Keywords- something that we have heard about probably a million times too many. They are part of marketing; they are part of SEO (search engine optimization) and they are what people type into the search box when they are trying to find something online. But how important are they really and how much focus should be put on keywords?
These questions could be debated forever, as it seems like no two people can agree on everything when it comes to keywords. They are valued more to some than they are to others and once you start diving into the issue, debates can be long lasting and unavoidable. Then there is the information which confuses more than it does help. Do we really need a scientific breakdown of keywords, how they work and how often we should use them? Probably not, as the answers are really quite simple.
Taking the easy road, here are a few things to know about keywords before we get into how much focus should be put on them when you are marketing online.
- Keywords are what people type into the search box when they are looking for something online. Different search engines will display different results depending on what algorithm the search engine is using. For example, Google and Yahoo might display the same websites in the results, but they may be listed in an order different than the other search engine- or one engine might list completely different sites all together.
- A lot of factors go into where a website shows up in the search results, but relevance is one of those factors. If your website has relevant keywords and relevant information that relate to what the user searched for, there is a better chance that they will find your site.
- A website such as a blog may have a general overall focus and it may use several of the same keywords in several different posts.
- Keywords can include one singular word or it may include several words that are considered to be a “key phrase”. “Exercise” would be a keyword, while “learn how to exercise” would be considered a key phrase.
- Keywords tell the search engines what the website or page is about- therefore it is suggested that the keywords are placed in important places, such as the title and in the first few paragraphs of the post or article.
- How many times a keyword is used on a website or page is a very debatable subject matter. Some insist that keywords should not be used at more than a rate of 5% density, while others say it doesn’t matter. The important thing is that keywords are not “stuffed” or used to the point where the search engines believe that the website is trying to be unethical and spammy.
Now that we know a little more about keywords, how much focus should be placed on them?
When it comes down to it, people would not be able to find your website if you do not put any focus on keywords. You can write a great post, have a great product or the best website design in the world, but if no one can find it, then the effort is for nothing. Using keywords is vital when marketing or promoting products or services online. The keywords need to provide insightful and descriptive information regarding what you are offering to buyers.
Take a hard look at your websites or niche sites: Are you using keywords? Are you being found in the search engines if you search with the keywords that you use? If not, it might be time to put a little more effort and focus into this area.
December 14th, 2010 on 4:51 pm
Great article. I don’t know how many times I have had to mention to clients the importance of keyword research it really is the foundation of a good SEO campaign.
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