This is the one irrefutable law of marketing on the Internet. If you can identify the keywords that will send eager buyers to your site, your ability to make money online is pretty much guaranteed.

Keyword research helps you…

• Find a hungry “niche market“
• Come up with a product to sell to them
• Create winning salescopy that convinces them to buy your product
• Optimize your website for the search engines so visitors can easily FIND your site
• Come up with new product ideas that you can sell to your existing customer base

… It’s essential for ALL stages of
growing your business

But discovering which keywords will help you make money online can be a challenge. People are unpredictable, and the search terms they use might surprise you.

For example, say you plan to make money online by selling an eBook that teaches people how to build a deer fence. You might think your best keyword is, “how to build a deer fence” — when you might get better results with, “deer resistant garden,” or “how to keep deer out of garden,” or even “get those blasted vermin away from my roses!”

… Well, maybe not that last one.

Which Keyword Research Tool Should You Use?

Here are our favourites:

1. Google AdWords Keyword Tool — Why do we like it? Because it’s free! Plus, the results include PPC info and come directly from Google’s own real-time databases.

2. BeBiz – We can’t resist plugging our own fabulous keyword tool that’s built right into BeBiz, our complete all-in-one online business builder. BeBiz automatically integrates your keyword research results right into all aspects of your business, making it even easier for you to make money online. .

Once you’ve accumulated a long list of keywords, what then? What do you do with those keywords? And how do you know if they present a great opportunity to make money online?

Here’s the answer…

Our Seven-Step “Keyword Research Survival Guide”

If you are determined to make money online, follow each of the steps below and your keyword research efforts will yield significant results that will help you make money online.

1. Start off with ONE word that describes a passion or interest

For example: “rabbits”

2. Create a list of synonyms for that word

For example, “bunnies,” “rabbit,” “bunny rabbits”

3. Combine each synonym with “how” to generate problem statements

For example, “how bunnies,” “how rabbit,” “how bunny rabbits”

4. Record the “action word” phrases that appear in the keyword research results

For example, “how to groom rabbits,” “how to make organic rabbit food,” “how to build a rabbit hutch”

All these phrases have an action word in them and clearly describe a problem people are trying to solve. These are the keywords you’re looking for. They’re the ones that will help you make money online.

5. Analyze the “supply and demand” factor for each keyword

Using your keyword research tool, check to see how many searches are being done and how many competing sites there are for each of the “action word” keywords you recorded. You want to focus on keywords that have a lot of searches but not much competition. That way you know it will be easier for you to break into that market and compete with the websites already there. And that is what’s going to help you make money online.

6. Cluster the top keywords according to intention

As you drill down into your keyword research, you’ll find different phrases that basically mean the same thing. For example: “how to make a rabbit cage,” “rabbit hutch building tips” and “rabbit hutch design.”

Organize all these similar phrases into different lists. Now, here’s the awesome part: Each list represents a different niche market opportunity. The longer the list, the bigger the opportunity and the better your chances of being able to make money online.

7. Look for long-tail keywords

Long-tail keywords are phrases made up of anywhere from four to fifteen words. Here’s an example:

Short keyword: build rabbit cage

Long-tail keyword: how do I build a wooden indoor rabbit cage

Long-tail keywords enable you to make money online for a couple of reasons. First, they’re easier to get a top ranking for in Google and other search engines. Second, people tend to use long-tail keywords for searches when they are close to making a purchase. This means the visitors you attract with your long-tail keywords are far more likely to buy something from you than the visitors you get from your short keywords.

… So there you have it: our seven-step “Keyword Research Survival Guide.” Stick with this process and you’ll never be left wondering if that random collection of keywords represents a real opportunity to make money online or just another poorly conceived website that’s doomed to failure.

The e-Business Startup Handbook

Starting your new business by targeting the wrong products to the wrong keywords  is a common error, and in the Ebusiness Start-Up Handbook, we explain why this can stop you from succeeding online.

