• by Laurie Sullivan , Staff Writer @lauriesullivan, April 20, 2010

One of the biggest problems in search engine optimization is finding those relevant keywords that link to Web page content. You can find them, but they're not always successful in turning Web site browsers into buyers, no matter how fluffy and fancy the keyword tail.

WordStream released a platform Tuesday called WordStream for SEO that automates the process. The new software suite provides the same keyword analysis and keyword suggestion capabilities that SEO tools like Wordtracker and Keyword Discovery do, but WordStream Founder Larry Kim says it offers much more, such as keyword analytics, keyword grouping and organization features and integrated content authoring tools.

The Firefox plug-in gives marketers ideas for content authoring, for example. It seems to remove most of the guesswork and simplify the process by automating tasks around keyword management and analyses. It provides assistance in choosing the correct keywords to build SEO and paid search campaigns.

I'm beginning to see many of the same automated processes the electronics industry implemented throughout the early 2000s, as they pushed to secure and automate supply chains. They built out tracking capabilities to monitor the movement of raw material from suppliers to manufacturing plants to distribution centers and on to retail store floors. As companies increased automation, revenues and profits increased.

Kim explains the WordStream platform aims to automate processes for finding keywords that help marketers convert copy into profits. Marketers simply need to type in a word. The platform identifies topics marketers should include in the post and helps marketers do a better job of targeting content to a specific audience by providing tips on the words that belong on the page. It also automates the word count as you write, which until now marketers had to do manually.

After signing up for a WordStream account, to launch the application you click on one of the WordStream icons in the Firefox browser. Next, enter the primary topic you want to write about. Since it's important to start with the primary keyword, WordStream developed the feature to help marketers increase the long tail with a click of a button. For example, travel agents who want to blog about events in Hawaii can type in "Hawaii."

In the left panel you will find suggestions for keyword phrases to add. "You can't just jam in a bunch of keywords onto a page and expect to be successful," Kim says. "When you're authoring a bog post you have to pick a specific theme and try to stay on topic so you rank on those words."

The seamless integration with Wordpress, Blogger, Drupal or TypePad allows marketers to explore topics in greater detail. The WordStream plug-in communicates with the blogging platform as the person types the copy, counting the number of times the keyword phrase appears in the content of the post. Kim says as the person types WordStream grades your "content-worthiness from a SEO standpoint."

The tool also provides insight into other sites targeting those keywords, as well as a list of 10 ten keywords, list of long tail modifiers, and question keywords. Many people search in the form of questions. You can also highlight several words in the body copy of the post to find a keyword or keyword phrase that might optimize better.

The "Create Content" tab allows marketers to open a blank screen to get started writing.