Day 2 -- Find and Develop Your Best Site Concept
SBI! Modules Used Today -- Brainstorm It!
Your DAY 2 goal is to find your best Site Concept.
"Read" and "watch."
Click here to access the Action Guide Videos!
Today's Action Steps
The rest of your business rides on your choice of Site Concept.
So let's do it right.
Here is how you will get to your Best Site Concept...
1) Create a list of potential Site Concepts and choose your top 3.
- Everyone Knows Something About Something
- Three Site Concepts? Why Three?
- Do Some Quick Research Before Brainstorm It!
2) Use Brainstorm It! to research Site Concept(s). Brainstorm keywords for each of your top 3 Site Concepts (gets Profitability automatically).
"Value Demand" is a combination of how often people search for a particular keyword and how monetizable or commercial that keyword is. The best words (i.e., the highest Value Demand) have a high search volume AND are highly commercial.
This measure of Demand is called "Value Demand" because it both provides a better estimate of Demand AND includes a reflection of how important the Demand for each keyword is, in terms of its commercial potential. More on this below.
"Real Supply" is a score for a keyword that indicates how competitive that keyword is, compared to the others in your Master Keyword List. It provides a rough idea of how difficult it will be to rank in the Top 10 at the engines.
The higher the Real Supply, the more competitive the situation. This measure of Supply is called "Real" because it provides a true evaluation of competition for each keyword. More on this below.
The "Profitability" of each keyword is its Value Demand divided by its Real Supply. The ideal keyword has HIGH Value Demand and LOW Real Supply. The more keywords (for a given Site Concept) that have higher Value Demand and lower Real Supply (and therefore higher Profitability), the better is the "overall Profitability" of that Site Concept.
IMPORTANT: This is not an absolute, just an indication. USE YOUR HUMAN JUDGEMENT TO MAKE THE FINAL DECISION -- DO NOT BECOME NUMBER-BOUND.
3) Evaluate the following factors for each Site Concept...
- Number of Keywords
- Profitability
- Knowledge
- Passion
- Theme "Sexiness"
- Monetization Potential
4) Use Niche Choose It! to find the best Site Concept for you.
Ready?
Here we go. The "going" is about to get a bit heavier. That's normal. You are building a business here, a real business. And there are two fundamental laws that the Web does not suspend...
- The Law of Gravity: Things still fall to the ground.
- The Law of Business: It still takes work to build a real business with real equity. The good news is that SBI! does eliminate all the technology, accelerating your pace and allowing you to focus only on your business.
Proceed steadily step-by-step. Take your time. Remember, a "DAY" is just a metaphor in SBI!. You completed DAY 1 in mere minutes. DAY 2 may take days, even weeks. So don't worry if your head spins at first.
If you ever feel overwhelmed, that comes from wanting to do it all immediately. It takes energy and time to pick "just the right niche." Making the right decision will be worth every minute you invest during DAY 2.
Proceed with patience and perseverance. There is a reason that the tortoise is the SBI! mascot.
"Tortoise It!... and your business will indeed "resist gravity" and soar.
So SBI! does help with both laws after all.
What Is a Site Concept?
Dictionary.com defines a niche as... 1) A situation or activity specially suited to a person's interests, abilities, or nature: ex., "found her niche in life." 2) A special area of demand for a product or service: ex., "niche magazines."
It is the central theme, the niche, upon which you will base all of your site's Content (hence the term "Theme-Based Content Site"). Every page that you write will be about a topic that is related to your Site Concept. Each one of those topical pages focuses on a Specific Keyword, which is why we also call these pages "Keyword-Focused Content Pages ("KFCPs").
Not Clear on What a "Keyword" Is?
Last chance... Click here to review a Keywords Primer.
In DAY 3, you will complete the brainstorm-and-research process of the Site Concept that you choose today. But first, today, let's find your Site Concept... your theme... your niche that you CAN master.
There is plenty of room for more than one Web site in any niche. Don't worry when you find competitors. You have a huge advantage, thanks to SBI! -- remember that 99% of small business sites fail, even the most gorgeous ones that cost $20,000 to build! So...
Tortoise It! You will pass them all.
SBI! ensures that you will do it well. You focus on business, while SBI! takes care of all the technical and tedious headaches. It shows you how to position and write your Site Concept so that you "own your space." Think you can't write? SBI! even shows you how to write to PREsell... with originality and flair, in your own voice.
Not sure that you can write? If you have any doubts at all about whether you can write Content that others will value, SBI! will show you exactly how to do that. The best time to work on your writing skills is during a later DAY, during which we'll cover...
- how to write to COMMUNICATE.
- how to develop your own "voice" with flair and substance.
- how to spin your site/biz/SELF into a unique position.
- how to HONESTLY convince people to trust and like you.
The right time to cover this is just before you actually start to write your site. But, if you want to take a day off now and learn how to "write to PREsell," branch off here.
How to Recognize Your Best Site Concept
A great "Site Concept" must...