You’ll then learn our tested and proven process for starting your new business the right way, allowing you to:

• save potentially thousands of dollars
• profit with a large share of a smaller market
• avoid weeks of tedious labor
• identify untapped markets with minimal competition
• find the perfect products to sell to maximum profits

Click here to learn how the Ebusiness Start-Up Handbook can help you master the biggest obstacle to your online business

Keyword research enables you to…

• Find a hungry “niche market”
• Come up with a product to sell to them
• Create winning salescopy that convinces them to buy your product
• Optimize your website for the search engines so visitors can easily FIND your site
• Come up with new product ideas that you can sell to your existing customer base

 But discovering which keywords will help you make real money online can be a challenge. People are unpredictable, and the search terms they use to hunt for information online might surprise you.

For example, say you plan to make money online by selling an eBook that teaches people how to ship cars overseas. You might think your best keyword is, “how to ship cars overseas” — when you might get better results with, “how do I get my car to Europe,” or “transport car Asia to US cheap.”

The point is, you’ll never know which keywords represent the best opportunity to make real money online until you do your research.

Once you’ve accumulated a comprehensive list of keywords using a research tool such as the Google AdWords Keyword Tool or the research tool included in our complete all-in-one business builder, BeBiz, what do you do with that list of keywords? How can you tell if those keywords represent a good opportunity to make real money online?

In order to make sure your keyword research efforts yield significant results that will help you make real money online, follow the steps below:

1. Start with ONE word that describes one of your passions or interests

For example: “rabbits”

2. Create a list of synonyms

For example, “bunnies,” “rabbit,” “bunny rabbits”

3. Turn those synonyms into problem statements using “how“

For example, “how bunnies,” “how rabbit,” “how bunny rabbits”

4. Record the “action phrases” you find in the keyword research results

For example, “how to groom rabbits,” “how to make organic rabbit food,” “how to build rabbit hutch”

All these phrases have an action word in them and obviously represent a problem people are trying to solve. These are the kind of keywords you should be looking for. They’re the ones that will help you make real money online.

5. Analyze the “supply and demand” factor for each keyword

Using your keyword research tool, take a look at the “action keywords” to see how many searches are being done and how many competing sites there are for each one. You want to focus on keywords that have a lot of searches but not too much competition. That will make it much easier for you to break into that market and compete with the websites that are already selling to that market. And that is what’s going to help you make real money online.

6. Cluster the top keywords according to intention

As you drill down into your keyword research, you’ll find different phrases that have the same meaning. For example: “how to make a rabbit cage,” “rabbit hutch building tips” and “rabbit hutch design.”

Organize all these similar phrases into lists according to intention. Now, here’s the great part: Each list represents a different niche market opportunity. The longer the list is, the bigger the potential income opportunity and the better your chances will be to make real money online.

7. Look for long-tail keywords

Long-tail keywords are phrases made up of four to fifteen words. For example…

Short keyword: build rabbit cage
Long-tail keyword: build wooden indoor rabbit cage

By targeting long-tail keywords you increase your ability to make money online. Long-tail keywords are easier to get a top ranking for in Google and other search engines. Plus, people often use long-tail keywords for searches when they are close to buying something online. This means the visitors you attract with your long-tail keywords are far more likely to buy something from you than the visitors you get from your short keywords.

… So there you have it: our seven-step “Keyword Research Survival Guide.” Stick with this process and you’ll never be left wondering if that random collection of keywords represents a real opportunity to make money online or just another poorly conceived website that’s doomed to failure.

All you have to do is send us an email telling us what YOU think your website’s biggest problem area is… and be sure to include your site’s URL so we can check it out for ourselves.

This contest closes on Sunday, November 15th at midnight — so make sure you enter right away!

The lucky winner will receive a detailed web page analysis valued at $500.

So… tell us: Where do you think your site most needs improvement? Is it the headline? The call to action? The copy? The buying process?

Email us at questions@marketingtips.com with the subject line “Site Review Contest” for your chance to win!

And don’t forget to include your site’s URL.

