Keywords: The First Ingredient in Good SEO
There is a trick to using keywords to optimize pages. The trick is in choosing the right words and using the right amount in the right places to be found by search engine indexes without sacrificing the quality of your web content.
Though exposed long ago as a dirty trick, keyword stuffing still goes on. Apparently it does work to overuse keywords. That is, it works at first. Search engines are smarter than they used to be and the overuse of keywords has become a reason to ignore a website.
Once you have chosen the right keywords, a keyword density between 1 and 2 percent will suffice to catch the attention of search engines.
Choosing the Right Keywords
The first thing to know is that the most popular search terms are not always the best search terms. Unless you have a good deal of money to shell out trying to top your competitors in the search engine listings, using several less searched terms instead of one or two popular phrases is a better option. Terms that are searched a few hundred times a month and eventually lead to you are better than those searched thousands of times and lost because you are not even close to the top of the results.
Find a good keyword tool and use it to make a list of keywords. There are free and inexpensive tools online. Google and Overture are two good places to look. Once you have come up with a list, choose those phrases that will work best for the content of your website.
You might decide to write your content for yourself. That is fine if you have writing skill and some knowledge of SEO but if you do not, you can find freelance content writers to write it for you at a reasonable price.
Once your website has been indexed by Google, sit back and wait to see how well your keywords are performing. Most webhosting uses tools to let you see which keyword phrases are bringing visitors to your website. If yours does not, you can purchase one.
From there, it is a matter of tweaking and changing as necessary.
Remember to update your content on a regular basis. Updating keeps search engines as well as people interested in what you have to offer.
Keywords: Using LSI
As the internet grows, search engines evolve to stay on top of the changes. Latent Semantic Indexing is one result of the evolution. Users and site owners alike can profit from Google’s ability to find words and phrases that seem synonymous with entered search terms.
Knowing and using such phrases along with original keywords increases your chances of being found on the front page and at the top of search results. What is more, LSI makes it easier to use keywords without going overboard or “stuffing” your pages with words to the point of making nonsense out of content. Latent Semantic Indexing improves the quality of your pages by keeping them clean.
Search engines are now recognizing terms used in conjunction with other popular terms. For instance, “lose weight fast” is often on the same page as “burn fat” and “get fit”. If your keywords are “lose weight fast” and you wish to take full advantage of LSI, try using Google’s keyword tool to choose like phrasing for your webpage.
Putting LSI into Practice
If your original keyword phrase is “lose weight fast”, use the phrase four or five times for 500 words of content and use several other LSI words as they fit in to your articles and information.
Keywords: Using Long Tail Keyword phrases
Long tail keywords are those phrases that are searched less but more on target than popular keyword searches. For example, if you sell a particular brand of party balloons that are known for their durability, “party balloons” is not your only option for keywords on your pages. A handful of people may use the brand name in their search i.e. “Bozo’s Party Balloons”, but those people are not just looking for a cheap balloon. They are looking for the exact balloons you happen to sell! Long tail keywords may be searched less but are more productive in terms of sales.
Other examples of long tail keywords:
Building leg muscle after knee surgery
Potty training a one year old
How to give a lymphedema massage on legs
Long tail keywords are especially effective for bloggers who use advertising to make money from their blog. Great long tail phrasing will get more click-throughs and commissioned sales.
Google’s keyword tool produces latent semantic indexing and long tail keyword phrasing and is a great way to choose various words for your website content.
An important thing to remember about using keywords of any kind is do not be afraid to adjust according to searches being performed. Those phrases that were popular yesterday may not be popular next week. While changing too often can harm your site’s ranking in the search engines, in the long run, sticking with keywords that do not work is not an option for success.
Keyword Placement
The general consensus is that your primary keywords should be place in the first and last paragraph (preferably in the first and last sentences) and within the body of the content a few times. It depends on the density you desire. A product such as DupeFree Pro makes keyword density calculation a breeze.
Use LSI wherever it fits.
Keyword use is by no means the only ingredient in search engine optimization and online marketing but it is at the top of the list for getting the most out of search engines.
