More about Keywords

Keywords have been critically important to get right if you want to rank high in the search engines. Devote some time to keyword research using a Google keyword research tool or any number of other research applications such as Market Samurai. Always be aware of the keywords you wish to target when writing but never ever let this affect the quality for the reader. The key point here is to write for the reader and not the search engines.Keywords are not what they used to be.

It is best to factor in all avenues including:

• Estimating what phrases your customers search for

• Viewing the chosen keywords of your competitors

• Looking up low competition keywords

• Looking up high request keywords

• Taking online or offline surveys of some of the market segment

• Researching keywords that tie seamlessly into a sales presentation

• Keywords for local area traffic

• Niche keywords or ‘long tail keywords’ (long phrases or entire sentences)

If you have an existing site, I want you to examine your homepage and complete the checklist below based around the keyword set you chose above.  Circle your answers so you know how many you need to take action on.

1) Do you have your keyword in your domain name? Yes/No

This is not always possible.

2) Do you have your keyword in your URL other than the domain name? Yes/No

This one is talking about your headlines which work in the Silo system we talked about.

3) Do you have your keyword in your title? Yes/No

Not the same as the Headline of the article.

4) Do you have a second keyword variation in your title? Yes/No

5) Do you have <META> tags for your keywords? Yes/No

6) Do you have <META> tags for a keyword rich description? Yes/No

7) Do you have a header <H1> tag towards the top of your page? Yes/No

If not go back and make your title on the top of the page <H1>

8) Do you have your keyword in your first paragraph? Yes/No

This is important work it in, if you can’t you have the wrong keyword.

9) Do you have an appropriate keyword density (~2-5%)? Yes/No

The newest algorithm updates seek to correct this issue and actually penalize websites that needlessly increase keyword repetition. Your safest bet is to research your keywords carefully and aim for below 1% density, whatever the article dictates based on intelligent human reading.

10) Do you have your keyword in your last paragraph? Yes/No

In the military they tell what they are going to tell you(keywords).Tell you the (keywords) then they tell you what they told you(keywords)

11) Have you used the <strong> and <i> tags to bold/italicize your keywords somewhere? Yes/No

12) Do you use images with a keyword rich filename? Yes/No

13) Do you use ALT text for your images? Yes/No

Go back and fix this if not.

14) Do you have your keywords in the text near the location of your images? Yes/No

15) Do you have your CSS code or javascript code (if applicable) in a separate file? Yes/No

If you are using SEO plugins in your WordPress site much of this will have been done easily for you.