- be in demand. A reasonable number of people must be searching for information about your theme. If your theme is too narrow (ex., an unknown off-island-off-an-off-island in the Caribbean), there is not enough demand for you to monetize, even if your entire (too tiny) market finds you!
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not be too broad. If your Site Concept is too broad, the competition will be severe. The number of competing Web pages (the "Real Supply") is just too great, especially since broad themes usually have major competitors. For example, it is impossible to "own" the theme of "travel." Leave those super-broad themes to companies like expedia.com. Even the Site Concept of "Caribbean" is highly competitive. If you have 60 hours per week and are ready to work for a year, you might succeed. But creating a site about one of the islands is your best opportunity...
- You most likely know a lot about one island. And that goes for "islands of knowledge," not just geographic islands!
- The competition will be less intense. So it will be easier for your well-written content pages to rank highly with the free Search Engines.
- Those who find you will be highly targeted. They will be much more interested in your Content. It is far easier to PREsell those searching for topics ("keywords") related to narrow themes than broad ones.
- excite you. Choose something that you know and love (or that you are willing to find out more about). If you do that, writing lots of information-packed content pages becomes an easy pleasure instead of work. Think "passion" and "knowledge" -- if you have it, it will shine in your content.
- deliver high ROI potential. It must offer excellent options for monetizing traffic to your site. This ensures the ROI (Return On Investment) you want. Make every visitor to your site a possible income-generator.
Monetization is the conversion of traffic into money. Think of 1,000 people visiting your Web site. Your goal is to convert as many as possible of them into income. The best way to do that is to develop several "monetization models" (ways to monetize).
Why? Because not all of them will be interested in your primary offering. Others will click on Google AdSense ads, some will be interested in a product for which you are an affiliate, and so forth. To maximize monetization, maximize the number of visitors who convert into some form of income. More on this below and in DAY 4.
You may not yet be sure of how you will monetize your SBI! site. Don't worry -- by the time you finish DAYs 2-4 (especially DAY 4), you will have a good monetization plan.
On the other hand, you may already know your primary monetization model (ex., selling your own product or professional service, or boosting an existing online or offline business). If so, your DAY 2 goal is to define and refine...
After all, your theme will be related to your product or service. So use today to find the most profitable aspect of it, the best way to position your offering. While doing that, do not put "$ blinders" on -- keep your eyes open for extra ways to monetize.
Merely understand the above factors for now. When the time comes (at the end of this DAY), SBI! provides you with a foolproof tool (Niche Choose It!) to gather and evaluate all these factors and then find the best Site Concept for you.
Bottom line on choosing your Site Concept?...
It takes just as much time to build a low-potential business as a high-potential one. So invest the time now, get the Site Concept right, and you will maximize your returns later, earning far more income per hour invested down the road.
The Plan... How to Develop Your Best Site Concept
Most people fail in any business because they don't plan adequately. If you pick the wrong concept for your site, if you develop the wrong topics for your Web pages... you'll get the wrong results...
No traffic = No income.
This will not be your fate. Let's get to work on your Best Site Concept Plan...
Step 1 - Create a list of potential Site Concepts and choose your top 3.
Write down ideas for good "Site Concepts" as they hit you -- make your list as long as you can. What do you know and love? What have you learned "on the job?" As you read the daily newspaper, or watch a talk show on TV, or chat with friends/colleagues, or browse a book store, keep your antennae up for new ideas.
Think... you may know so much about something that you overlook it.
For example, one SBIer once wrote to SiteSell Support to say that she knew very little about anything and had so little time because she spent most of each day taking care of her two bed-ridden, elderly parents!
Taking care of her aged parents!
Bingo!
Everyone Knows Something About Something
What's under your nose?
More on Getting Ideas for Your Niche
Stuck for good ideas for niches? Here's an excellent idea-boosting article from the Tips 'n Techniques HQ.
And this forum is an excellent spot for help by other SBIers...
As a "newbie," you might feel a little intimidated, worried about asking a "stupid" question. Relax... there's no such thing as a stupid question if you're stuck. And super-helpful/friendly "veterans" have seen it all and love to help.
So don't be shy. Ask. At first you'll be asking for help. Later, pay it forward... help and be helped. Put more into the forums than what you take out.
That is what makes it the incredibly useful place it is.
The SBI! Forums are a must for any serious SBIer. If you have not yet checked into THE Place For Friendly, Success-Focused Discussion, do it now.
It's a great place for SBIers to help and be helped, to compare notes, trade ideas and strategies, and the list goes on and on. It's an all-star community ready to welcome your participation.
Get a quick overview of the Forums by watching this Supplemental video...
http://demo.sitesell.com/#SUPPLEMENTALS
And then log in with your username and password (found in your "Get Ready For SBI!" e-mail that you received after your order)...
Read "Welcome From Ken Evoy" for an important, brief orientation. Then click around and explore. Jump into a discussion or ask a new question. The SBI! Forums are all about... Helping and being helped. Together, all SBIers move farther and farther ahead, faster and faster.
