Lose weight by eating healthy snacks

Do you know that snacking can help you to control or even lose weight? Eating snacks helps to keep your stomach full and thus prevents you from overeating during mealtimes. Snacking also boosts your energy level and makes you feel more alert and energetic throughout the day.

I am not referring to snacks like potato chips, rojak, curry puffs, french fries, cakes, doughnuts, or anything that is high in calories, oily and unhealthy. Listed below are five snacks you can incorporate into your diet if you are intending to eat healthily or trying to shed some pounds.

1. Yoghurt

Plain yoghurt, which does not contain artificial flavoring and has a low sugar level, is the healthiest option. However, if you think that plain yoghurt tastes too boring, you can add in natural fruits. It can be any fruits you like: berries, such as strawberry, blueberry, and cranberry, are the more popular options. Among them, blueberry is the top choice among dieters because, not only does it taste good, but it also has a low glycemic index, meaning it will help balance your blood sugar and insulin levels. Blueberries are also extremely good sources of antioxidants, which are healthy for your heart and longevity.

If having to add fruits to plain yoghurt is too time-consuming and troublesome, you can also get yoghurt with added natural fruit bits off the shelves. Just make sure to read the label because many of these yoghurts contain a large amount of added sugar. Try to pick yoghurts that are low in fat and contain only natural flavors and ingredients.

2. Vegetables

Vegetables are another healthy snack to go for. Most vegetables are good sources of fiber, which is important for digesting and processing food. Fiber may also help lower your blood cholesterol levels. Furthermore, eating food that is high in fiber makes you feel full, which in turn helps to control the amount of food you eat during mealtimes.

Veggie sticks, such as carrot and celery, are a convenient option as they do not require much preparation and can be brought to work or school without hassle. If you think that veggie sticks are too bland, you can dip them into low fat cottage cheese.

Another way you can eat vegetables as a snack is to cut them into bite sized pieces and freeze them. Alternatively, you can also choose small vegetables that do not require any cutting such as peas and corn. Just like eating ice-cream, frozen vegetables dissolve gradually and leave a lingering sweetness in your mouth.

Healthy Snacks

3. Nuts

Another healthy snack is nuts, which are rich in protein, fiber and antioxidants. As they often come in convenient packaging, you can carry them around and have them anytime and anywhere. Nuts are also excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which are beneficial to one's body. These fatty acids help to reduce the risk of chronic diseases, boost one's brain performance, decrease blood cholesterol and blood pressure, and help to maintain one's weight.

There are a great variety of nuts in the market for you to choose from and some of the options are: walnuts, almonds, cashews, pecans, and macadamia nuts. Try to choose ones that are unsalted.

Of course, you can also make nut-snacking more interesting by combining them with other healthy snacks, such as adding them into yoghurt. Despite their health benefits, it is advisable not to eat too many nuts at one go because they are relatively high in calories.

4. Soy Chips

If you are a potato chip lover, trying to eat healthily or lose weight does not mean that you have to stop crunching on chips. A healthier alternative to potato chips is soy chips, which are high in fiber and proteins, and low in fats. Research also reveals that soy protein, as found in soy chips, may be very helpful in losing weight and may also help ensure that the weight you are losing is from your fats and not your muscles.

5. Fruits

Fruits which have high vitamin and mineral content are great to snack on. Apart from "keeping the doctor away", a Brazilian research study in 2003 found that eating three apples per day can keep one's weight down.

Fruits can be eaten as they are, or be incorporated into other healthy snacks, such as mixing them with vegetables and creating a salad, or mixing them with walnuts and maple syrup. Alternatively, you can also freeze fruits and turn them into frozen fruit bars: they taste just as good as ice-pops but are so much healthier.

Now, who says that the road to a healthier diet has to be tediously bland? The healthy snacks above can be eaten as they are, or mixed and matched to create endless tasty combinations.

