Integrating Keywords into your written Website Content

My previous article focused on how to chose keywords to target for your site.

By now you have decided on your list of keywords. You know these keywords are used by people looking for a website like yours. You now need to modify your site to incorporate these words and phrases into your written page content.

Written page content incorporates all the written text on your site. It does not include text written within graphics as this cannot be read by search engine spiders.

Your written content should include the keywords you are trying to target. A few 'rules of thumb' for integrating keywords into your website's content:

• Try to stick to one or two keywords per site page. You can have up to four if they are related.
• Repeat the keyword approximately once per paragraph.
• Put the keyword at the start of your title, description and keyword Meta tags.
• Put your keyword as close to the start of the text as possible.
• Name your page the same as your keyword; for example "blue widget.html"
• Name your site after your major keyword; for example www.blue-widget.com
• Write all original content.

Remember your website content should be written for your visitors first and foremost. By targeting one page per keyword you are ensuring the page is totally focused on the keyword.

Now a few search engine don'ts:

• Don't stuff your keyword tag with unrelated keywords. The search engines know your page is not about eBay, free music downloads, etc because the text on the page does not back it up.
• Don't keyword stuff hidden parts of the page - image 'alt' tags, comments, etc.
• Don't keyword stuff, period - don't repeat the same keywords multiple times in a row anywhere on the page.
• Don't use page generation tools - the search engines know them all and can tell which pages are created by a tool and which are created manually.
• Don't duplicate content either within the same site or across multiple sites.
• Don't hide text by using white text on a white background, small fonts. The search engines will see hidden text and blacklist your site!

Any of the above can get your site banned. Once banned it is extremely difficult to get your site back into the search engine results.

My next article will focus on ensuring the search engines can read and index your site.

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