Use Keywords to Improve Search Engine Ranking
What are keywords & key phrases?
Any words or phrases that are on your site can be keywords or key phrases. However, the best keywords are the "search terms" — the words and phrases that your customers type into a search engine (e.g. Google, Yahoo, MSN) when they are looking for a business like yours on the Internet.
These search terms are the keywords and key phrases for your site.
These terms may be services or products, specific product names, location - city, region, state, country, descriptive adjectives. Some people type in the company name, web site name, or domain name if they know or can guess it.
Why are keywords important?
- Search engines use the words that are on your Web site to determine how well your site matches the search terms entered by searchers.
- If the words that describe your business are not on your Web site, searchers looking for a business like yours will not find you!
How to develop a keyword list
- Ask your customers, friends, or family what search terms they would use to find a business like yours. Write these down.
- Make a list of words and phrases that closely describe your products and/or services. There are often several phrases that describe the same thing. See if you can come up with at least 50 to start. Include:
- services
- products both categories and specific product names
- general terms (e.g. "lumber")
- specific terms (e.g. "Douglas Fir, Cedar, Redwood")
- your location - neighborhood, city, region, state, country
- Test your keywords
Enter your search terms into Google, Yahoo Search, or your favorite search engines and see what results you get. Are you finding your competition? If so, you are on the right track.
Know your market — an example
A smart site owner knows his customers and what they are looking for.
Say I am a realtor marketing homes in Rogue River Oregon. My customers may use search terms like: real estate, realtor, real estate agent or broker, agency or company, buy property, Rogue River, Oregon, land for sale, homes for sale, houses for sale, home buying, vacation home, home buying search, low-income home buying, first time buyer foreclosures.
I know, in my particular area, my customers are often looking for special features such as river frontage or waterfront property, or perhaps acreage or farm property.
I want to be sure to include these search terms on my keyword list and to use them on my site. A single searcher won't use all of them of course. But including all of them widens the number of potential searchers who will find the site.
What to do next?
- When writing the content for your site, make sure to use those keywords and key phrases that your customers are likely to use to find your business.
- Make sure your Web developer has your list of your keywords to use in the page titles and content on your site.
See related articles:
A Street Web can help you develop your keyword list
We'll help you to build your keyword list, then make sure that your search terms are effectively integrated into your web site for maximum results.
At A Street Web Design, we take care of the details so you don't have to!
Want to know more about Keywords?
-
Contact us: