The
most important step in optimizing your webpage.
Search engines need a way to link
web searchers to the information they are looking for. Each indexed
page is given a "score" based upon the keywords selected
by the web designer. If you optimize your webpage with the keywords
that web searchers actually use then you WILL see a steady flow
of traffic to your website.
When choosing
your webpage keywords, you must consider the words that a web
searcher would use to find your specific webpage. If you have
a positioning a page about "NFL Football" you might
select "nfl, football, sports" and others. However,
if your webpage is selling football equipment you might select
"football gear, shoulder pads, cleats" and others. Both
webpages have football in common, but have disctinctive differences
in the keywords a web searcher would use to find your page.
Keyword Relevance
- Is the state of keywords matching the content of the
webpage. Your keywords must be relevant or they will not "score"
well.
Keyword Phrases
- Should be used when the website theme would draw too
much webpage competition for the given keyword. When using broad
terms like "cars" you are better served to choose keyword
phrases such as "used cars" or "car parts".
Cars alone will draw three times the competiting pages as "new
cars." Be careful when selecting keyword phrases because
you may be too specific and no one will actually use the phrases
you have selected......even though they very accurately describe
your website.
Keyword Density
- Is the ratio of keywords to total word count. A 5-8%
desnity will be very successful on most search engines. A keyword
repeated 3-4 times in a total word count of 50 will be optimum.
To retain a high keyword density separate your webpages into themes.
For instance, the index page would feature more generic terms
realted to "cars" such as "new cars, used cars,
autos, trucks, vans etc." while your next level pages would
focus on " auto insurance," "auto loans,"
and other car related topics.
Stop Words- Are
common, non-specific words that will stop a spider's indexing.
They include "as, and, for, of am , is, etc." I have
heard talk lately that some search engine alogorithms may actually
ignore some popular phrases such as "Britney Spears"
or "Free" because of the sheer volume of references.
It may be wiser to use terms relating to her unless you have enough
keyword density to compete with the 14 million webpages vying
for the keyword.
REMEMBER
- You must have the correct keywords or
your #1 ranking means nothing .... because nobody will see it.
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