The best way to stay up to date with the Forums? Simply subscribe to the RSS feeds -- here's how.
Three Site Concepts? Why Three?
What if you only have one idea for a niche? Well, you won't have anything to compare against. In general, it's best to develop a "top 3" and then use Brainstorm It! and Niche Choose It! to compare and pick the best.
Only Know and Love One General Area?
Is there only one subject that really turns you on? For example...
Are you a jazz lover? Great! Develop 3 jazz-related Site Concepts for keyword research and evaluation...
"Jazz Canada?" "Jazz Festivals?" "Jazz Guitarists?"
There's more than one way to skin the jazz cat. And if you were to skin that cat using Brainstorm It!, you would find that one has great potential, one's a loser, and one is in-between.
Which would you rather build a business upon?
Developing ideas for your best three Site Concepts is important, so take your time doing this. Remember... the final concept will be your business foundation.
"Final" Is Not So Final
Don't let me scare you when I tell you how important your "final" decision is. It is, of course, important to try to make your best choice now, during DAY 2.
But you have lots of time during the deeper brainstorming of DAY 3 and the development and assessment of monetization options during DAY 4, to change your mind. So don't be afraid to make the decision and go with it.
OK, let's go... Pick the three areas that you love the most and that you think would appeal to others. After all, if no one is interested in your niche, you won't get much traffic. Without traffic, you might as well not have a Web site. You'd be invisible (just like 99.9% of non-SBI! sites)!
Already Have a Business? Refine It to the Best Site Concept.
If you have an established business, you already know the general theme/concept of your site. Now you need to determine the most profitable way to approach your concept. Just like the jazz example above, you can "spin" any theme in many directions...
- reflect what "solution" your business provides, or...
- target a particular segment of your market, or...
- deliver a specific angle, etc.
It's all about how you choose to spin it. Jot down some different Site Concepts related to your business.
And if your business is local in nature, see this TNT HQ article. Follow its advice and dominate your area!
Choose concepts that are not too broad in nature (ex., "travel" is too competitive). But don't make your niche too narrow (ex., that unknown off-off-island in the Caribbean) -- not enough people search for "too-narrow" niches.
The Goldilocks "just-right" niche is narrow enough for you to ultimately "master," but is also wide enough that there is enough DEMAND (i.e., enough people doing searches at the engines) for you to build significant traffic. Choose on the basis of "your gut and brain"...
- If you love the subject matter, others likely do, too. Good themes that are "just right" have an audience that identifies with the subject matter.
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If you know an area, you already have a pretty good idea of what might be "too broad" or "too narrow."
Use Common Sense
What is "too broad?" It's any idea where the market is too big. For example, "travel" was an extreme example. "Italy" is too broad. Choose "Sicily" instead (if you know it.) And "New York" is too broad. Instead, try "Tribeca"... or go with "New York Pizzas" instead (if you love them!).
"Too narrow" is the opposite. There just aren't enough people interested in Caltanissetta, a city in Sicily. That's too narrow. Sicily is "just right."
"But how do I know whether it's too narrow or too broad if I'm just starting out?"
Good question! Use your common sense and knowledge of each niche, of course. And there is one good technique that helps, too!
Let's show you how to get your niche Goldilocks right...
Do Some Quick Research Before Brainstorm It!
Here are some common scenarios that deserve some "quick and dirty," pre-Brainstorm It! research...
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"Help! How do I know if it's TOO NARROW or TOO BROAD?"
Free keyword research tools enable you to quickly "measure" how broad/narrow your potential Site Concepts are. Use these to quickly check and refine a Site Concept idea to just the right level.
Unsure about how narrow/broad your idea is?...
Highly Recommended! Here's how to quickly reach "just right."
Important Caveat
Do not take numbers too seriously. Your human brain must rule!
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Do You Have a Zillion Ideas?
Too many ideas flying around in your head? In love with them all? Can't narrow your list to 3 Site Concepts? Once again...
Highly Recommended! Here's how to assess tons of ideas, fast. Race through all your ideas and narrow down to the most promising 3.
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Is AdSense Income Going to Be Important for You?
Use the free Google AdWords Keyword Tool (together with SBI!'s Real Supply) to fully explore the keyword scope and monetary side of your possible Site Concepts before using Brainstorm It!. Here's how.
How important is this tool if you plan to make AdSense an important part of your monetization plan? Important! There's even a video explanation on how to use it (find it under DAY 2).
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Still Stuck for Good Ideas for 3 Site Concepts?
You've read this idea-boosting article and you're still stuck for good ideas?
Google's keyword tool rides to your rescue again. Here's how. (This link takes you to the relevant spot on the help page for how to use Google's tool. Read it and then scroll to the top if this is your first time using it.)
And Search It! has a few "tricks" to stimulate new ideas, too. Here's how.
Important Recommendation
For best brainstorming performance, we recommend the Firefox browser for PCs and Macs. Click here for details about this free download.
All set with your 3 best Site Concepts? It's time to...
