Keywords – A Key Component to Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Part III

It has been estimated that 70% of all business transactions begin with a search.  Even if that is 50% correct, that means over a third of business transaction begin with some type of search function.  Clearly, coordinating all effort toward appealing to those searches is necessary to drive business to your website.  Logically then, it follows that doing so is a matter of knowing what people are searching for.  From my previous post we know that finding out what search terms (i.e. keywords) need to be targeted isn’t a matter of simply guessing.  So how do you employ them to get people to find your site?  Include them in the right areas of your site in the right proportions.  Here’s how:

Domain Name – admittedly using a keyword or a combination of keywords in your domain name is not often an option, however, doing so on landing sites IS almost always an option.  More about this in a later post.  Suffice it to say for now that this can make a huge difference in how search engines rank your site.

Metatags – “Meta” information is simply user-defined data that is added to your site specifically for the search engines.  It is, for the most part, unseen by visitors to your site and should be crafted using keywords.  It’s important to mention, however, that not all search engines even use metatags in their ranking algorithms.  So it’s still valuable to include your keywords in your metatags, just know that certain search engines – Google especially – will ignore the data.

Site Title – This is the name that appears in top of your browser.  Often you’ll see website titles like “home” or “welcome” or some other name that lacks keywords.  Including a keyword or multiple keywords in your site title can make a big difference in your site rankings.

Anchor text of Links – For sake of simplicity, let’s divide the links on your website into 3 parts: the name of the link, the string of characters that says where the text goes, and the tool tip for the link (the anchor text).  The tool tip is text that shows up when you hover your mouse pointer over the link.   Make sure your anchor text includes your keywords

H1 & H2 Headers – These are the titles of your articles and or sub-articles.  Resist the urge to title the different articles on your site with catchy or nifty titles – unless they include your keywords.

Content – I talked about how keywords should be used in your content in a few of my previous posts, but for the most part using your keywords 2 to 3 times within the first 150 words is a good starting point.  Additionally, keeping your keyword usage within 2% to 5% of your total word count generally works out best.

Writing Good Website Copy for People and Writing Content for Search Engines

Writing good website copy is very different from many other types of writing, yet it is still something your 9^th grade English teacher could be proud of.  Sound confusing?  Then allow me to explain…

The single largest reason writing website copy is challenging is because, if done properly, you’re not just writing for people – you’re writing for the search engines, as well.  In essence, what this means is that you need to write clean, appealing, informative copy for people while simultaneously mentioning certain “key words” just the right amount of times that the search engines will also find it “appealing.” Unfortunately, like all writing, there is no magic formula.  Rather, you should base your writing on good principles – as they apply to both people and the search engines.

Writing Website Copy for People

This is the part your 9^th grade English teacher would approve of.  Simply put, no one cares to read sloppy, poorly punctuated, grammatically incorrect copy. Nor does anyone care to read copy that is boring, uninformative, or lacks creativity. So what constitutes good writing for people?  Of course, good writing is an incredibly subjective topic, however, I find most people agree with the following guidelines:

• Write cleanly, and stay on topic.  If you’re writing the text for your home page, don’t go on and on about one particular product or service.  Your home page is an introduction to your company.  Keep it that way.
• Use good grammar.
• Be informative.  Yes, we all want to sell our products and services, but writing that is informative provides value to the reader and it keeps them engaged – both of which are good for gaining the trust of the reader.
• Expose your industry knowledge.  Using industry terms without being confusing can display your expertise.
• Write creatively.  No one cares to read boring, mundane text.
• Easy on the sales pitch.  Remember, everyone wants to buy,  but no one wants to be sold.

Writing Website Copy for Search Engines

Search engines – especially Google – prefer a keyword ratio of 2% to 5%.  This means that before you write your first word, you should have an understanding of what keywords you want to focus on.  This is a post topic all by itself, however, in essence, these “keywords” are searchable terms likely to bring people to your site.  What products/services are people looking for that you provide?  What potential terms might they search by when looking for those products/services?  These questions should lead you to determining what keywords might be valuable.  Aside from the keywords, there are a few additional things you should be aware of:

• Don’t plagiarize.  Not only is it illegal, but you can get “blacklisted” by search engines for doing so.
• Don’t duplicate.  Using the same copy can dilute your web presence, but minor changes in text and reuse can be useful
• Write succinctly, preferably with good structure and/or logic
• Use keywords in groups they are likely to be searched like “IT Support Milwaukee” but also don’t be afraid to use it normally in a sentence like: “If you need quality IT support in the Milwaukee area contact ITP at 414-453-7100)
• Better yet use both methods above to work towards good keyword density

Okay, enough about website copy.  Next time… how to tag and label the pages of your site in a way the search engines love.  Stay tuned.