Entries Tagged 'seo' ↓

This post was first published back in 2009, but still remains as relevant today as it was back then.

To get 2012 off to a great start I though it worth while pushing this one ‘out there’ again to help you get one step ahead this year…

Everyone has heard of SEO.

But not everyone understands how to utilise it to promote their websites. Many still believe that over stuffing their website copywriting with keywords is what SEO is all about – wrong.

Many believe that by simply listing all the keywords they can think of on their webpages is right – wrong.

And as for those who still insist on using ‘black hat’ strategies – well, we’re not even going to go there.

Understanding SEO and how to use it to get Google to love your website is key in the online world.

At the end of the day, if you’re an online marketer, you’ve got to get to grips with SEO if you want your website to survive and thrive.

Therefore, to help you stay one step ahead, here’s a fantastic guide from those amazing people over at Seomoz.org. They have put together a list of the important and not so important aspects of SEO to help you demystify search engine optimisation – Search Enging Ranking Factors.

It’s a worth while read and will make a world of different to your online marketing.

Are you fed up with unsolicited emails from SEO companies?

Barely a day goes by without at least one of their (often) brightly coloured emails popping into my inbox.

Every single one promises the earth in return for a small fortune.

But surely, if they are as good as they say they are they wouldn’t have to resort to cold emailing every business owner under the sun – would they?

A while back I wrote a post about simple SEO checks anyone can make. So, don’t respond to anyone who contacts you out of the blue, instead, grab a coffee and have a read of these posts. They should give you enough pointers to check the effectiveness of your site yourself (and tell you what to do to improve it).

Here goes – take a look at:

Simple SEO checks any small business can make

SEO copywriting – how it’s done

Page titles and SEO

The importance of off screen SEO

You can do basic SEO yourself – go on, give it a try.

Search engine optimisation copywriting isn’t just for websites.

If you want your content to be found, you have got to use keywords. However, over use of them is common, which is why you’ve probably come across numerous articles during your searches that are incomprehensible.

For many people, the strong desire to be found causes them to cram as many of their keywords into the articles and blog posts as possible. After all, surely the content is just there to build links – it’s not trying to sell like web copy, so it doesn’t matter – does it?

Of course it does.

Any content you put out on the web will reflect on you and your business.

The fact that you want to optimise your text is a given, so here’s how to do it.

The proper use of keywords in content marketing

Below are the 4 areas where you should concentrate your SEO efforts when producing content.

1. Title tags

Whatever phrase you want to rank for, make sure it’s here.

This is the tag that tells the search engines what your page is about, so make sure you tell them. If you‘re using a WordPress based website/blog, make sure you install the All in one SEO pack because it helps you automatically optimise your posts for the search engines.

2. URLs

In the search results, you will see the title tag (that’s the top part, which is underlined), the URL and then the META description.

You might think it unnecessary to optimise your URL, but because the search engines highlight the keywords that were searched for (in the example below I searched for ‘dog training courses UK’), it’s important your URL slug (that’s the part of the URL that identifies a page using human-readable keywords) contains your keywords.

3. META Descriptions

These have no value when it comes to SEO, but that doesn’t mean you should ignore them.

The META description is the 160 characters of text that appear below the name of the web page in the search results. This is the enticer that is used to attract the click from the user. Therefore, including your keywords within it will help draw them to your post and show its relevance.

4. Content

Of course, you also need to optimise your content. But a word of warning, don’t start thinking keyword density. Because as soon as you do, you will start writing for the search engines and not the reader.

Just write naturally. You will find that because you page is about your keyword, it will naturally appear in your text.

Now, the keen-eyed amongst you have noticed that I haven’t mentioned META keyword tags – and that’s for a very good reason.

They have absolutely no impact on your rankings whatsoever. In fact, back in 2009, Google clearly stated this fact in its webmaster central blog.

So, when you are next creating content, make sure you:

• Write primarily for your reader
• Be natural with your keywords
• Pay close attention to your title tags and URL slugs
• Write eye-catching META descriptions

Have you ever wondered how some people end up everywhere on the web?

If you Google their name, reams and reams of listings appear. How do they do it? How do they make themselves so visible?