Step 2 - Use Brainstorm It! to research Site Concept(s)
Yes, it's time for Brainstorm It! ("BI!").
In this Step, you will brainstorm keywords for each of your three top Site Concepts. This will simultaneously get the...
-
Value Demand data for all related keywords (click for more info about Value Demand),
and the - Real Supply data for all keywords (click for more info about Real Supply)
Profitability is calculated automatically (Value Demand divided by Real Supply).
In the next Step, you will evaluate the following factors for each Site Concept...
- Number of Keywords
- Overall Profitability
- Knowledge
- Passion
- Theme "Sexiness"
- Monetization Potential
The "Profitability" of each keyword is its Value Demand divided by its Real Supply. The ideal keyword has high Value Demand and low Real Supply. The more keywords that have higher Value Demand, lower Real Supply and higher Profitability (Value Demand/Real Supply ratio), the better is the "overall Profitability" of a Site Concept.
IMPORTANT: This is not an absolute, just an indication. USE YOUR HUMAN JUDGEMENT TO MAKE THE FINAL DECISION -- DO NOT BECOME NUMBER-BOUND.
You will then be ready to advance to the final major step of the DAY, using Niche Choose It! to weigh these factors and choose the best Site Concept for you.
One tiny detail. We use the terms "Value Demand" and "Real Supply" to emphasize the unique importance and precision of these numbers...
But you'll see me using the terms "Demand" and "Supply," too, since saying "Value" and "Real" all the time gets rather tiring!
Brainstorm Keywords for Your First Site Concept
Brainstorm It! is the best keyword brainstorming and researching tool in the world, loaded with dynamic, robust resources. It's composed of two major sections...
- Brainstormer (where you do the actual brainstorming)
- Master Keyword List (where you do further research, and analysis).
Time to use the Brainstormer! Go to the following URL...
http://brainstorm.sitesell.com/
Log in with your username and password (provided in your "Get Ready for Site Build It!" e-mail).
If you arrived here via a link from Brainstorm It! and now you don't see its Web page, it is likely tucked "underneath" this Action Guide page.
Brainstormer offers a variety of powerful brainstorming resources. Each resource (also called a "query") always starts with the same 2 STEPS...
STEP 1 Select a Brainstormer Function.
STEP 2 Select a Brainstormer Resource.
After you select Steps 1 and 2, click on the small blue Click Here for Information AFTER Completing Steps 1 & 2 link to learn more about each particular resource. You will also receive important STEP 3 instructions on what to do next. (Do this the first time you try every new query at Brainstormer.)
That's all there is to it. Now let's "walk through" your first brainstorming process, step by step, for the Site Concept of "Anguilla" (a Caribbean island).
After you have the "big picture," you'll start researching keywords yourself, using the Brainstormer tool (which sits underneath this page if you clicked to this Action Guide page from there).
STEP 1) Select Vertical Brainstorm.
Vertical Brainstorming generates keywords that contain the Brainstorm Seed Word (ex., if you enter "anguilla," all brainstormed words will contain "anguilla" in them).
Lateral Brainstorming generates keywords that are related to the Brainstorm Seed Word but do not contain it (ex., if you enter "anguilla," an example of a lateralized word is "caribbean").
STEP 2) Select "Singular OR Plural" or "Singular AND Plural."
Vertical brainstorming is the most important of all the brainstorm options. Brainstorm It! offers two versions of vertical brainstorming. Click on the small blue Click Here for Information AFTER Completing Steps 1 & 2 link in Brainstormer to understand the difference between "Singular OR Plural" and "Singular AND Plural."
Vertical brainstorming queries SiteSell's database of 60+ million unique keywords, bringing back Value Demand and Real Supply at the same time. It combines that data with data from Wordtracker) to deliver the best vertical-brainstormed set of keywords in the world.
Wordtracker is a third party service that maintains a database of 300+ million searches from major Meta Search Engines such as DogPile. We have incorporated their technology into the Brainstormer.
Wordtracker is a third-party service, that normally costs as much per year as all of SBI!. However, through a special arrangement with Wordtracker, SBI! starts you with 25 free Wordtracker queries. This is normally more than enough to fully brainstorm, choose and fully research your Site Concept.
Later on, if necessary or if you want to research possible future SBI! sites, you can purchase additional packages of 100 ($20) and 500 ($50) queries. All Vertical Brainstorm queries in the Step 2: Select Resource drop-down menu have the "Wordtracker Balance" ("WTB") after it. For example...
In the screenshot above, "Singular Or Plural (WTB 24)" means you have 24 Wordtracker queries remaining in your Wordtracker Balance. When the Balance hits zero, and you select one of the Vertical queries from the drop-down, you receive a message asking if you want to order a Wordtracker Query Package of either 100 ($20) or 500 ($50) queries.
(NOTE: The additional charge for ongoing use of Wordtracker is necessary because we pay Wordtracker for this private service, including the 25 free credits for you.)
Vertical brainstorming is your most important way to elaborate and evaluate your niche. So do not "skimp" to save a dime here and there.