There are many options out there — the most important thing is to be creative, have fun and create something healthy that suits your taste buds. Dieting does not mean quitting eating; it simply means eating the right thing.

On your next trip to the grocery store, remember to make healthy choices!

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Edited by Registered Dietitian Arielle Kamps, M.S., R.D, L.D. Via HealthMatters.sg, a Singapore Health and Fitness blog that aims to help you lose weight, keep fit, and live healthy.

Lina Teoh's terrifying road bully experience

Lina Teoh's terrifying road bully encounter set alarm bells off on social networking sites yesterday. Lina Teoh became the second runner-up at the Miss World contest in 1998.

The ordeal, narrated through a status update on her Facebook page, received close to 2,000 shares since she posted it on Monday, creating buzz and sprouting numerous discussions on the rising level of crime in the capital city.

Teoh, who is also an actress and documentary producer, said the incident took place at 10.30am on Monday as she was coming out of the normally crowded roundabout at Jalan Duta to head towards Jalan Kuching.

"A motorbike hit the front of my car from the left. As I was driving very slow, almost stationary, the impact was almost nothing but still the motorcyclist fell down and grabbed his leg like he'd been hit and injured, which was impossible because he hardly touched my car!" she said.

The man, she added, then began yelling and demanded that she pay RM300 for damages although it appeared there was no damage to either vehicle.

Lina Teoh

"I had already RM50 on standby to give him in exchange for a peaceful outcome even though it wasn't my fault in the first place and I knew I was being taken for a ride."

"He continued to argue with me saying what about his medical bills, etc even though he had no injury," she said.

Seeing the commotion, a passing motorcyclist stopped and found out what happened from Teoh.

"He said "Ma'am, if it wasn't your fault then you don't have to pay him, just leave"," she said.

But as she walked towards the car, the man followed her and repeatedly asked her for her personal details, including her phone number.

"I suddenly felt more threatened by this new guy than the ranting original guy who hit me! I try to get into my car and he holds open my door trying to stop me from leaving. Thankfully I manage to yank the door shut and drive off!" she said.

Still shaken from the encounter, Teoh said she drove on only to get stuck in another traffic jam at the Putra World Trade Centre exit.

It was at this point that the incident took a more violent twist.

"The first guy who hit me comes from behind and parks his bike in front of my car, gets off and starts screaming at me and hitting my car, trying to break my window."

"I wind down my window slightly and throw some money out to distract him. He hits the back of my car with a huge thick chain as I drive off and I spend the next 5 minutes driving through as many traffic free streets as I can find to escape him."

Teoh said although she was safe and thankful that she managed to escape unhurt, she realised there were some things that she should not have done.

"Firstly, trust no one! As sad as this is to say, today I really believed it :( I didn't think clearly enough about what I should do in this situation. So I share this story with you in hope(s) that you will think about what you would do in my situation and hopefully you will be better prepared than I was."

"Please drive safely ladies and beware of your surroundings :(."

Singaporean songbird Stefanie Sun is pregnant

Stefanie Sun and her Dutch-Indonesian husband are expecting their first child.

The news was confirmed by the singer, 33, herself on Monday morning when she posted on her Weibo microblog "Yes, you guys got it right ! Yayhay !".

Sun's manager told The Straits Times in a press statement that the pregnancy was "the best present the couple could receive", adding that "apart from some changes in her diet, Stefanie is feeling fine, and she is exercising and working as per normal."

Her manager also told xinmsn.com that her health was in tip-top condition but she has taken a liking to eating oranges and can eat as many as three at a go.

Sun has also said that she is happy that she will be able to celebrate Mother's Day with her unborn Dragon-year baby and family.

The news comes just before the first anniversary of her May wedding to Nadim Van der Ross last year.


Stefanie Sun

Speculation that Sun was pregnant were rife after she was reportedly spotted by her fans looking more curvy than usual while out having dinner with her husband.

