SEO Marketing Part 1: Content is King

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Our first post is going to be the ever-so-popular SEO (Search Engine Optimization) Marketing tips. First off, you should know that Search Engine Optimization may not work. I know there are tons of organizations promising top rankings, key placement, etc, etc. You should know however that even if you are at the top of the organic (normal search results) listings, it does not guarantee more sales. That’s why our first SEO post is going to be about content. I know you may have been expecting information about keywords, key phrases, metatags, etc, but in my experience good Seach Engine Optimization begins with good content.

In short, content that pleases search engine users, and fulfills and information need or prompts them to purchase something, is good. Content that’s highly optimized for search engine algorithms, but fails to satisfy search engine users, is virtually doomed to a fate of obscurity.

First off, you should know that most search engines look intently at the first paragraph of any given page, and then kind of skim over the rest of the content. That’s why you have to make sure that your first paragraph is top notch.

NOTE: Search engines normally determine the first paragraph by the first <p>, or paragraph tag.

The first step in writing good content is to come up with good keywords and key phrases. The phrases you think your target market might be searching for may very well be incorrect. To find the optimal phrases to optimize for, use research tools such as KeywordDiscovery, Wordtracker or Google’s Keyword Tool. Compile lists of the most relevant phrases for your site, and choose a few different ones for every page. Never shoot for general keywords such as “travel” or “vacation,” as they are rarely (if ever) indicative of what your site is really about. In future posts I will go more in depth on choosing keywords and key phrases, so stay tuned!

Now that you have a list of good keywords, you must put them into well written copy. This is a crucial component to having a successful website. The search engines need to read keyword-rich copy on your pages so they can understand how to classify your site. This copy shouldn’t be buried in graphics or hidden in Flash. Write your copy based on your most relevant keyword phrases while also making an emotional connection with your site visitor. Understand that there is no magical number of words per page or number of times to use your phrases in your copy. The important thing is to use your keyword phrases only when and where it makes sense to do so for the real people reading your pages. Simply sticking keyword phrases at the top of the page for no apparent reason isn’t going to cut it, and it just looks silly.

This post has given you a basic overview of writing good content for your pages. Stay tuned for:

• SEO Marketing Part 2: Titles n’ Tags
• SEO Marketing Part 3: Navigation, Categorization, Linking

Thanks for Reading!