Use it -- the pennies it costs will be returned a thousand-fold.
OK, back to Brainstormer and its Step 2. Here's where you're at...
PLEASE NOTE:
SBI! refers to a Brainstorm It! 2-step combination of Function and Resource (or "query") in the following format...
Function (STEP 1) > Resource (STEP 2)
The above query is, therefore...
Vertical Brainstorm > Singular OR Plural
Another example...
Lateral Brainstorm > Google Top 200
This refers to the "Google Top 200" query (or "resource") within the "Lateral Brainstorm" function (which you will do in DAY 3).
You'll have lots of time later to click on all the online help for Brainstormer and to try all of BI!'s modules. For now, let's keep moving forward!
As soon as you make your STEP 2 selection, STEP 3 appears immediately below STEP 2. Before doing STEP 3, click on the Click Here for Information AFTER Completing Steps 1 & 2 link...
You will receive more information about this Vertical query. You will also receive important STEP 3 instructions on what to do next.
Remember... this page is an Action Guide page. It is NOT the Brainstormer tool. When this page refers to "the Click Here for Information AFTER Completing Steps 1 & 2 link," it's referring to the link on the tool. And you are not looking at the tool (above and below), just screenshots of it.
Once you have read the remaining instructions for this brainstorming process, close or minimize this window to get to the Brainstormer tool itself. It's underneath this page if you clicked to this Action Guide page from there.
STEP 3) Enter your first Site Concept keyword ("anguilla" - without the quotes - in the screenshot below) and click on the Brainstorm It! button...
After any Brainstormer query, you end up at the Master Keyword List ("MKL")...
Congratulations! You have made outstanding progress. You now have a Master Keyword List, an excellent list of keywords, all related (vertically) to the Site Concept Keyword that you entered (the first of three), and complete with Value Demand, Real Supply, and Profitability data for each keyword.
The MKL is the "analytical half" of Brainstorm It!. It is where you search, manipulate, analyze and delete the keywords generated and researched by the creative half, Brainstormer. Time to get started on this...
STEP 4) In the Master Keyword List ("MKL"), review and analyze the keywords. Focus on Demand first. Sort the list by Value Demand by clicking on the Value Demand link, like this... 
IMPORTANT TIP Take the time to read the online help. Click on every question mark 
so you learn to search and sort and really get the most out of MKL. The online help explains all of MKL's functionality and covers the fine points of interpreting the data.
Sorting by Value Demand puts the keyword with the best (highest) Demand to the top, making it easy to consider the keywords according to Demand...
Are there a lot of intriguing keywords related to your Site Concept? Do they have decent Demand? Scroll down and review the entire list.
COMMON QUESTION... WHAT'S GOOD?
When you're just starting with SBI!, how do you know what a good Demand number is? What's bad?
Good questions! First, two key points...
- You must ultimately use your human judgment and not make decisions purely based on "the numbers." And...
- Remember, right now we are only looking at the Demand side of the Profitability picture -- we'll cover Supply in a few moments.
OK, now for some general guidelines...
The keyword for your Site Concept itself should normally have a Value Demand of greater than 2,000, preferably over 3,000. If it's a new and growing area, accept a lower number, sometimes substantially lower (depending on your passion and estimate of future potential).
You should also have two or more other keywords that are near or over 1,000, and 10 or more in the hundreds (lower these thresholds, too, if this is a new or growing area).
If your Site Concept Keyword has borderline Demand and if you only have a few other words in the hundreds, its audience may not be big enough to sustain a business. If the brainstorm only brings back 25 keywords or so, you may not have enough "meat" to build a site of substance.
Of course, there are exceptions to these guidelines. Here are some examples, but they are really intended to illustrate the fact that you must decide based on your own circumstances and monetization plans...
Example 1) Monetization If a keyword is highly related to your primary monetization plan and if each "sale" is high-income/profit, accept lower numbers.
"Scottsdale Arizona real estate" may have a very low Value Demand and only 20 more keywords. But that's good enough to take to DAY 3 if "Scottsdale Arizona real estate" is your business. After all...
- you will generate more related keywords during DAY 3
- a single client is worth tens of thousands of dollars, and
- Real Supply is low, making this an easy niche to "own."
Example 2) Low Real Supply In general, low Real Supply is one more circumstance where you could be very happy to accept "borderline" Demand. So analyze the Supply data, too, before deciding (more on this below).
Example 3) Product or Service You want to sell a product or service online and have not been able to generate any profitable Site Concepts related to the theme of your product or service? There is always a profitable niche -- you just have to find it!
Look at the benefits of what you want to sell instead of the product itself. Look at different aspects of the theme. There is always a way to spin a theme, to twist the subject matter, to broaden or adjust, so that it is in demand. Carve out your own niche!
Example 4) Broaden Your Niche Local business seems too narrow? "Early stage" niche has potential? Determined about a certain niche and want to broaden it a bit? Read the appropriate articles in the Niche section of the TNT HQ.