It was also revealed that she had been rejecting commercial performances from her Mainland Chinese clients, and refused to cycle during the making of a video.

Sun tied the knot with van der Ross in a low-key wedding, private wedding last May.

The media was not invited to Stephanie's wedding and she gave no interviews, but the singer's music label Wonderful Music later released a series of photos taken on her wedding day, along with a statement from the bride.

Train Live in Malaysia 2012

Train Live in Malaysia 2012

Famous with their song “Soul Sister” captured the attention of millions with its catchy phrase hook “Hey soul sister….” and made them a global star. Train, the American pop band will be performing live on Saturday, 16 June 2012 at KL Live, Kuala Lumpur, 8:30pm. Train Live in Malaysia is presented by Tune Talk and brought to you by JS Concert Productions.

Train started their career in 1994 but gained mainstream success with their debut album, Train, which was released in 1998 with the hit "Meet Virginia". Their second album, Drops of Jupiter (2001), brought the band stupendous acknowledgment in a short period.

The band currently comprises a core trio of Patrick Monahan (vocals), Jimmy Stafford (guitar, vocals) and Scott Underwood (drums, percussion).

Tune Talk CEO Jason Lo said, “Tune Talk is proud to present Train Live in Malaysia! It is a pleasure to be associated with a group with multiple accolades under their belt such as the Grammy Awards, Billboard Music Award and ASCAP Pop Music Award for best Song of the Year. They are a very soulful and creative band, with distinctive style and solid performance. As music lovers, we are privileged to have a band of Train's stature to perform here in Malaysia! To our loyal subscribers out there, great news for all of you! Collect your TT points and convert them to concert tickets. We are also giving exclusive privilege to our TT subscribers to get Meet & Greet passes. Let's board the 'Train' and rock on!”


Tickets for the Train Live in Malaysia can be purchased at the following locations:

Rock Corner

(KLCC, Subang Parade, The Gardens, Midvalley Megamall, The Curve)
Victoria Music Centre
The Guitar Store outlets



Tickets are priced @ RM 288 (Tune Talk Zone); RM188 (Chill Out Zone) and RM128 (Regular Zone).

For enquiries, call Ticketpro Hotline: +603-78807999 or get your tickets online @ www.ticketpro.com.my

Train Live in Malaysia 2012

Good news for Train’s fans! We are giving 30% discount exclusively for Tune Talk subscribers and BlackBerry users from now untill 10 June 2012. Log on to its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/tunetalk to find out more.

Train Live in Malaysia is presented by Tune Talk and brought/ organized to you by JS Concert Productions and Fat Boys.

To know more about Train Live in Malaysia and for updates on Tune Talk activities and promotions, log on to its Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/tunetalk

You Believe In Ghost ? (Movie)

You Believe In Ghost ?
YOU BELIEVE IN GHOST? Is a horror comedy movie that has a touch of Malaysian culture especially the Chinese. This movie contains four different stories and uniquely blends together which contains elements of fear, mystery, love and humor.

You Believe In Ghost ?

A very suitable movie that surely will entertain all ages and races in Malaysia, as 85% of the world’s population believe in ghost. This RM 600 000 budgeted movie managed to highlight some of the true-life experience stories happened in our Chinese community. As it was quite difficult to complete a movie in this low budget, the producer and the director succeeded in narrating the movie not only as a horror film, it is also a mind provoking one. To make the film as realistic as possible, the crew that is made up of 80% of Malays managed to shoot some scenes in actual location where the incident occurred.

At the early stage the production crew and the director were not given a green light to highlight the actual story and the location. But after a series of persuasion and as the stories could shade some light on the negative activity done by the so-called “bomoh” and “ghost whisperer”. The crew was given the rights to continue the shoot. A movie that is not to be missed by any Malaysians…

Feel Good Run 2012, NTV7

Feel Good Run 2012

Feel Good Run 2012

Where: Bandar Utama, Selangor
And When: 7:00am, July 8, 2012
Running on 8 July 2012 at Sri Pentas, Bandar Utama
Please visit www.ntv7.com.my/feelgoodrun for registration and more information.

