Twitter is a lot like blogging! A lot of the same principles regarding SEO applies to Twitter, just like it does to the optimization of more traditional web pages and blogs.
It’s all about the choice of keyword phrases, and how effective you use keywords in your Twitter updates. For a business that desires to build an audience of prospects on Twitter, then you first need to know what keywords or phrases your highest quality customers use to find what you offer.
There are free keyword tools available for you to identify these phrases. One of the best “free keyword tools” available is the Google Adwords Keyword Tool. First, of all its free; second, it pulls data directly from the Google index where billions of searches are conducted and indexed every year.
The best keywords to identify are those that represent “intent to buy” or “shopping with intent” type keyword phrases. These phrases are the ones that would be most likely used by someone who is looking to make a purchase, or engage a service, right now.
Use “Intent” Keywords In Your Tweets
After you’ve identified the best “intent to buy” keyword phrases that represent your business, products, and services, it’s now time to start building your 140 character tweets around these keywords.
Here’s an example:
Let’s say you sell remote control race cars (I say that because my son is currently playing with one). And you’ve conducted your research and found, quite simply, that the keyword phrase “remote control race cars” is the most searched phrase.
Also, this phrase could represent “intent to buy“, because unless you are conducting research of some sort regarding remote control race cars, then you’re more than likely shopping!
Here’s a tweet update that meets the 140 character limit:
Get 30% off remote control race cars with shipping guaranteed before Christmas.
In fact, that update is only 61 characters, so there is plenty of room for more information.
But you don’t need to limit your Twitter updates to just announcing sales. Including insightful and helpful information about remote control race cars would allow you to build an audience of followers that are looking forward to receiving your helpful tweets.
Sending out a combination of both “sales related tweets” and “insightful and helpful” tweets, will allow you to build a continually growing audience of prospects for your business.
And the more you foster this online relationship, the more your growing audience of prospects will be willing to tell others about you!