Good luck!

Yeah… they drive us crazy, too.

Today we’re going to go against the grain and say what no other Internet marketer has ever said before:

You CAN’T make millions of dollars on the Internet overnight.

You won’t be making millions in your first month… or your first year… or even your first five years — unless your best friend is a leprechaun and your pockets are full of lucky pennies and four-leafed clovers and you’ve got the proverbial golden horseshoe you know where.

Okay, it *can* happen… we know a lot of online success stories who made their first million within the first year of owning their online business.

And yes, some of them didn’t have any real computer experience before they started.

But we want to make this clear: They are the exception, not the norm.

So how much CAN you expect to make with your first online business?

Well, that depends on you.

No, we’re not trying to jam out of giving you a *real* answer — your success really does depend on YOU, and how much time and effort you are willing to devote to your business.

When we work one-on-one with our mentoring clients, the more determined ones usually make their first few sales within the first month of starting their business.

That means if you fully devote yourself to your business, you should see a few hundred dollars in sales that first month.

BUT if you keep at it, the money will continue to grow — so by the time you’re at the six-month mark, you’re making a thousand a month instead of just a few hundred.

And by the time that first year ends, you’ll probably be making a lot more than that — anywhere from three to ten thousand a month, if you’re like our more successful mentoring clients.

That means you’ll probably be making anywhere from $36,000 to $120,000 a year.

… It might not be millions, but it’s still not a bad pay-off for a year’s worth of work, wouldn’t you say?

But to make this kind of money, you MUST be prepared to pour your heart and soul into your business and do all you can to ensure its success.

Because if you’re the kind of person who would rather sit on the couch watching TV than put in the time required to build a better future for yourself, then the Internet probably isn’t for you.

So how about it?

Are you willing to roll up your sleeves and create a real online business that makes real money?

Or would you rather buy into the lie of the “millions made while you sleep!” and spend hundreds of dollars on “instant cash machine” offers that never live up to their promises?

… The choice is up to you.

(And if you ARE interested in making real money online and don’t mind getting your hands dirty while you’re at it, check out our new StartUp guide to online success — the first issue is free!)

Don’t despair! You’re not alone, and it happens to everyone! You’re in a slump and you just need a plan get back on track toward your goal of earning money online… so here are some things you can do to find (and keep) your motivation.

1. Grab a pen and paper and write in big letters why you wanted to start an online business in the first place. Was it to spend more time with your family? To add an extra stream of income? To prove to yourself that you could do it? To stop having to work for someone else? Whatever the reason, write it down and stick it up in front of your computer.

There… are you already connecting with the reason you started down this rewarding path in the first place? Good!

2. Go to www.marketingtips.com/tipsltr.html and scroll down to the “Proof” section. Take a few minutes to read how other people LIKE YOU have used the Internet to make money.

Looking for more inspiration? Check out the videos on www.internetmarketing.com/clinic. These are real people who started to make money online.

Are you beginning to feel more enthusiastic again… like this could happen to you too? Great!

3. Now look at the piece of paper you wrote on in step 1… your reason for wanting to change your life. Is it enough to make you get back to work on your home business? If it isn’t, then don’t sweat it. Right now may just not be the right time for you.

If it is, then you just need to get back on track!

So, think about what it was that leeched your motivation. Was it that life just got in the way? Was there a big change that shook you up and took all your attention? Did you find the keyword research too hard? Are you not so great at budgeting your time?

Sometimes all it takes is to break things down into more manageable chunks so you’re not overwhelmed by the scale of what needs to be done.

Let’s start by writing down what it was that interrupted your momentum. For example, “I kept procrastinating in finding a way to develop a product for my niche.” Use this statement as your goal. Don’t think about how you’re going to achieve everything else… just work at this one goal for now.

Do you believe again that your home business is totally attainable? Excellent!