Bananana new brand for kids

Media Prima Berhad has unveiled a new brand for kids known as Bananana.

It is designed to be a multi-platform umbrella brand for all kids content across the four Media Prima TV stations, namely TV3, NTV7, TV9, 8TV and video portal, Tonton.

Chief Operating Officer of Media Prima Television Networks, Ahmad Izham Omar said, the Bananana branding is one way to attract the animation company, to produce creative ideas.

"The more important of Bananana brand is that could be a source local home tv animation to start something new," said Ahmad Izham Omar, COO, Media Prima Television Networks.

"It is very good for the industry as not only will the local content be more creative and innovative, it will also encourage new production from local cartoonists. This is good for Malaysia and the future," said Mohd. Fuad Mohd. Nor, participant.

He added, that Media Prima's very own animation studio, Bananana Studios, will partner with MDec, seed capital company, Cradle Fund Sdn Bhd and animation house, Rhythm and Hues Malaysia to come up with new short animation content, from up and coming companies.

These will be aired through Tonton, under a campaign called the Next Big Thing.

Train Live in Kuala Lumpur,16th June 2012 at KL LIVE

The award winning pop band from Sans Francisco, California , TRAIN will be performing Live in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, 16th June 2012 at KL LIVE at 8.30pm.

Train started their career in 1994 but gained mainstream success with their debut album, Train, which was released in 1998 with the hit "Meet Virginia"Their second album, Drops of Jupiter (2001), brought the band stupendous acknowledgment in a short time of period.

The band currently comprises a core trio of Patrick Monahan (vocals), Jimmy Stafford (guitar, vocals) and Scott Underwood (drums, percussion).


Returning in late 2009 with the album Save Me, San Francisco, from which album three singles were certified international hit "Hey, Soul Sister", "If It's Love" and "Marry Me" reached high positions on the Billboard Hot 100.

Their latest album which was released in 2011 is currently # 11 on Billboard. Train has been performing the song "Drive By”, which is the first single release from the new album, during their 2011 Summer Tour.

Tickets will be on sale at the following outlets; Rock Corner -KLCC, The Curve, Subang Parade, One Utama, The Gardens, Mid Valley, The Curve; Victoria Music Centre –Sg.Wang, Bangsar Shopping Centre, Tropicana City Mall, Amcorp Mall, The Guitar Store outlets – Cheras, Desa Sri Hartamas, Damansara Perdana, Kepong, Puchong and at KL Live. Tickets are also available online atwww.ticketpro.com.my. Hotline – 03-78807999.

Tickets are priced @ RM 288 (Rock Zone); RM198 (Chill Out Zone) ; RM 128 (Regular) and early birds will get 20% discount valid until May 31st

Remedies for damaged hair

4 remedies for damaged hair

For the new converts to naturalness who are looking to revive damaged hair, or the curly whose hair simply took a turn for the worse, don’t fret — there are simple things you can do to get your hair back on track.

1. Trim Often!

Word to the wise: damaged hair is hard to fix. I know you love the length and parting with more than half an inch feels like you’re losing a limb, but this sacrifice has to be made. Focus all of your products, time and attention to the part of the hair shaft that will benefit from it, not ends that will never bounce back.

For light damage, consider cutting off an inch all around. For major damage, thinning and severely split ends, consider cutting off a lot more and evening out your hair all around. Give yourself a good starting point for your healthy hair journey and enjoy easier detangling sessions and stronger, more responsive hair.

2. Major Deep Conditioning

This step is the key to getting back on track and getting your hair to the point where it no longer breaks. To start off, I would suggest a heavy protein treatment to repair the hair followed by an intensive moisture treatment to give the hair back its elasticity and prevent the hair from snapping and breaking when manipulated.

