Step 2: Instil Your Key Phrases into the Site
Now that the key phrases have been selected, it’s time to begin optimizing. The
most prominent agenda is to decide what information has to be delivered from each
page and also what action is expected from the customers based on that information.
For an existing site, determine which pages can be completed with the addition of
key phrases, and which ones must be rewritten.
Determine where you can add pages with relevant content for the insertion of very
popular search terms, delivering more information to prospective buyers and increasing
your optimization.
Get specific
Try to use key phrases without sounding repetitive. Many times, adding key phrases,
can be as simple as substituting the key phrase for a copy that is more lucid. For
example, instead of saying: “Acme’s products help customers reduce inventory costs,”
you could say, “Acme’s asset management software helps customers improve manufacturing
performance.”
Use the key phrases liberally
Make use of your key phrases as oft as possible and wherever possible. Look for
a variety of ways to use key phrases throughout your site, not only in body copy,
but also in headlines, subheads, tags, and descriptions. Hiring a professional to
develop tags and descriptions for your site is also a good idea. You could also
spend some time with your webmaster explaining your objectives and what the project
entails. Make sure they understand your requirements and give you what you need.
Use every page
Try to infuse key phrases on each and every page on your website. This might be
challenge, as it would be difficult to put phrases on the “contact us” page. The
home page and products, solutions, and services pages are musts; resource, press,
FAQs, and other content-rich pages are usually fairly simple to optimize, So include
them as well.
Push 2-3 key phrases per 250 words
There is disagreement on the right ratio of keywords to total words, but the consensus
seems to be that you should use each key phrase two or three times per 250 words
of copy. Spamming key phrases gives a bad impression of your company and can get
you banned from search engines—two outcomes which are certainly unacceptable.
Use headlines and subheadings
Most pages have two headlines, a primary headline at the top of the page that is
usually in a font size that is the biggest on the page, and a secondary header in
the middle of the page that serves to break up copy and make it attractive to read.
Each header should contain one of the key phrases for the page. Make sure to keep
the primary headline to six words or less, and the secondary headline to eight words
or less. Also ensure that headlines are written to interest both humans and spiders.
Avoid flash and graphics in headlines you want searched
Search engines don't read graphics, so any text included in flashes or other graphical
elements on your site will get overlooked by the spiders unless you provide alt
text tags. By no means does it mean that Flash is prohibited, after all a site has
to look attractive! Just make sure you also include plenty of content rich in key
phrases for the spiders' reading enjoyment.
Think “Above the Fold”
Just as newspapers carry the most important clippings of the news on the front page
above the fold so that it is visible at first look, Search engine spiders also assume
that the most useful information on a site is at the top of the page. So whenever
possible, infuse your key phrases in the first few sentences of the copy body. Use
news stories as a guideline. Reporters start with the most critical information
first and work their way down through the details. Try to use one key phrase in
sentence one and the other in sentence two if possible. For example, the paragraph
in the box below leads off a page optimized for the phrases “supply chain execution”
and “software for manufacturing.”
“Traditional supply chain execution solutions may work well in high-volume manufacturing
settings, but don’t address some of the critical factors unique to high-mix manufacturers
with significant variability in products and orders. The FPM System from [Company
name] is software for manufacturing environments where the only thing predictable
is unpredictability.”
Make extensive use of links
Text links, otherwise known as anchor text, are the words you usually see underlined
and highlighted in a body of text, serving as a link to some other content on the
site, such as white papers or other educational material. You get extra points from
search engines if your anchor text matches your key phrases.
Get inbound links
It is always a good idea to get other non-competitive sites to link to yours. Search
engines are continuously trying to determine relevance and value and will definitely
reward your site for all such positive actions. If there are other sites which link
to yours, it means that your site is adding relevancy and value!
When linking to your site, link from a key phrase, not a company name. Instead of
linking from “Alpha marketing,” link from “telemarketing.” Search engines will reward
you.
Composing Titles and Descriptions
Most people have heard of Meta tags, but unless you have optimized a site before,
you may not be aware that every page can have its own title tag and description.
Use a few compelling words
Search engines attach a lot of importance to title tags, and writing effective title
tags and descriptions is a lot like writing headlines that use very few words. The
goal is to address a problem or need and present a solution that’s compelling enough
to make the reader want to know more in about 25 words or less. Title tags identify
the company and include the key phrase for that particular page. If effective key
phrases have been picked, it will be fairly easy to compose title tags. Do a Google
search on Medium Blue, a leading search engine optimization firm, for helpful examples
of title tags and descriptions.
Include straightforward descriptions
A description should address your primary audience’s need or want and your ability
to help them.
Here's an example:
A Google search on the key phrase “baseball bats” returns a highly ranked listing
for Baseball Corner, an online store for baseball and softball equipment. Their
home page title tag is “Baseball Corner-Baseball bats, gloves and equipment.” Their
page description is “Check out the latest baseball bats, gloves and equipment from
Easton, Louisville Slugger and more.”
Nothing fancy, but for searchers looking to buy a new baseball bat, it’s effective,
especially if they favour Easton or Louisville Slugger, two of the most popular
brands.
Never Miss an Opportunity to Optimise
There is no end to the optimization of content on your site, so keep adding new
brochures, newsletters, white papers, press releases to your site. Search engine
crawlers go through a lot of text, so it is always advantageous to keep adding relevant
material. Keep writing articles for E-zines and publications, remember to keep adding
your key phrases liberally to these. When these articles are published, link to
them from your website. Not only will you give yourself two chances for high rankings—their
e-print and yours— but you’ll also create a content link that search engines love,
while positioning yourself as a thought leader on a subject of interest.
Marketing brochures, white papers, presentations and other collateral material tend
to have more detailed website content and thus any key phrase that you are optimizing
for your site should figure prominently in all these copies.
Press releases require more careful attention while optimizing as they provide hard
news, so it is best to avoid marketing words. Reporters and editors are wise to
the ways of public relations practitioners, so avoid optimizing too heavily for
news engines at the expense of losing the interest of these very important human
readers.
Use a key phrase that can blend in to the angle of the news story and place it in
the headline and subhead. You can include a subhead in the body copy and use a key
phrase there if your release is more than a few paragraphs. You can use a key phrase
twice in the first paragraph of the story and then further use it once or twice
in the body copy.