4. Finally, Create a schedule to reach that one goal. Grab a calendar and realistically give yourself deadlines. For example:

July 27th — eBook outline and direction to be decided

August 3rd — Commission to be tendered for eBook author

August 17th — Deadline for eBook author to deliver end product

August 24th — My revisions to text to be completed and changes made

August 31st — eBook to be completed and ready for first sale

And that’s it! Now you have a plan in place, some deadlines to follow, and a fresh reminder of the rewards you could be reaping. Your motivation should be returning by the second!

Make a note of this process and run through it any time you feel your focus wandering to something else. And don’t beat yourself up over it if you do find you’re a bit lost. You aren’t the first person to find it hard to stay motivated, and you won’t be the last. Just don’t let it get in the way of your success

The #1 thing that separates “entrepreneurs” from “employees” is that entrepreneurs thrive on constantly challenging themselves to move forward. They work hard to stay on top of their industry, keeping tabs on the market, their customers, the search engines, new tricks, and old tried-and-true tactics…

…it’s a LOT of information!

Not only is it a lot to keep track of, it can be tough to sort out the good, valuable information from all the hype and wishful thinking.

People who are more interested in getting your money than they are in helping you make money are all over the Web… and some of them are awfully slick. They’ll tell you everything you want to hear, and it all sounds so good — up until you notice that nothing they suggest brings you sales or puts money in your pocket.

So we decided to put together a list of all of the resources that the Internet Marketing Center offers. You can count on our resources to give you accurate information that you want and need.

Free Resources:

• The Marketing Tips Report: Packed with the latest information and covers everything: From tips on how to write compelling salescopy to revealing the fastest and easiest way to start making money on the Internet. The archive is available to subscribers (subscription is free, although you will need to provide your name and email address). AND it goes all the way back to 1998! (We’ve been doing this “make money on the Internet” thing for a while now.)
• Bidding Frenzy, the eBay Tips Newsletter: Covers tons of eBay-specific information. It covers topics like how to apply Internet marketing principles to your eBay-based business, and keeps you up-to-date on the latest policy changes (and there are always new policy changes!). You can also learn practical information, like how to take the best photo of your product, and how to use video in your listings.
• Our comprehensive glossary: All industries have their own specialized vocabulary, or jargon, and online business is no different. Not entirely sure what “bandwidth” is? Or the “first fold?” The glossary is where to find out.
• Our YouTube channel: We regularly create and upload videos to YouTube. Some people find it easier to grasp certain concepts if they can hear them, or if they can watch them (we all learn differently, and we don’t want to leave anyone behind). Be sure to subscribe to the channel, so you know as soon as we post new videos! Just click the yellow “Subscribe” button above the video.
• This Blog: Our blog content is always fresh and relevant, and we do our best to address any questions and feedback we receive. We cover a wide range of topics, and get a lot of inspiration from the comments and questions that our readers leave. Puzzled about something? Try asking!
• Our Twitter stream: We tweet the latest thing we’ve discovered, ask questions, and even just shoot the breeze with our followers. Just want to drop by and say hi? Tweet us!

If you’d like more specific, in-depth information, you can get it from our paid resources:

• Internet Entrepreneur Club: A powerful online business-building resource center staffed by our team of helpful, experienced experts. Members get: Direct email access to our team of experts; access to the private members-only articles, recordings, and videos; monthly online tele-seminars; weekly Q & A calls; a monthly newsletter… there’s more, but this isn’t a sales pitch!
• Search Marketing Lab: Private members-only site where members get personal coaching from our search engine marketing specialists. Members get: Access to our search marketing experts; access to our members-only premium SEO library of instruction and articles; advanced videos on SEO, PPC, and link-building; and the Search Marketing Lab Report, a detailed monthly mailer with all the latest search strategies and major search engine updates.
• Secrets To Their Success: Monthly online newsletter in which entrepreneurs who are leaders in the field of online business unveil the tricks, techniques, and insights that made them successful. See real-life examples of solid business models and proven Internet marketing principles — as well as brilliant original tactics — and apply them to your own business.