As time wears on and your hair health increases, cut back on your protein treatments and their intensity by doing them less often and using more natural sources like egg and mayonnaise. As you do this, increase the number of times you do moisturizing deep conditioning treatments.

Also to help the hair retain more moisture, try to balance its porosity. The hair shaft has tiny shingle like structures surrounding it. Ideally they will be slightly raised to allow moisture to enter while making it difficult for it to escape. When hair is damaged, especially from chemical processes like relaxers, the hairs cuticle becomes raised making moisture retention difficult. The use of slightly acidic substances aid in closing the cuticle to help the hair shaft hold onto more moisture.

One way to incorporate more acid into your routine is to perform apple cider vinegar rinses. To do this, dilute 1 to 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in 2 cups of room temperature distilled water and use it as your final rinse after cleansing. Also try incorporating aloe vera gel and juice into your regimen as it, too, is slightly acidic.

3. Protective Styles

During this period your hair is at its weakest so manipulating it often can possible lead to more damage and breakage. This is no time for elaborate hairstyles and daily styling. Your hair needs time to repair itself so try putting in styles that will help you to keep your hands and tools out of your hair, protect your ends, are easy to put in and do not put unnecessary stress or tension on the hair. Try styles like medium sized twists and braids and wigs and properly installed weaves. During this time avoid styles like buns and extension braids, which can put added stress to the hair and cause even more breakage.

4. Growth Aids

I am going to start this off by saying that I really don’t think that there is a product that can give you more hair growth. I simply believe that products and supplements only maximize your hairs ability to grow by correcting any problems you had, be it a deficiency, dryness, etc.

Having said that, this is the time to pull out all the stops to nurse your hair back to health, so keep your scalp well moisturized with oils and massage it daily to increase blood flow. Use that mixture you’ve heard of for your thinning edges, apply your super moisturizer to your dry ends and stock up on your multivitamins. As long as you ensure you aren’t allergic to anything you’re using, then go all out to maximize hair growth and speed up the hair healing process

Source: Link

What to Expect When You're Expecting (2012)

What to Expect When You're Expecting Synopsis: A glimpse at love through the sight of five connected lovers suffering from the excitement and excitement of having a child, and eventually arriving to fully grasp the worldwide fact that regardless of what you plan for, life doesn't always offer what's predicted. Motivated by the definite New You are able to Times top seller of the same name, "What to Expect When You're Expecting" is a very funny and genuine big display funny about five lovers whose connected life are converted benefit down by the difficulties of upcoming being a parent.

 What to Expect When You're Expecting (2012)

Child insane author and suggest Wendy gets a taste of her own militant mom support when having a kid the men development hormones ravage her body; while Wendy's associate, H, combat not to be defeated by his competitive alpha-Dad, who's expecting baby twins with his much younger prize partner, Skyler. Photographer Mom is willing to voyage the earth to look at a kid, but her associate Alex isn't so sure, and tries to quiet his stress by becoming a member of a "dudes" support group, where new mom and father get to tell it like it really is. And fighting food automobile chefs Rosie and Marco's impact hook-up results in an unexpected quandary: what to do when your first kid comes before your first date?

Watch What to Expect When You're Expecting Movie - A kaleidoscopic humorous as global as it is unpredicted, "What to Expect When You're Expecting" discovers impulsiveness and uplift in all the surprising tests and triumphs of pleasing a kid into the world.

