrelevant content. Currently searches medical and life sciences topics.
• SearchCloud.com – (Don’t confuse with searchcloud.net/.) Search various sites, including social media, with one search box. Enter a key word or phrase, then click on a resource in the cloud. You can set preferred sites to include in cloud. Several Canadian sites available.
• OneRiot – Real-time social search engine for fresh, socially-relevant content from across the Web. 
• LeapFish – Multi-dimentional search of Google, Yahoo! or Bing. Zero-in on Web, news, answers, videos, images, shopping, or blogs. Nice, clean interface. (It lends itself to quick discovery of relevant videos for the site here. I set it as my default search engine.)
• BingTweets – Combines Twitter trends with Bing search results.
• Whyzz - Help for answering your child’s why’s, what’s, and how’s. Optimized for mobile devices. Articles are written in kid-ready terms, so you can read them directly to your child. Submit your own contributions of wisdom, knowledge, and ideas to the site.
• LinkUp - Connect to current job listings posted on company websites. (Over 22,000 companies included in search.)
• Tinker – Stay on top of Twitter events, news, and topics. You can embed Tinker on your site to promote your own event.

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You can stop Googling health topics.  Accurate health and medical information is too important to risk being influenced by fads, commercial bias, or self-proclaimed experts.  There’s a better way.

Search MedlinePlus for Health Info You Can Trust

Begin any search for health and medical information at MedlinePlus, a free service provided by the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health.  It is authoritative, comprehensive, and up-to-date. MedlinePlus also helps you discover numerous other reliable health websites.  In fact, if you’re getting medical and health information from a site that MedlinePlus doesn’t link to, be cautious.

Types of Health Info Found at MedlinePlus

What kind of health information will you find at MedlinePlus?  Currently, 800 health topics on conditions, disease, and wellness are organized both alphabetically and by subject.  Of course, you always enter a term in the MedlinePlus search box.  Learn about anything from “Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm” to “Zoonoses” (animal diseases that people can catch).

In addition, find information on the following:

• Drugs, Supplements and Herbal Information - Check for any recalls, market withdrawals, or safety alerts.  Find drugs in clinical research studies.  Search PubMed for research articles on a specific drug.
• Medical Encyclopedia - Over 4,000 articles about diseases, tests, symptoms, injuries, and surgeries.  It includes an extensive library of medical photographs and illustrations.
• Health News- Health-related news articles from Reuters Health Information and HealthDay, plus the most recent press announcements from major medical organizations.
• Health Provider Directories - Find doctors, dentists, specialists, hospitals and clinics.
• Go Local – Find health-related resources in your geographical area.
• Senior Health - An easy-to-use site that features health and wellness information for older adults.  Buttons at the top of the page allow you to make the text bigger, change text color, or hear the text read aloud.
• Interactive Tutorials – Watch interactive tutorials that use animated graphics to explain diseases and conditions, tests and diagnostic procedures, and surgery and treatment procedures in easy-to-read language.  You can also listen to the tutorials.
• Clinical Trials - A registry of federally and privately supported clinical trials conducted in the United States and around the world.  Find information about a trial’s purpose, who may participate, locations, and phone numbers for more details.
• Videos of Surgical Procedures - Prerecorded webcasts of actual operations performed at medical centers in the United States since January 2004.  The videos last an hour.  (Perhaps not for the faint-hearted.)

Easy To Understand Health Info

If you have ever felt like a medical jargon illiterate, don’t worry.  MedlinePlus makes consumer health information easy to understand with simple language, graphics, tutorials, and audio.  The site can also be viewed in Spanish.

Take the MedlinePlus Tour for an audio and visual demonstration of how to use the site.  (Find it under “Related Videos” to the right.)  It’s only 8 minutes long, and you’ll be amazed at the breadth and depth of health topic coverage that is provided.

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