So there you have it! The complete list of resources from a source you can trust. If you read something online and you’re not sure if it’s true or not… try cross-checking it against our information before you act on it.

If you have any questions about any of our offerings, please ask in the comments!

Indeed, more than half of all U.S. businesses are now run from kitchen tables, extra bedrooms, basements and garages. Home-based businesses make a $530 billion contribution to the nation’s economy each year.

And for many Americans, starting up at home has become a necessity. What appeared to be simply another economic downturn a year ago, when we compiled the first Home-Based 100, has devolved into a far more dire situation. Major economic giants, including Lehman Bros. (LEHMQ, news, msgs), American International Group (AIG, news, msgs) and General Motors (GM, news, msgs), have shown their vulnerability. As corporate titans lay people off by the thousands, many Americans are being forced to find new ways to make a living.

Their criteria? Inexpensive to start. Immediate results.

Click here to read the entire article!

Enjoy!

Derek Gehl

You can make money online by…

1. Selling and shipping products while someone else does all the work.
   In the Internet world, this is known as drop shipping. And it’s a great
   way to sell physical products without having to stock, ship, or fulfill
   orders. Instead, you hire a drop-shipping company to do that for you,
   so you can concentrate on marketing your website.

   The
   downside is that you have to pay a percentage of your profits to the
   drop-shipping company. But if you have your heart set on selling a
   physical product, or don’t have the time or money to develop your own,
   this is a good option.

2. Recommending products.
   When you become an affiliate for someone else’s company, you can start
   earning commissions very quickly just for referring visitors to their
   website. Again, there’s no need to stock products or fulfill orders.

   You will have to be prepared to do some pretty hefty promoting if you
   want to create a money-making business primarily as an affiliate. But
   it’s definitely the fastest way to start earning an Internet income.

3. Getting the right to sell other people’s products. A third way to make money online in record time without developing your
   own product is to buy the reprint or resell rights to someone else’s product.
   When you purchase the rights to an established product, you get (depending on
   the kind of rights you purchase) permission to sell someone else’s product for
   them and keep a percentage of the sale. Or the right to buy someone’s product
   outright and resell it, keeping the entire proceeds of the sale. And in the best-case
   scenario, you can even purchase the right to sell the purchasing rights to other
   people!

   You can find out how to get the rights for products like eBooks by
   approaching authors directly, or using a search engine to find out
   which rights would be best for you. This can be a very profitable way
   to make money online, but it does require an up-front investment.

These are all great ways to start your own money-making business
on the Net… and you can even mix and match them to create an even
bigger Internet income. Just keep in mind there are other Internet
profit models that will allow you to keep even more of your profits if
you’re willing to put in the time and effort.

Try out BeBiz – our easy website builder that guides you through each step of building a profitable website.

I’ve been feeling bad all day, because yesterday I may have broke a woman’s heart (don’t worry, Coralynn, it’s completely innocent!

You see, I was chatting to a woman while waiting for my car at the service center, when our conversation turned to business…

… and when she found out what I did for a living, she hit me with THE question (the one SO MANY people ask):

"I’d LOVE to make money on the Internet, but I really don’t want to waste any time on it…

What’s a FAST, EASY way to get online and making money – without doing any work?"

It’s my answer that broke her heart:

"There ISN’T one, and if you don’t want to do ANY work, then an online business isn’t for you!"

 I admit it… I was pretty blunt about it, but I just tired of people assuming that you can start an Internet business while sitting around watching television!

When I got back to the office, I began to regret being abrupt…

… and then I started thinking about the ways you actually CAN make money online quickly, without doing too much work (though you still have to be motivated, apply yourself, and spend a reasonable amount of time on it). (I need to say this again – you need to make sure whatever you sell has a market. That’s why a staple of my BeBiz business builder is the research tool.)

So here are THREE ideas for a FAST and EASY online business!

1. Have someone ELSE store and ship the products FOR you

One option for getting online and making profits FAST, is to sell products using a drop shipper.