What to Expect When You're Expecting Trailer

Beauty starts with healthy diet

In the old days, malnutrition as a result of vitamin or
mineral deficiencies resulted in severe diseases and premature death.
Although malnutrition is not so severe today, most people still find it
difficult to get a balanced diet due to their hectic lifestyles. This
provides opportunities for vitamin and supplement producers to introduce
various products into the market.
According to Euromonitor, the global vitamin and supplement market is
currently worth about US$68 billion (RM214.2 billion).
Although competitive, the industry has been growing but at a slow pace
in recent years due to the economic crisis, regulation difficulties and an
over abundance of products in more mature markets.
However, for Golden Swan Biotech (GSB), opportunities for growth are
boundless as the healthcare and supplements industries in Malaysia and
globally continue to flourish once again.
Last August, the company introduced its latest product to the market,
Pure Beauty - an anti-aging nutrient drink - to meet the high demand for
quality nutrient drinks in the marketplace.
"We expect our domestic sales of the product to hit RM5 million by the
end of this year. We aim to triple that over the next few years by
expanding our business to overseas markets," executive director Jen Mensen
said.
The company is selling around 5,000 boxes of Pure Beauty a month since
the product was launched last August. It targets to hit 10,000 boxes a
month starting February.
Jen said said the product contains powerful antioxidants which work
synergistically from within to create what scientists call "antioxidant
cycling".
"It is a process in which antioxidants work together to extend each
other's lives and make them stronger," she said.
Jen said GSB is planning to tap the Indonesian, French, Brunei and
Singaporean markets by the second quarter of this year.
For many women, beauty means looking good - and beauty starts with a
healthy diet and anti-aging nutrition.
Beauty can be defined as the level of health appreciation, acceptance
and satisfaction with the way one looks, Jen said.
Jen believes beauty is not all about having a pretty face but it's about
living a happy, healthy life.
Speaking to Business Times in an interview recently, Jen said choosing a
healthy diet is surely the way to go when looking to enhance the
appearance of the skin from within.
"Beauty on the inside will reflect the outside. So, eating the right
food and eating in moderation is the way to living a healthy life," she
said.
GSB, formally known as Nur Resources Sdn Bhd, was founded in 2006 by
Jen.
Jen, who has more than 10 years of experience in health and beauty
nutrient industries, said the company offers a completely integrated
manufacturer of all types of nutritional supplements. These include
product development, raw material acquisition and custom formulations.
Jen said GSB has invested some RM100,000 in its research and development
and will continue to invest to pump up its product development.
She sees the domination of international brand names in over-the-
counter healthcare products segment as one of its challenges.
Other challenges include greater competition due to widespread use of
information technology, strict advertising regulations and claims of
product effectiveness by unethical companies, which affect the industry's
reputation.
As the company anticipates robust growth this year, it has allocated
RM30,000 a month for its marketing and advertising expenses. "We are
focused on branding and in meeting customers' needs," Jen said.
Based on its strong belief in people and customer satisfaction, GSB
markets its products via dealers. This is unlike other companies that
distribute their products through pharmacies, franchises or direct
selling.


Source:Business Times
Date: 09-01-2012
Author: Cheryl Yvonne Achu

AdWords Tips: All About Keywords

AdWords Tips: All About Keywords

As you probably know, Google AdWords is a pay-per-click marketing system, which is a great way to get traffic to your site. But if you don't know the ins and outs, it can end up costing you a lot of money and not making you any.

So, what's the key to success with AdWords? Well, I wish I could tell you there were one or two simple tricks, but the fact is, the best way to ensure success with AdWords is to be familiar with every aspect of the system. This will likely take weeks or months of research, plus a few bucks spent testing out a real AdWords account. However, you can greatly increase your chances by following this bit of advice: don't skimp on the keyword research!

Maybe you had it in your head that you could go through your site, grab 20 or 30 words or phrases, load them into an ad group, and you'd be watching the traffic and sales pour in. This is simply not the case. Keyword research should be the most time-consuming part of setting up any campaign; not only that, but you should be doing it all the time. That's right - never stop building your keyword list. Okay, now let me explain a few things:

First, you need to understand how Google uses your keywords to show your ads. You place a bid that determines your maximum cost per click (CPC) for each keyword. This can be different for every single keyword, if you wish. This bid does not represent the amount you'll pay for each click (like on Overture); this is just the maximum you'll ever pay for any single click. For example, if you have a max CPC of $0.50 set for a keyword, you'll only have to pay the full amount if someone else bids $0.49. If that person decides to lower his bid to $0.30, you'll only pay $0.31. This is because Google's bid discounter only charges you one cent more than the next highest bidder, no matter what your max CPC is. Theoretically, then, you could bid $10 or even $100 and still only pay $0.31 for a click.

