How to Use the Right Keywords on your Web Site
Keywords are the heart of any search engine optimization strategy. Proper selection and placement of keywords on your Web site will determine how your site is ranked. And if your Web site is ranked high, it will generate a lot of free traffic.
The keywords on your site need to match the keywords your visitors are searching. For example, if a visitor is looking for "search engine optimization" and they type in the keyphrase "search engine optimization ," then chances are your site will be listed in the search engine's web pages - of course, the same keyphrase must be on your Web page and you should properly optimize your Web page for this keyphrase.
Keywords vs. Keyphrases
Searchers generally use 3-4 keywords rather than just one keyword. Therefore, you should focus on finding keyphrases rather than an individual keyword. Some keywords are also more competitive than others. For example, if you choose the keyword "website", it's a very competitive and general term. However, if you choose "Toronto website design", then it is more specific and easier to get ranked for this keyphrase rather than the keyword "website" only.
The Magic of Keywords
The word keyword is used so often nowadays - it's like a magic pill to get you high rankings. But, there's more to keywords than just stuffing Web pages with random keywords. And of course, besides keywords, there are other factors in determining search engine rankings.
As a general rule, don't use more than three keyphrases per page. As an example, for a Web design site, you could use:
- website design
- website design for small business
- custom website design
You would use these three keyphrases on one Web page. Each page on your Web site would then have three different keyphrases targeted for each Web page.
How do you choose the right keywords?
I always ask my clients this question "If you were looking for a business like yours on the Web, what keywords would you look for? They generally answer with the name of their product which usually only a few people know about. But, how would someone who doesn't know about your product search for you (unless it's a well-known brand)? Think about what keyphrases, users would want to search to find your product or service and then make a list of these keyphrases.
Keyword research reports are one of the best ways to get this type of information as they are detailed. A typical keyword research report will list:
-
keywords specific to your product or services
- number of searches for each keyword according to search engines
- the number of times each keyword has been searched by visitors
- what your keyword will cost if you use pay-per-click ads.
If you want to find out more about keyword research reports, please contact me at nina@interdream-designs.com.
Overture has a free keyword research tool at http://inventory.overture.com/d/search/inventory/suggestion. This tool is handy to find out what keywords people are searching for. Use this tool to brainstorm a list of keywords for your site and then use the most relevant ones and with a decent number of searches. You might discover keyword combinations that you never thought of before.
Wordtracker is a more extensive service and gives you a list of every single keyword you choose. There is free trial available at www.wordtracker.com. Wordtracker works with a database of 300 million searches from the past 8 weeks from several search engines so the results are more relevant. The paid one is extensive while the free trial gives you results from a few search engines only.
Where should you use keywords on your page?
The most important places you should use your keywords are:
1. Title Tag
Title tag is the text that is displayed at the top of the Web browser. Every page on your site should contain a unique title tag with your primary keyphrase for your Web page. Your title tag should ideally contain no more than 5 - 8 words.
2. Meta tags
Meta tags are html tags that describe the page. These are used in the html code on the Web page. Today, meta tags are not as important as they once were. However, they are still important in deciding the relevancy of the page for keywords.
Search engines look for the the meta description tag. The meta description tag is a description of the page contents. The text you use in the description tag will appear on your listing in the search results. It should entice people to click on your link and choose you instead of your competitors.
The keyword tag is the least important tag. Google doesn't look at this tag but some search engines do. This tag should contain keywords for your page. Make sure the keywords are actually on your Web page.
3. Content
Your targeted keyphrases should be used in the page content. Make sure your keyphrase appears in the beginning, middle and end of your Web page. They should also be used in the headings, image alt tag (text displayed when you mouse over a picture), bold text and text links. You will want to have your targeted keyphrase especially in the title, heading and first paragraph of your page.
Summary:
1.
Pick the right keywords
2. Use no more than three keyphrases per page
3. Use these keyphrases in the title tag, description tag, keyword tag, headings, image alt tags, text links and bold text on your web page
If you need help with finding keyphrases for your site, give me a call at 416-250-1380 or email me at nina@interdream-designs.com.