Brad's a fairly big name in IM, and especially where it concerns working with offline folks (he offers a MUCH larger and more complete range of services than I do, so we're not in competition, per se...he prolly wouldn't have time for the little businesses I'm working with, but...no matter)

Anyway, he's got lots of good info and clearly knows his stuff. I'm always reading and researching to help me do my job better, but one thing he said, re: long tail keywords had me scratching my head.

After watching his video, I slept on it, and then watched it again, and after all that, I still disagree with his position.

You can see the vid for yourself here: http://www.bradgosse.com/ (video # 2 on long tail keywords)

Essentially, his position is that you ought not target long tail keywords, but just go for whatever BIG keyword you want (on the thinking that you'll capture the long tail stuff naturally by taking this approach).

On that point, I can agree. Yes. If you make the "big keyword" your focus, you will naturally and by association, capture a number of long tail keywords on your way to the top, HOWEVER....and here's the part I disagree with.

Just because that is so, I do not see the wisdom in intentionally bypassing a focus on the long tail, on your way to the top.

Here's why:

First, it's like building a house, roof first. By going straight for the jugular, you have NOTHING acting as a foundational support. In business terms, what this means is that while you're spending money and resources in pursuit of "The Big Keyword," you are not getting any near term payoff, or if you are, it's entirely incidental and mostly luck (ie - by not specifically focusing on any long tail keywords, yes, you may capture some, but you won't be exerting any sort of control over which, and thus, over what traffic streams you might be driving to your site).

Second, IF you ever make it to page one (which, in a huge market like that is a) very much NOT a given, and b) an exceedingly time and resource intensive process, you're gonna have a huge payday, no doubt, BUT...you can get there just as easily (and perhaps even MORE easily) by focusing first on specific, easy to rank for long tail phrases, building up reliable streams of traffic that both pay you in the short run AND long term, and while they're doing that, they're helping you grow your authority as it relates to the larger keyword.

So...while he's an extremely smart guy, and while I enjoy reading what he has to say, I have to admit that I don't agree with all of it.

It just seems less efficient and more risky to take his approach.