The importance of good keywords

Never underestimate the power of good keywords for search engine ranking (SEO). Often, when we put together our websites, we forget to use key words that people who are looking for our sites will actually use. And many SEO gurus believe that using meta tags (in the code) is virtually unnecessary these days. The power of keywords is using them liberally throughout the content of the site itself.

Most of the SEO experts will tell you to use keywords on the site that are specific to those searching for what you have to offer. Having too broad keywords won't attract buyers and won't get you the higher search engine rankings that you are looking for. Say, for example, my site. I am a virtual professional that helps small business owners with the technology of ecommerce, ezines and e-newsletters and web pages.

But if my site doesn't have specific words, around these, then I won't attract the clients I am seeking.

Examples of 'bad copy' for my site:

• Virtual assistant
• Virtual professional
• Assistant

These are just too broad and the competition for these words is fierce!

Example of 'good copy' for my site:

• Ecommerce
• Ezines
• Shopping cart optimization
• Merchant account setup
• Creating great ezines

These are much more specific and can direct the clients who really want these specific services.

Again, you can choose to use the meta tags in the code on your pages - BUT, all the experts tell me that Google and other spider crawlers on the web are really looking for the key words throughout the text on your site. Basically, it was explained to me that too many web 'designers' abused the meta tags to gain higher ranking for unrelated searches, that the spiders now really want the key words to be within your text on your site.

So, when you are putting together the 'meat' of your website, make sure you have relevant and well thought out key words contained on your site.

Happy webbing!

Michelle