To consider if a Site Concept is too broad, let's switch to Real Supply...
Generally a Real Supply of more than 200,000 (for your Site Concept Keyword) should make you wonder if you have the time and resources to "win" this niche. It can be done, but...
The higher the Real Supply, the stiffer the competition.
A nice "sweet spot" area is Real Supply less than 80,000. The lower, the better, especially if it's combined with many high Demand keywords. Higher than 80,000 is certainy do-able, and is especially worth the effort if good Demand is plentiful.
Suppose you are really determined to build on a Site Concept, but it's just too broad? Here's a good way to narrow down and stay within your niche...
Find an interesting keyword in your MKL that's related to your original Site Concept. It will usually be a "smaller part" of it. And then... do a Vertical Brainstorm on it! For example, if "debt" was just too broad (and it is), try "debt consolidation."
There are lots of tricks for narrowing down, including jumping ahead to DAY 3 and doing a Lateral Brainstorm on your Site Concept. You just may find a new, related niche amongst the keywords that come back. For example...
If your Site Concept had been "Caribbean" (too broad), a Lateral Brainstorm would find a keyword like "Anguilla" (or "BVI", etc.). Pick one that strikes you as a good Site Concept and start the process over, doing a Vertical Brainstorm on Anguilla, BVI or whatever you choose!
Having niche troubles? Just can't find one? Can't decide? Too narrow? Too broad?
These articles on finding the "just right Goldilocks" niche will help.
There's even a Niche-Choosing Video to help you if you can't seem to get past this potential Hurdle. Not everyone will need this Video, but it's here for you if you need some additional advice and encouragement. Click here to view the Niche-Choosing Video.
Do you prefer to download the video? Go to the Supplemental Videos section of the Video Action Guide for downloading instructions.
Take a few minutes and review your list of keywords again, this time studying Real Supply and then Profitability. Start deleting...
STEP 5) Prune down to 300 keywords or less.
Depending on your Site Concept, you could have up to 1,000 keywords in your MKL. Take some time now to go through the list, pruning out words that...
- are nonsense
- are not relevant to your Site Concept, or to your interests
- have very low Value Demand.
Why 300?
Pruning your list down to 300 or so keywords leaves you room to do research for your other two Site Concepts, as the MKL has a limit of 1,000 keywords.
To remove a keyword, click on the checkbox to the left of the word. When you've gone through your entire list, click on Delete Checked to delete the words you want to prune (see online help for details and screenshots, etc.)
IMPORTANT TIP Prune after every brainstorm. You won't want to. None of us like to do housekeeping. But a neat, tight list of high-potential and relevant words makes it easy to see your future site and where the money lies. So...
Take out the garbage!
Stay focused on your DAY 2 task, which is to identify your best Site Concept. Polish your first "candidate" before adding your second Site Concept Keyword. Sort and search and delete your way through Demand, Supply, and Profitability of all the keywords in the list. Polish until it shines and you really know the future topics of your potential future site. Then ask yourself one question...
"How much potential is there here to build a business?"
Once you have a good feel for the answer to that question...
"What Do I Do Next?" Easy!
STEP 6) Click back to Brainstormer. Repeat the Vertical Brainstorm process (either "Singular OR Plural" or "Singular AND Plural") for your second Site Concept Keyword. (Click here to go back up and review that process.)
Review the MKL for that Site Concept, pruning keywords down to 300.
And then repeat for your third and final potential Site Concept.
So far, so good! You now have a polished Master Keyword List for all three Site Concept keywords.
Now it's time to...
Step 3 - Evaluate the Key Factors for Each Site Concept
You're ready to compare the potential of your Site Concepts. Switch from the MKL of one possible Site Concept keyword to another by selecting from the Brainstorm Seed Word Menu, as shown below. This drop-down menu will list the three Brainstorm Seed Words, one for each Site Concept, that you used for your Vertical Brainstorm queries.
This screenshot shows an SBIer switching from an "anguilla" MKL to an "antigua" MKL. Switch back and forth to compare all three. Her third Site Concept was "Caribbean," a broader Site Concept.
Switch from one Site Concept to the next, to the next. Compare the number of keywords in each, and their Demand, Supply, and Profitability. Two MKL functions are especially useful here... Sort and Search.
Review the Value Demand, Real Supply and Profitability data for each keyword.
The more keywords (for a given Site Concept) that have higher Value Demand and lower Real Supply, the better is the "overall Profitability" of that Site Concept. But remember, neither computers nor numbers can think. They are merely indications for you to judge.
How do you decide which Site Concept is best? There is no magic formula, but there are guidelines to help you make your final decision. Before going any further, though...
A CAVEAT ABOUT PROFITABILITY
The "Profitability" of each keyword is its Value Demand divided by its Real Supply. It can sometimes be misleading (ex., Profitability that is high due to an extremely low Supply is not as valuable as an equal Profitability due to an extremely high Demand). So do not be misled by flukey-type words with near-zero Supply resulting in high Profitability.
