Any affiliate marketer with any experience will tell you that one of the most important items in their toolbox is the list of keyword they use. Using a good a set of keywords can mean the difference between a lousy Adwords campaign that loses you money, or a great one that gives you a 500% return on investment (ROI). Finding the right keywords can be a real challenge, though.

So what is a keyword, exactly, you may ask? A keyword or keyphrase is the word or set of words that a search engine user types into the search box to find information or products. For instance, if a person wants to know more about the Constitution of the United States, they would go to Google or Yahoo and type in the words "Constitution of the United States". Of course, there are any number of words or phrases that a given person may use to try and find the same information and that is where the challenge lies.

Let's say that another person sits down at their computer and searches for the same information on the Constitution. They may simply type in "constitution", while another person may type in "Bill of Rights". All these people are searching for the same information, yet they all have used different search phrases to find it.

Ultimately, keyword research is about understanding the way that people think and how they will go about finding information about YOUR product. The more you understand about the psychology of the average searcher, the better you will be at finding the right keywords that will result in a profitable advertising campaign. To be really good at finding keywords that will yield results, you must be able to understand how others think.

A good way of doing this is to talk to friends, family, and acquaintances about how they would conduct a search for information. Try to look for patterns in the way that they think, not necessarily the particular words they use. Understanding these patterns will give you insight on how people may try to find information about products like yours. This insight will give you a competitive advantage over other marketers in your field that are not conducting this kind of research.

Another excellent way of gaining insight into searching habits is to send out a survey to your mailing list (if you have one). SurveyMonkey.com has a nice user-friendly interface that allows you to set up a survey quickly and easily. Once you have a survey set up, simply send the URL out to your list and then do some mining to see what kind of patterns show up. My bet is that you will find some very valuable information amongst those survey responses.

A good understanding of search engine user psychology can be worth its weight in gold, if used correctly. Any amount of time you spend finding out how your potential customers will look for your product will almost certainly yield dividends for you. Remember, the more solid your keyword list, the more profitable your advertising will be, so spend some time finding out what your customers are seeking.