But that's not all! As you start getting impressions (i.e., your ad shows up in the search results) and clicks, you'll have a click-through rate (CTR). This represents the number of clicks you receive per 100 impressions. Here's the really beautiful thing about AdWords: the higher your CTR, the lower your click cost. Because Google values relevance, you'll receive a bonus for having a relevant ad, and CTR is the primary indicator of how relevant your ad is. So, let's say you're competing with someone for ad position No. 3 on the search results page for a particular keyword. Your max bid is $0.50 and his is $1. He should be way above you, right? Not necessarily. Suppose you have a CTR of 5%, and his is only 1%. Google factors in CTR when calculating ad positions, so you end up with this: max CPC × CTR = (what we'll call) ranking factor. In this case, your ranking factor is 0.025, while your competitor's is only 0.01. Which means your ad shows above his for $0.50, even though he's willing to pay up to $1!

Okay, so now you know the basics of how keywords work in AdWords and how Google charges you for clicks. What's next? Keyword research. The best way to go about this is to use WordTracker. I won't get really specific about how WordTracker works, because they've got a ton of information right there on the site - just go do some reading there when you finish this article. Basically, though, WordTracker will help you find the best keywords to use in your AdWords campaign. You type in any word, and you'll get up to 300 related terms, which you can then click on to find a few hundred variations of that term. The terms you'll get are all terms from WordTracker's search query database, which uses metacrawlers to compile information (again, they explain it on their site if you're really interested). So you know that all the words you find there are real terms that people are actually searching for. Even better, you get a prediction of how many searches to expect per day for any keyword, how many times it shows up in their database, and a KEI value to determine your best words (KEI stands for Keyword Effectiveness Index, which you can also read about on the site). You can get a free trial, or you can sign up for a single day to test it out with all the features included (a day's membership is just a few bucks).

There are some free keyword research tools you can use, but I recommend these only for absolute newcomers who have no budget to start out with. Overture's Keyword Inventory is a good, free resource, but there's a catch: it shows results only for searches done through www.yahoo.com. If you're marketing with Google AdWords, you should know that Google accounts for at least twice as many searches as Yahoo!, in some cases three or four times as many. (Though reports vary, Google usually receives credit for about 50-60% of all searches, while Yahoo! gets about 20-30% - but this is based on all searches, and results for individual searches may vary widely.) You may find other "free" tools or downloadable programs that claim to help you with keyword research, but I say don't bother with them. You get what you pay for. Most of them just pull their results directly from other free online tools, and they don't offer anything in the way of features unless you buy the "full version." If you're out to get one for free, just use Overture. (Google's own traffic estimator is decent, but it doesn't give you an exact count for searches within a given period; you just get status bars, which are hard to interpret. Google's bid and position estimates are also usually way off.)

But third-party tools, even if they're very good, won't do your keyword research for you. You'll have to pick through your web site (or your affiliate's sales letter) for words and phrases that you can use. Then, using those words, see if you can think of similar words or concepts that people might be searching for. There's no real trick to this; you've just got to do a lot of brainstorming. Once you've got a good core list, take that over to WordTracker to beef it up. (Hint: If you see any words that don't directly relate to your product, service, or niche, add them as negative matches.)

Now you should have a lean but healthy keyword list. This is your first step to beating out your competition on Google AdWords.

By: Ryan Cole

Author Bio
Ryan Cole runs The Internet Marketing Blog, a free resource for those who need help with Google AdWords, affiliate marketing, SEO, PPC, or any other online marketing topics. Visit for more info on keywords, WordTracker, and Google AdWords.

 

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