The ideal scenario is to identify lots of keywords with "High Demand" (i.e., many people are searching for information on monetizable topics) and "Low Supply" (i.e., not much competition for that topic).
But even "overall site Profitability" is only one guideline to use when choosing the best Site Concept. Do not become profit-number-bound. Read this article about judging profitability.
You must use your human brain to judge the data that computers are blindly providing you. If you're unsure, ask for guidance at this forum...
Interpreting Keyword Supply & Demand Profitability
And don't forget... help and be helped. Pay it forward at the forums -- help someone else in return.
So what are the key factors and their guidelines?
#1) Number of Keywords
A Site Concept that delivers more keywords is better. It offers the ability to create more Content. So, everything else being equal, choose the Site Concept with 300 pruned keywords over the one for which only 100 "made your cut."
#2) Overall Profitability
The more keywords that have higher Demand, lower Supply and higher Profitability (Value Demand/Real Supply ratio), the better. Again, this is not an absolute, just an indication. Use your judgment.
Compare the overall Profitability of one Site Concept to another. How many solidly profitable keywords does each have? (Remember... the Profitability numbers are useful, but use your judgment to make the final decisions.)
Review the "not too narrow" guidelines above.
If it's a new and growing area, accept lower thresholds, sometimes substantially lower (depending on your passion and estimate of future potential). And if Supply is generally much lower for one Site Concept, accept lower Demand, too. But not too low...
For example, you may have 50 Keywords with super-high Profitability. But if they are all high because Supply is near-zero, then Demand might be quite low overall. That means that you'll have many Top 10 Search Engine rankings... but there may not be enough of a market to drive your business.
On the other hand, if your MKL is overloaded with high-Supply keywords, (ex., Site Concept has Supply over 200,000 and lots of others in the 100-200,000 range), your Site Concept may be too competitive. Consider narrowing it down, using one of the keywords in the 100,000 range as a Site Concept.
Review the "not too broad" guidelines above.
You need a nice mix of high-Demand words, even if they have fairly high Supply, a few gems (medium Demand, low Supply) and many interesting "narrow niche" words (low Demand and low Supply).
Those "narrow niche" words usually provide the opportunity to deliver great content. And they will be the first words with Top 10 rankings at the engines (unless you get lucky!). They "prime the traffic pump."
As you can see, there is no way to reduce keywords to a magic formula. Numbers are good guidelines -- they are not the "be-all, end-all." Human judgement, knowledge of your subject matter, and gut feeling rule.
PROFITABILITY NOT "BY THE NUMBERS"
Puzzled? Looking for a formula to determine your best concept? It's impossible to give a set formula, as much as we'd all love to have one.
Instead, use the general numerical guidelines above, and then...
You have to look at the interplay of the number of keywords, along with their Demand, Supply and Profitability, along with your own goals and time commitment, etc., etc.
Whenever you're puzzled, ask for help in the SBI! forums from SBIers who have been there before you...
Interpreting Keyword Supply & Demand Profitability
Don't forget... help and be helped. Pay it forward at the forums -- help someone else in return.
What else is important when picking your best Site Concept?
#3) Knowledge
Think about each keyword as the topic for a future Web page (that is what it will become). Do you already know what you could write for those words? Obviously, lean towards the Site Concept that you know the best.
#4) Passion
Just as important... which Site Concept excites you the most? Choose a less profitable Site Concept if the thought of building a site about it excites you much more! It will be fun to create interesting Web pages about the subject area and to do the necessary research to stay current. It's not work if it's fun.
#5) Theme "Sexiness"
It's not just your excitement that counts. Some Site Concepts are more apt to excite visitors. Trust your gut feel about which would excite visitors the most . It's easy to PREsell your way to a strong "Brand Of One" with a fun, exciting theme.
As you review keywords and their data, ideas for Content or Monetization will hit you.
Type them into the Content or Monetize Notepads for the appropriate keywords.
Capture those ideas while they are fresh!
NOTE: We'll cover the Site Info Notepad during DAY 4. Ignore it for now.
Look for a Site Concept that offers the potential for you to build multiple streams of income. C 
T P is useless if there is no M potential!
You must be able to Monetize your PREsold traffic. And the more ways to do that, the merrier. How many of the following could you (eventually) implement on each Site Concept, and with what kind of financial potential?...
- Represent the products/services of related, non-competing online businesses (i.e., affiliate income).
- Partner with an offline business, sending them customers, on a pay-per-click, per-lead, per-sale, or per-month basis (ex., send visitors to a real estate agent in Anguilla).
- Sell your hard good or e-book.
-
Earn income by placing advertising on your site, such as Google AdSense, or by selling advertising directly. (Guess what? As your site grows, advertisers will approach you!)
If you have not used the Google AdWords Keyword Tool yet, it's highly recommended if AdSense is important to you. Click here to go up to where it was discussed.
- Sell your services (ex., develop clients for your copywriting or java-programming business).
- Supplement/build your local offline business.
