Early in my internet marketing journey, I stumbled across something that taught me a valuable lesson about keyword research and ethics. I was browsing keyword data and noticed that mesothelioma — the disease caused by asbestos exposure — had staggeringly high cost-per-click values. We are talking about keywords that could pay fifty dollars or more per click. The reason was obvious — personal injury lawyers were bidding aggressively to reach potential class action clients.
The Keyword Research Experiment
My curiosity got the better of me. I ran the keyword through a niche keyword research tool and found long tail variations with virtually no competition. I had already proven with a previous project that you could rank quickly for ultra-low-competition long tail keywords. So I figured — why not test it with a higher-value niche? I threw up a quick 300-word post targeting one of those long tail phrases and waited to see what would happen.
That experiment lasted about four hours.
The Ethics Check
Almost immediately, I felt uncomfortable. Here I was, adding throwaway content to the internet designed to capture clicks from people dealing with a serious, often terminal illness. When I looked at the search results, the niche was already full of the same low-effort, exploitative pages. It was a race to the bottom, and I did not want to be part of it.
I called my friend and mentor Garry Conn to get a gut check. His reaction confirmed what I already knew. My blog — and my approach to internet marketing — was not about gaming the system with made-for-adsense pages. It never had been, and it should not start now.
So I pulled the content down and walked away from the experiment.
What This Keyword Research Experiment Taught Me
Looking back, this experience taught me several lessons that still hold true in 2026.
High CPC does not equal high opportunity. Just because a keyword pays well does not mean it is a good fit for your business or your conscience. Many high-value keywords are saturated with aggressive, well-funded competitors. Others exist in niches where the audience deserves better than thin affiliate content.
Your brand is your reputation. Every piece of content you publish reflects on who you are. If your keyword research leads you to a niche that makes you uncomfortable, trust that instinct. There are plenty of profitable niches that do not require you to compromise your values.
Long tail keyword research still works. The underlying strategy of finding low-competition long tail keywords and creating targeted content remains one of the most reliable approaches to organic traffic. The key is applying that strategy in niches where you can genuinely help people.
Get a second opinion. When you are unsure about a direction, talk to someone you trust. Having a mentor or peer who will give you honest feedback is invaluable. My conversation with Garry took five minutes and saved me from going down a path I would have regretted.
The Bottom Line
Keyword research tools are powerful, but they are just tools. They cannot tell you whether a keyword aligns with your values or your audience. That judgment call is yours to make. Chase keywords that let you build something you are proud of, and you will never have to delete a post four hours after publishing it.
Cool. Micro Niche Finder case study. Dugg! 🙂
http://digg.com/business_finance/Micro_Niche_Finder_Case_Study
Good choice!!
@DaveK
Great way to say this ….
“The other way to look at it is that you can become blinded by the MMO angle…as a newbie….and not see the ethical side and fall into many pits on the road. Heading to bed with a lot to think about.”
That is probably one of the biggest problems on the net.
I am a cancer survivor, so I have a real interest in this type of topic. However, there has to be lines drawn.
When I wanted to talk about my cancer, and chemotherapy experiences, I made a separate blog for that particular topic.
I think you need 2 things, the right platform (blog) and the right reason (passion, experience, etc…)
In google.ie you are No 57 for mesothelioma attorney, New York (no quotes) after 2 hours published….nice one mate. 😉
Hi Mark,
You know, I am kind of the type of person to speak my mind. Sometimes people get offended by the things I say. Also, some times I think there are situations where things should be discussed offline.
I think dropping a comment earlier rather than contacting you via IM wouldn’t have been proper. I am very glad to see that you are open minded. I think that is a quality that is rare. Nice work.
I did an article recently about using Micro Niche Finder correctly. It provides quite a few tips related to the program that might help you out. I’d like to provide a reference to it here.
Blogggers make tons of mistakes. TONS!!!! I have made plenty of them. Now, I am not saying that the experiment was a mistake. I think that it is awesome that you want to experiment with the program. That can only help others as you document your progress.
Take a look at the article I wrote, and tie those strategies in with your experiment. It took me a long long time to realize that part of search engine marketing is building user friendly content and pages. 🙂
I have canceled this experiment. See above for my thinking.
Its quite disturbing that as a new MNF user I was excited about your result….but really never thought about it from the way you are now approaching it….which is odd as I am a health care professional. Maybe I’m blinded to personal misery as I see it every day in horrible forms and you do become immune as a coping mechanism. The other way to look at it is that you can become blinded by the MMO angle…as a newbie….and not see the ethical side and fall into many pits on the road. Heading to bed with a lot to think about.
Good call.
@David Cooley — Thanks, Man. I am still getting my head around what I want this blog to be when it grows up. Again, sorry for the distraction.
@DaveK — Where I work, we have a really simple ethics policy — if it doesn’t seem right, it’s not. If you don’t want it on the front page of the paper, don’t do it. Stuff like that. I don’t think there is anything wrong with targeting the mesothelioma with plans to add value. You can even make an argument that getting the right Adsense Ads to people is adding value. It’s just not what I want this blog to be about. Garry reminded me of that (pretty directly, as is his style).
Hey Mark,
First of all, I’m very proud of you for stopping to look at the bigger picture. In my mind, that’s what makes a good blogger and fantastic blogger. I don’t know anyone who has personally had this disease, but my mother is a cancer survivor.
and I also want to thank you. This post has inspired me to write a post on one of my sites. 🙂
Good for you, I have been struggling with some moral issues and SEo recently.
When Swayze was diagnosed I almost tried to capitalize on it but then felt really bad. We have to keep our integrity. Garry is an inspiration to all of us.
I just wanted to say that I really appreciate the feedback and comments. I’ll be reviving the Micro Niche Finder Experiment shortly — with a better target keyword set and on a separate test site.
@Garry — I really value your opinion. Thanks, man.
@Christine — Thanks. I also really appreciated the post on your blog.
@Forest. — Thank you. I agree with you about Garry.
Have a great day, and thanks again for the support.