Here’s how it works…

You choose a drop shipper who carries the kinds of products you want to sell on your site. Then, when you make a sale, you charge your customer, and send their shipping information to the drop shipper.

The drop shipper sends the product to your customer, then bills YOU for the order, at LESS than what you charged your customer. Your profit is the difference between what you charge the customer, and what the drop shipper charges you.

Drop shipping is one of the quickest and easiest ways I know to start selling online, because, with no stock to buy or store, there’s very little advanced setup required.

And there are other GOOD reasons to consider drop shipping:

• Affordability — There’s no product to develop, so no costs involved there, and because there’s no stock to buy, there are also NO storage costs.
• Flexibility — You can sell products you otherwise wouldn’t be able to stock yourself.
• Better customer service — Your buyers are still your customers, and you remain their point of contact.
  

Really, the only time-consuming part of setting up a drop shipping business is actually finding a good drop shipper where you can get the kind of products you’re looking for, at a price you can profit from.

Here are some resources I recommend to get you started:

• Worldwide Brands: www.marketingtips.com/worldwidebrands
  
• Doba: www.marketingtips.com/doba

There are also many companies online that provide extensive listings of drop shippers, like Aid and Trade (www.aidandtrade.com), and The Thomas Register (www.thomasregister.com)

2. Earn commissions recommending other people’s products

Recommending other people’s products is another great way to get started online quickly and easily.

As an affiliate, you promote another company’s product or service on your website (or to your opt-in list using email marketing), and for every paying customer you refer to the company’s site to purchase, you get paid a percentage of the profits in commission!

And the BEST part is that once you’ve done the research to find a solid market, it only takes SECONDS to set up an affiliate relationship, and start earning commissions!

Other reasons to consider starting an affiliate site?

• It runs itself — Once you’ve completed the setup, you can automate the entire process, so you can earn commissions day and night, year round!
• You can earn MULTIPLE commissions — Because there’s no customer service or payment processing required, you can get away with spending very little time working on the site, so you can easily set up MANY affiliate sites to MULTIPY your earnings.
• As with drop shipping, you have to do your research and find a good program (or programs) relevant to your business.

There are a number of web-based resources for locating affiliate programs. The best include:

• www.associateprograms.com
• www.refer-it.com
• www.affiliatematch.com
• www.cj.com (Commission Junction)

Of course the more traffic you send, the more money you make, so you do need to put some work into creating a site that gets lots of visitors.

3. Join the world’s LARGEST online marketplace

If you REALLY want it FAST and EASY, there’s no better way I know of to start making money online (potentially thousands of dollars each month), than to start your own eBay business!

$2,000 worth of merchandise changes hands on eBay every SECOND, so you’ve got a built-in market just waiting to buy what you’re selling! This is actually my FAVORITE way to start making money online as quickly as possible, because, unlike drop shipping and affiliate programs…

… you don’t even need a website to start making BIG profits!

There are other reasons to consider eBay if you’re looking to start making money right away:

• No start-up money required — You can easily create an account with eBay, get your first listing up, and start making serious profits, for just a few dollars
• No business experience necessary – You don’t need to know ANYTHING about running a business to get started on eBay, so it’s perfect for people who are just beginning to work for themselves
• You don’t need to be computer savvy — If you know how to check your email, you have all the computer skills you NEED to start making profits on eBay!

ANYONE can start making money quickly and easily on eBay…

… but to make really BIG money, it helps if you understand the more advanced strategies (the ones that very few other "eBayers" actually even know about).

I’ve been working with my in-house team of elite eBay mentors to develop a three-step system that anyone can follow to start making money on eBay…

… and I’ve put them into an online video training series that you can watch FOR FREE!

In the videos, I’ll show you how to AVOID the number one profit-killing mistake that nearly every new eBayer makes… my secret three-step formula for determining if ANY product will be a HOT seller… and review how to use eBay’s new rules to outsell even your TOUGHEST competitors!

You can get instant access to the FREE videos right here.

To your success,

Derek Gehl