- Attract more bidders for your eBay auctions.
- Build warm leads for your Network Marketing ("MLM") venture.
- Rent -- anything from heavy equipment to extras for movies to your own Anguilla villa.
- Traffic -- send traffic to your own e-commerce business (ex., your Yahoo! store or e-commerce site).
- Become an SBI! professional and build successful sites for others.
- Tell your own SBI! story and earn SiteSell affiliate income!
You will cover these and other monetization models in more detail in DAY 4. Right now, consider the big picture. Be sure your "best Site Concept" has some excellent Monetization potential.
OK, we're almost there! You are ready for the "Grand Finale!" Yes...
Step 4 - Use Niche Choose It! to find the best Site Concept for you.
OK, It's Decision-Making Time!
Review the data. Think carefully about it. Help your analysis by creating a grid similar to this one, ranking everything out of 100...
| Caribbean | Anguilla | Antigua | |
| Number of Keywords | 100 | 90 | 95 |
| Overall Profitability | 100 | 95 | 90 |
| Knowledge | 30 | 90 | 50 |
| Passion | 60 | 100 | 50 |
| Theme "Sexiness" | 70 | 95 | 85 |
| Monetization Potential | 80 | 90 | 80 |
Once you have your grid set up and scored like this, you are ready to take it to Niche Choose It!. Click on the Quick Tour Me Through An Example button...
That automatically takes you through a sample niche-choosing exercise. Follow the exercise through to its conclusion.
Then do it "for real." The easiest way is to simply re-use the example and change the entries as you go along.
In Step 2, enter your possible Site Concepts. Although there is room for five (and you can even add more to compare), enter the three that you currently have.
In Step 3, enter the factors above (or others, if you like) and weight how important each one is to you.
In Step 4, enter all of the scores from your grid above. By now, Niche Choose It! should look like this...
A final click takes you to the fifth and final step which answers your all-important question, "Which Site Concept should I choose for my new SBI! site?"
And the winner is Anguilla! This Netrepreneur has done the perfect research, analyzed it, entered her analysis into Niche Choose It!, and emerged with the perfect Site Concept for her.
Time for you to do the same. Go to Niche Choose It! and find your best Site Concept.
Come back here after you're finished with Niche Choose It! and you know your best Site Concept.
...
...
Back? Great! I hope Niche Choose It! cleared things up for you. That little module has a funny way of helping matters make sense.
So you are now ready to select the most profitable-looking and interesting/fun and "monetizable" Site Concept from your three.
Moving Forward... ready to go to DAY 3?
Overwhelmed? Not ready for DAY 3?
If that's you, don't worry. You are not alone. Some people really feel "stuck" here. A swirl of numbers. So many things to think about, new concepts and tools learned but not mastered. Phew!
I have good news... They succeed and you will, too.
You can do this. Each little step is do-able. There is lots of help in the forums (see links above and below). Don't be shy, it really is the friendliest, most helpful spot on the Web.
Remember when I said (above), "It takes work to build a real business"? Keep that perspective. This is worth the effort.
The "extra mile" that winners run is that extra effort that leaves others behind. The "extra mile" is why so few ultimately lead the life they want.
These two articles by Ken Evoy will help you see the big picture, "go the extra mile" and get it done (because you can)...
If they handed out a manual for your life... (a post by Ken in the forums)
How I Almost Drowned (an article in the TNT HQ).
Where was I? Oh yes, are you ready to go to DAY 3? Before you do, delete the other two Site Concept keywords from your Master Keyword List. To delete them, simply...
- Select one from the Choose Brainstorm Seed Word drop-down.
- Click on the Check All link to check all the checkboxes.
- Click on the Delete Checked link to delete them all, like this...
Why delete them now? Because it's important to focus on your #1 choice. If your #1 choice does not pan out in DAYs 3 or 4, you can always re-brainstorm one of your other two. It only takes a few minutes... now that you know how!
Keep Moving...
Do not get hung up wanting more and more data. All you need is in front of you, right in your MKL. Yes, take your time and think about it. But then...
Best advice?
Keep moving forward -- pick one. It is NOT an irreversible decision. The next two DAYs will either confirm your choice or bring you back to try another. (The actual final-final decision only happens when you register your domain name, on DAY 5.)
With that perspective in mind, please allow me to remind you of a small business truism. The two biggest mistakes made by most entrepreneurs are actually opposites of each other...
1) FIRE-READY-AIM -- the person who leaps before he looks. If this fits you, Ben Franklin said it best...
"By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail."
In other words... ignore the preparation work at your peril.
2) READY-AIM-READY-AIM-READY-AIM -- the person who researches, then researches some more, then some more. For this person, follow Nike's advice...
Just Do It!
Put on your SBI! Blinders, as this TNT HQ article suggests, and keep going straight ahead.
Advance to DAY 3.
Need help or advice about DAY 2?
Try one of these forums...
Interpreting Keyword Supply & Demand Profitability
For quick access to other Forum FAQS, please use (and bookmark) this Directory.