Kyle has actually posted about how our content can rank for many different keywords than the ones we target: Am I Just Targeting One Keyword With My Content? Nope. I remember years ago I used to have a personal blogspot blog where I would post various personal stuff, thoughts, etc. I never targetted any keywords because it never occured to me back then, but I remember looking at my traffic stats and it showed various search terms that people found me for.

So I would say you could have a successful website where you didn't do any keyword research, yet still show up in the search engines. Google's job is to show relevant content when people search. Content shows up in the search results every day for which the writers didn't do any keyword research.

One approach to writing content could be to leave the keyword research until last:

1) Decide on topic to write about.
2) Research that topic.
3) Write your content.
4) Do keyword research.

That way, the deciding factor on what you write about is not the keyword, but rather what you think will be most helpful to your readers. Then right at the end you can see which keywords (if any) fit your content.

I think social media is key: relationships. Follow important people, make comments, add value. Look for cross promotions with your peers, even if they are not "successful" yet. Also, you can email lots of people to produce free content for them to get your name out there: Guest posts, infographics, videos.

You can also do interviews. The Entrepreneur on Fire guy did 1 interview a day for a year and built a huge business based on it.

These two are examples of building yourself as a brand, (sorry not your product) this time, but you as a brand. It works in the long run, but like all other online scheme it takes time. Once there, you can enjoy the fact that you are known and respected in whatever you decide to specialise on.

I thank you for showing the other side.

Hey SZev,

Steve, and Mark have been in online marketing for many many years, now, they have build a following up, over the years, which means now they don't have to concentrate on keywords, because one email, to his followup can bring In Tons of traffic... , my 2 cents, if your blog is new, use the keyword for organic traffic, if you have a following then your set, so either way, build a large following, and you won't need the keywords...

I am using that strategy with my wife's business .. the brand is being established around her name. We use both offline and online marketing. Online we are using a FaceBook Like Page and Instagram and a CRM system. Offline we use fliers and Mall Promotions. The Like Page is at 11,200 Likes and our CRM System has over 9000 people on it. Instagram we have only just started (just under 400 on it) and this week we will launch a YouTube Channel.

Cheers, William.

I would personally focus on using paid traffic and target people based on their interests.. A FB page with 1000, focused likes will help get the ball rolling..

His topics are keyword focused in a sense. They are topics that people are interested in.. As his site ages and gains authority, it will start to rank.

I wrote a post exactly about this. Not sure if you've seen it: Do You Have To Be A Scam Review Site?

My site is based on internet marketing which I use to promote WA. I do the occasional review but elected not to follow the Bootcamp path closely as there was so many other people doing the same thing.

I've managed to convert a few people, but not as many as I would have had I been able to put in more hours.

Great question and equally great idea.Could do well for many.
That's how we learn here folks.

I think to gain meaningful traffic and a podcast following, you'd need to spice things up a bit. Podcasting is not easy, with stuff like editing and what not unless you are a natural speaker. You'll also need to pay for podcast hosting, which can add up!

It's definitely an idea worth trying, but only if you really commit to it. Sounds like just one of those "ideas" that sound great, but need a lot of work to really make into a reality.

Still, it could be a unique angle that could set you apart from the competition. More work generally means you leave others behind and become an authority!

I personally don't like being read to as I am a speed reader and I find it dull and monotonous, but that's just me! I would like to see other's opinions on this too :)

I love pod casts and blogs, so this would make sense to me. I have a half hour commute and often listen to things like this on the drive!

I say I will write a blog post for their website, e.g. a product review. Nobody has ever taken me up on that offer, though. Apart from that, I say that I will help them if ever they need help.

I'm glad you're enjoying the bonuses and extras Stephan! I think the #1 thing that works is promise of HELP. People are very worried about going at this alone, so communication and availability is key. I'd avoid Skype calls, as they can become too time consuming very quickly, but responding to messages quickly is a great way to let people know that you're available to help.

First off if Nathaniel is successful and you feel the need then follow his lead. I think that this is a " something for nothing" attitude from referrals that are not very serious about what they are doing. If you lead them around to the elements of WA demonstrating success it should convince them to stay and get engaged. Not to be too blunt but some referrals are not going to be worth the effort on your part. Weed out the weak before you have your time spent fruitlessly.

Interesting question. I have seen this on other websites. I don't think it's necessary, though. As Tezsie says, if they are interested then they will read it anyway. People read at different speeds too.

If someone is really interested in the topic of your blog, they will read it no matter the time. And they´ll only stop reading when it stops interesting them.

It seems gimmicky! If they didn't want to read, they surely shouldn't be looking at blogs!! Lol people who won't want to read...wont...it's just that simple. I've seen sites with that on them and it's just unnecessary..lol

I personally do not care how long or how many words I'll be reading. If it's something that I wish to read, I'm all in.

It sounds a little gimmicky. Plus if it says that the post takes too long to read people might not read it at all. Whereas if they didn't know the length of time they would start reading it and hopefully you would keep their interest throughout the post

I wouldn't bother with it to be honest because if someone thinks it's going to take them 20 minutes, it might put them off from reading. And as people read at different speeds, I would think it would be a difficult estimate to make anyway :)