There is an air of mystery surrounding Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). All marketers know of the need to get the best possible keywords, whether this is for a website, sales letter or an ezine article. However the search engines are a bit more subtle these days and respond to other factors as well; factors such as backlinks, website activity, etc. It seems to me that even the most experienced internet marketers still find this a difficult area, not helped by the way the search engine companies periodically move the goalposts.
When I first began to build websites and post articles, SEO was all about keywords and nothing else as far as I can recall. This was nearly ten years ago, when I was promoting my early e-books on musical topics. I remember having an established routine for my research which simply doesn’t meet today’s requirements. As I have begun to develop my business into a new area, I have had to learn a whole new way of working. What follows in this article is some SEO guidance, – offering a few tips to help you understand the SEO process as it currently stands,
There are many keyword tools out there on the internet. They approach the issue from various directions depending on your precise needs; – some are free whilst some require a subscription. Happily the subscription is never costly and most of these will come with a free trial of a week or so giving you the opportunity to test drive them first.
The initial step in finding ideal keywords is to seek out primary keywords which have fewer than 30,000 competing websites. To find this information couldn’t be easier. Put your keyword or key phrase into Google (“always in speech marks for this process”). At the top of the page produced by your search it will tell you how many websites are competing on that keyword or phrase. Keep juggling with related words and phrases until you get the required result. You can then use your keyword tool to further explore the options until you arrive at a term which gets at least 100 searches per day. You then have a keyword or phrase which has plenty of interest but will not be swamped by other competitors.
Once you have got a primary keyword you need to work ‘inwards’ using your keyword tool to find your secondary keywords. These will often be what are known as long-tailed keywords, that is to say, the primary keyword with the addition of two or three more words which identify more precise areas within your niche. If you are putting together a new website, use the results of this research to arrive at a domain name which uses one of these long-tailed keyword phrases. This will make it very clear to both search engines and potential customers just what your site is about. However, don’t make your domain too lengthy. All internet copy needs to be fairly punchy and this applies to domain names too.
Keyword density is a phrase we hear quite regularly. In a nutshell, this means using your keywords in your copy not just once but, perhaps, two or three times Choosing a good primary keyword phrase as your headline and incorporating that into your article or webpage seems to work well. Some time ago I was given a very useful piece of SEO guidance which I have found helpful: – put that headline phrase into your first paragraph and then again in your final paragraph. It can then be inserted perhaps once, at most twice, within the main body of the article.
Another important aspect of SEO these days is keeping your websites active. Regular posts in a blog or the addition of articles and videos, etc. placed on a regular basis will be picked up by the search engines. Remaining motionless may be a good idea when threatened by a wild animal but is of no use if you want to attract the attention of the search engines.
Offering your visitors the opportunity to comment on your blog or website will also be picked up by the search engines, especially if the quality of your website is such that it produces plenty of response. If you get comments then make sure you respond to them. The more activity there is on your website, both in and out, the better. It will all help with your ranking.
Keywords are still vital in getting people to your webpages and your articles so that will always be your starting point. Once selected use them wisely and well. However, do remember that activity is important too, as are responses from your site visitors. I hope this SEO guidance has been of help. Happy marketing!