The answer is good old fashioned search engine optimisation.

If you’re thinking I’ve finally lost it because surely, SEO is surely just for websites, let me put your mind at ease. No, I haven’t completely lost it. SEO is just as important for your social media profiles as it is for your website.

The whole point about filling in your profile on sites such as Twitter, LinkedIn and all the other social networking sites, is to make yourself visible to potential clients or business partners. So if you’re not making the most of them, why bother?

To illustrate my point, after Googling ‘Sally Ormond’ the first page of search results alone show 6 social media/networking profiles.

So not only does my website and blog appear, but anyone searching for information about me will also see my name splattered all over the web with numerous profiles (and blog posts and articles) detailing all the great work I do for my clients.

That’s pretty powerful stuff.

OK, I hear what you’re saying – Sally Ormond is my name as opposed to a search term that I would optimise for.

So what if I amended my search to ‘Sally Ormond Copywriter’ or ‘Sally Ormond freelance copywriter’?

Well….

As you can see, in both cases even more social media sites appear.

So there you go – this is why it’s essential to make your profiles stand out. That doesn’t mean you have to cram them with your keywords. But make sure your keyword (which is probably your primary business activity) appears near the beginning of your description.

Filling the web with great information about you and what you can do for your clients is essential if you want to position yourself as an expert in your field.

After all, it’s becoming more common for people to Google other people so they can find out a bit about them. If nothing shows up (or very little), what does that tell them?

When you start working on your SEO strategy, the most important decision you’ll have to make is what keywords you will target.

The decisions you make will determine how effective your overall strategy is, which is why it is so important you get it right.

But time and time again, mistakes are made that cause frustration because the desired results are not seen.

The main thing to remember is that the keywords with the highest number of searches aren’t necessarily the best ones to target.

Mistake #1

The first mistake people make is going for glory – or at least the keyword that generates the most traffic. The problem is the competition for these words is very hot.

The problem with that is if you’re looking for short to medium term results, these highly competitive words will be beyond your reach.

When selecting your keywords, they must be specific. So rather than ‘camera’, go for the make and model because that’s what people will be searching for.

If you want to target a generic and highly competitive keyword, you just have to remember that it will take time, energy and money to get ranked for it. If you are looking for short term results, go for something less competitive:

Lower traffic & lower competition = quicker domination and an increase in traffic

Mistake #2

This mistake happens early on in the process.

When using the Google Keyword Tool, people make the mistake of looking at the broad match rather than exact match. Broad match is selected by default, so it’s important you check the exact match box.

For example, when searching for ‘garden shed’, under broad it displays 135,000 local searches per month. But under an exact search, that figure drops to 6,600 – quite a difference.

If you get this wrong, it could have a serious effect on your predicted ROI and traffic.

Mistake #3

Many people target plural keywords, such as garden sheds. The problem here is that people tend to search for singular terms.

Let’s face it, if you were looking for a new lap top, you’re more likely to look for a lap top as opposed to lap tops.

Mistake #4

A lot of people already have preconceived ideas about what they are going to target. The problem here is that preconceived ideas are favoured rather than looking at the evidence of what people are really searching for.

This results in being listed for words that simply don’t convert because they are not the ones people use to search for your product. Sometimes, it may be better to target a set of keywords, rather than just one, to widen your chances of being found.

Mistake #5

Another problem is taking words out of context.

If you targeted the word ‘ink’ people could be searching for printer ink, pen ink, how to remove ink stains etc. So the chances are a high proportion of your traffic won’t actually be looking for what you’re offering.

That’s why it’s so important to be specific in your keyword choice.

Mistake #6

SEO isn’t static. Many people believe it’s a painful process they’ll only have to go through once. But the truth is you must continuously monitor and analyse the effectiveness of your keywords.

Just because one is performing well now, doesn’t mean that will still be the case in the months to come. SEO is about constant adjustment and refinement.

Researching and identifying your keywords is incredibly important. It’s vital you do it right and continue to monitor it. Your SEO strategy will constantly evolve so you have to be prepared for regular reviews and tweaks as and when necessary.

What has your experience of keyword research been?

Have you made any howlers or had any particular successes?

Leave a comment below and share your experiences.