Search engines send out spiders to index your site and
to quantify and qualify the words contained within your web pages. This
is how they determine what your site is primarily about and how to rank
your site in response to searches conducted by visitors to the search
engines.
For example, if you are a children's clothing manufacturer
specializing in winter coats, one keyword phrase that might be important
to your web site's success is "children's outerwear." You would
want your site to be included within the search returns for that keyword
whenever someone enters "children's outerwear" in the search
box at a search engine. For that to occur, the spiders would have to find
the keyword children's outerwear used at least once (and probably more
often) within at least one of your web pages.
If a portion of your site does not emphasize - or optimize
- the keyword, there is no way for the search engines to know that you
manufacture children's outerwear. Therefore, they will not include your
company's site in the listings when a visitor searches for such apparel.
Optimizing a keyword within your web site can be accomplished
through the use of a variety of HTML coding techniques and other methods.
The most basic procedure for incorporating your keyword strategy is within
the META tags for each page.
Get ready to build a Top Ten list of the best, most targeted
keywords for your site using our easy-to-follow interactive guidelines.
Please note: Keywords do not refer to single words
only. In fact, multiple-word keyword phrases are often more effective
than single keywords. We use the words "keywords" and "keyword
phrases" interchangeably throughout this tutorial.
To select the most effective keywords for your page, you need to think
like a marketer. What are your customers looking for when they use a search
engine? Which keywords do you think someone might enter when looking for
a product or service like yours? For example, would it be more effective
to use a keyword phrase of "wide-leg, four-pocket, denim overalls"
or "clothing for kids"? Think about how your target audience
thinks in order to develop a list of effective keywords. Follow these
guidelines when selecting keywords for your site:
- Be specific, not general. For example, "e-mail
software" is better than "software".
- Use two or three-word phrases, instead of one word.
For example, "large screen TV" is better than "TV".
- Avoid the use of highly competitive words. Think of
creating specific niches for your web site through the use of your keywords.
So, while you may want to rank highly for "children's clothing",
there may be overwhelming competition for that keyword phrase. Think
also about including more targeted phrases such as "children's
outerwear" or "flame retardant sleepwear".
- Think like a customer. How do your customers describe
your products or services? Is it a "cellular phone" or a "cell
phone"? A "desktop computer" or a "PC"? Be
sure to integrate commonly used words into your keyword phrases, as
well as commonly misspelled words!
- Consider adding a regional aspect to your product or
service. If you run a Bed and Breakfast in Maine, "Bed and Breakfasts-Maine"
or "Bed and Breakfasts-New England" will deliver more qualified
leads than "Bed and Breakfasts".
- Use words directly related to your web site. While
the words "Cindy Crawford" may attract a lot of traffic to
your site, it will likely be the wrong kind of traffic. And following
up poor quality leads is expensive for your sales force. Also, search
engines can ban a site for supplying keywords that are unrelated to
the site's content. Make each word count. Avoid using "throwaway"
words such as "the, and, or, etc."
- Think through these guidelines and how they relate
to your web site, then get ready to start defining keywords of your
own
OR ACT SMART and contact us. ;-)
Related Topics:
Emarketing
Importance Of Link Popularity
Search Engine Optimization
Search Engine Positioning
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