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Content, Content, Content
...... Both topics are covered in depth in our guide 'Start at the Beginning' (click here for an excerpt: http://www.enable-uk.co.uk/html/book_2.html). But that's only half the battle.
Search engines do look at your tags, html coding and links, but they also look very closely at your text content. If the key phrases you have used in your tags and links aren't used in your text copy, your site won't be indexed for those key phrases and your customers won't find your web site listed under the key phrases they are using.
But writing key phrase rich content without compromising readability and flow isn't easy. Readability is paramount to attracting and retaining visitors and after all, it's the visitors that buy your product or service, not search engines.
By following these simple guidelines, you'll be able to overhaul the content of your web site and ensure that it's pleasing to both the search engines and your visitors.
1. Divide and categorise.
Once you have decided which pages constitute your core pages and which are complementary, further divide your complementary page into categories. For example, divide your products into types (i.e.: digital cameras) then subdivide them into smaller groups (Konica, Fuji, etc). This way, you'll be able to incorporate very specific keyword phrases into your text content, thereby capturing a very targeted market. If you're working on an existing web site, re-title each page with its key point, offering, or benefit using your key phrases.
For further information on the best way to select targeted key phrases, download our guide 'Start at the Beginning'. Click here to read an excerpt: http://www.enable-uk.co.uk/html/book_2.html
2. Use Key Phrases rather than Keywords
There's far too much competition to waste time trying to optimise for single keywords and they are rarely, if ever, really indicative of what your web site is about. Research has also shown that Internet users are becoming more search-savvy and are searching using more and more specific key phrases. They're learning that by being more specific, they find what they're looking for much faster and don't have to wade through oceans of irrelevant results to find it.
Although using key phrases rather than single words may mean that you get fewer visitors, these visitors will be looking for exactly what you are offering and are therefore more likely to convert into customers.
3. Pick the most relevant Key Phrases
Don't try to include every key phrase on every page. Focus on one or two key phrases on each page and make sure that they are relevant to the product, service or information content that is being offered there. Try to include the full key phrase in the copy using the words in the correct order but don't over use each phrase and don't let them detract from the overall readability or flow of the text.
4. Use Key Phrase text in Links
If you use your key phrases in text links to relevant pages within your web site, when the search engines look at your site, they'll see that the pages are related. So on product page A, include a text link to product page B. For example, on a page displaying Fuji Digital Cameras, you may add a link at the bottom of the page that says, 'You may also be interested in Konica Digital Cameras'. If you link this text to a page entitled 'Konica Digital Cameras' the search engines will see this as a 'vote' from page A for page B's content about Konica Digital Cameras.
5. Use Key Phrases In Headings
Search engines, as well as customers, rely on headings to scan your web sites information. Headings are given quite a lot of weight by search engines when categorising your web site, so although it sounds obvious, make sure your headings are in text rather than graphic format and try to include your primary key phrases in them. If possible, also break up your content using subheadings through out your page. This will not only improve the readability of the page, because it will help customers scan your information, but will also provide some secondary key phrase opportunities.
Just remember not to overdo it. It's not easy to find the balance between content written for search engines and content written for customers, but if you take the time to implement the steps above, having well written content on your web site will pay huge dividends over time.
About the Author Is your web site driving high quality, targeted customers to your business' Our proven Internet Marketing solutions make your web site work harder for you. For a complete range of Internet marketing and advertising resources to improve search engine positions visit Enable UK. Stop losing customers to your competitors and make more money from your web site TODAY. www.enable-uk.co.uk
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