When it comes to SEO (Search Engine Optimization), the ultimate tool is web content . Anything else one employs regarding optimization is secondary. The old cliché is “content is king” should be kept foremost in one’s mind when creating relevant and quality web site content.
Within quality content, embedded keywords and inbound links are what will aid in moving a web site to the top rankings of most leading search engines.
Keywords
A keyword, or key phrase, are those words, and combination of words, that one might include in a search engine query. If a web surfer types in “coffee” or “coffee maker,” web sites with the desired word or words placed within their content will be returned first and foremost.
The first step in content optimization is determining what potential customers will use as keywords or key phrases in conjunction with locating your specific product or services. Do not attempt to guess or assume on keywords as not everyone thinks the same way when searching. Keyword research tools are an inexpensive solution to attempting to research on your own.
KeywordDiscovery, Wordtracker, and WordZe all offer keyword researching for $70.00 a month and lower. These tools match the content of your web site with keywords that are relevant to the content. No matter which service is used, the result is a list of keywords and phrases that are optimal for your web site.
Placing the keywords and phrases throughout your web site is the next step. It is crucial to remember that, while ensuring keywords are placed often in the content, density is crucial. If the keywords are found too often, search engines will see this as “stuffing” and the ranking of the web site will fall or, in some cases, entirely disappear.
Density is the number of times a keyword or key phrase appears in comparison to the total number of words on the web page. The proper keyword density depends on the overall length of the web page. Lengthy pages should employ a 5% density while extremely short pages should stick to a 2% to 3% keyword density. The main point to remember here is the placement of the keywords should not impede the readability of the web page.
Linking Keywords
It is a common practice to hyperlink keywords found in the content of an article or webpage. While this is acceptable, and often beneficial, keep these tips in mind.
The maximum number of outbound links in any given article should be less than three.
When linking within your website, do not always link to the same page. Link to sub-pages as well as the home page to help build traffic and rankings to the site as a whole.
To help add value to any web page or article it is always advisable to link to an authoritative website.
Putting Content to Work For You
The old saying “build it and they will come” does not apply to web sites. It takes careful consideration of one’s web site content, keywords and key phrases, and quality links to get the word out about a web site and to place it higher up in the search engine rankings.
