Using Google News to Target your Keyword Usage
Author: April Hall
Just when you thought Google couldn’t get any more intrepid, there was this announcement earlier this week by Brandon Badger, Google Product Manager:
“The launch of Google News on Google Earth is a milestone in the evolution of the geobrowser. By spatially locating the Google News’ constantly updating index of stories from more than 4,500 news sources, Google Earth now shows an ever-changing world of human activity as chronicled by reporters worldwide. ”
What? It’s true. You can now use Google Earth to track down the most pressing stories anywhere in the world. I am still impressed that I can actually zoom into my parent’s land in Oklahoma and see my old house; so I was flabbergasted to find out that I could actually read some of the local news and see who was being elected to the county commission and who was being arrested for delinquent child support payments. Interesting stuff going on on the Oklahoma prairie…
After getting caught up on the hometown gossip, I started to wonder if there was a way I could use Google News for keyword ideas. And, of course, there was. Our company is based in Houston; so I did a quick Google Earth target for the Houston area and got this:
Each of those little newspapers is a local news story, and I quickly discovered that each of those stories was a goldmine of keyword targets:
- A local gas company is set to move out of the area (could affect local energy prices)
- A chain grocery store is launching a savings initiative in Houston (saving money on groceries)
- Report of a successful business expo (ways to promote local business)
- A small local airline is reducing the number of flights (alternative local entertainment)
These are just a few, off-of-the-top-of-my-head attempts. You could find almost endless possibilities to create keywords, particularly long tail keywords, using this fantastic tool.
One of the most effective means of search engine optimization is to figure out how to capture searchers who are looking for local products and services. They may hear a local news story about energy companies going out of business and begin to worry if the cost of their own utilities is going to go up. If your company has created some great content using keywords about rising energy costs in your city, combined with the low energy prices offered by your company, you may just attract a whole new group of internet searchers.
All of this means that now Google Earth holds an entirely new fascination for me, besides being a truly fantastic time waster. In addition to a great way to wow my own kids with images of New York City, The Sahara Desert and Nana and Papa’s house, it is also a new tool for keyword ideas. If you haven’t yet explored Google News, you should really do so. There is also a New York Times feature in the Gallery. What other ideas do you guys have about ways to use Google Earth in internet marketing?
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