What do you know about keywords? They improve how the search engines perceive your content. However, using too many is a bad thing. Learn about keyword density and how to mix and match for the perfect combination.
Besides straightforward keywords and appropriate density, there are other ways to optimise. You can use keyword phrases. Nowadays, many keywords have become commonplace. Entering “chocolate” into a search engine, brings back millions of results. It is possible that people could wade through 10 pages of results, which they probably are not going to do, and still be confused.
Now, they will try a different tactic. Instead of one word they will enter something like “chocolate peanut butter cookies.” This is definitely more specific. If you are in the business of selling recipes, then you would be much better off using the second phrase instead of just that one key word.
Keyword Myth Revealed.
When it comes to online business development, you might think that common sense is the best approach to keyword selection, but you are not always right. Your mind says that if such and such keyword is the one you should be using to attract customers, then it should appear everywhere. So far, you are right.
This is where many people take the wrong road. Putting them everywhere doesn’t necessarily mean stuffing your content like a keyword burrito. At one time, you may have gotten away with that, but search engines have evolved much like anything else. They are smart enough to know that a keyword is not going to appear in every third sentence as the normal course. This is keyword stuffing.
Learn About Keyword Density.
A typical search engine is difficult for the average person to understand as it is composed of a tricky mix of algorithms. All we need to know is that the robots will do what they’re supposed to do. They search for keywords that are entered into the search box on thousands and thousands of sites, blogs and the lot, indexed all over cyberspace.
Keyword density is a measure of how many of those particular words appear within text. As an example, a 500 word article should contain a given number of keywords appropriate to that piece of text. Internet gurus used to always say that a safe keyword density was anywhere from 3-10%.
Search engines do not think this way however, and have their own ideas about correct density. Today the figure can be as low as between 1 and 3%. This would mean that your keyword should occur only between five and 15 times in a typical 500 word article. Most err on the lower end just to be safe. After all, if you encountered the same keyword 15 times in a 500 word article you would likely think this to be strange, depending on the subject matter.
Keyword density also takes into account the number of words in your target keyword. Long tail online business marketing has become popular and can further focus your content and website for a larger, well-defined market.
But keyword density also works for your website development in general. Using keywords in picture tags, as anchor text within content and as subheadings as well as headlines will also get you noticed. Good content will get people to visit you time and again, but the composition of your website will be fundamental to helping you achieve and then stay at the top of the first page of search results.
Michelle Dale is The Managing Director of Virtual Miss Friday, an Executive Virtual Assistant who assists businesses and individuals with achieving their professional goals. Want to find out more about online business building success strategies? Contact VMF Now!