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Stop Being Invisible: Keywords and SEO
By justBurbank.com | March,2008
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. By adding the necessary elements to your website that will make it more visible to people who are searching Google (and other search engines like Yahoo and MSN) for your type of products or services, you are optimizing your site for search engines.
For example, imagine someone looking for a plumber in Burbank. This person would probably type “Burbank plumber” into a Google search. “Burbank plumber” is a “keyword phrase” that would give the user his desired results. Google then displays links to websites with the most relevant content related to those keywords. Having content that is keyword rich (ie:”Burbank plumber” used as a phrase that is repeated throughout a Burbank plumber’s website) is not the only factor determining the ranking of websites but it is a very important one.
In order to better your chances of coming up on the coveted first page of a Google search, follow these tips:
Know the keyword phrases related to your product or service.
There are a number of ways to determine your keywords. The best way is to create and maintain a list of words and phrases that are used in these ways:
- Words your customers are most likely to use to search for websites with your products/services: For example, the word “chiropractor” is more likely to be used by someone as a search term rather than “chiropractic.” Another example is “dentist” instead of “dentistry.” Try to use these types of terms in any website copy that describes your services or products.
- Use both technical names of your products/services and more commonly used terms in your copy to reach all types of customers. Examples: Use both the technical term such as, “CAT-5 Wire”, and the more common term “Ethernet cable.” Use both “Blepharoplasty” and the more common vernacular “eyelid surgery.
- Use specific names of communities to connect with local searches. Examples: Use “Burbank” instead of “San Fernando Valley.” or use “Los Angeles” instead of “Southern California.”
- Include details about your products/services. More information about your services is good for the customer and good for your online visibility. Examples: Give detailed information about both “stress relief” and “nervous conditions.”
- Use all the different types of search phrases in your copy that you think may be used in a search by your customer.
Once you have generated these lists, take a look at your competition’s content, the ones that are currently coming up on the first page of a Google search. Look for keyword phrases that you have neglected and add them to your copy. Note: Keyword phrases (2 to 5 words) are more likely to get you qualified, ready-to-buy traffic/visitors. Trying to be “more general” to appeal to “more people” is not necessarily the best way to go.
Writing & Editing Your Content. Now that you know your keywords, go through your content and count the number of times you use each word or phrase. If these words or phrases are repeated often then your content is already “keyword rich.” If not, time for a rewrite. In general, having about 10-20 main keywords/phrases should suffice. Typically, it is best to have only 2-3 keyword phrases as the focus of each page and then, if your budget allows, opt for more pages that are focused and descriptive. If your budget is tight, make each page count by really honing your content so that your keyword phrases are used frequently. The goal is to write good copy that informs your customer in a clear and concise way as well as increases your site’s visibility.
Some design tips to make your website keyword rich:
- Location Keywords: List all of the locations you serve along the bottom of each page in a small (readable) font. The most common way of doing this is having a sentence along the very bottom of each page that reads something like, “Serving Burbank, Glendale, Toluca Lake, Pasadena and other communities throughout the greater Los Angeles area.” If you are a national company, or an international company, I would recommend listing the areas where you get the most business (or are trying to expand into). For example, “Serving Los Angeles, California; New York, New York; Denver, Colorado; Dallas, Texas; and the entire United States, Korea, Japan and Mexico.” Remember: this text informs your customers and provides a guide to let search engines know that you are relevant to a search that includes a locality.
- Testimonials - When adding testimonials, always display the location of the person who wrote the testimonial (ie:Mary Smith, Burbank, CA).
- Bullet Points - List out your products, services, benefits and ideal clients in a clear, easy-to-read format. You’ll be able to fit more on the page without cluttering the site. Feel free to describe in detail whatever you want on your web pages but move the larger segments of writing towards the bottom of the pages and reserve the top for summarized content. You have less than 5 seconds to interest a visitor; bullet points are easily scanned, and allow you to appeal to the largest number of people.
Your web designer may not know SEO. Ask questions and find out if they are well versed in SEO. Most web designers can implement SEO code once they have read something about it. If your's is not interested in the work...read more yourself about it and then find someone you can trust to update your site with the right coding and editing.
There is currently a lot of “smoke and mirrors” being generated about this topic. For most, only a couple of important factors need to be addressed to completely optimize most small business sites. There are some “black hat” optimizers who might try to convince you to overpay for the work or suggest a monthly fee for ongoing SEO work. It’s mostly not necessary. If someone guarantees a first page ranking, just say no. There are no guarantees on Google ranking and some "trick" coding can actually do damage to your website over the long term.
If your have a small website, you should not have to pay more than $50-100/page for SEO coding and copyediting. Additionally, not every page needs optimization. Many sites only need work done on the home page and the main pages with information describing products or services. There is much more to SEO than just inserting keywords into your copy, however this is a good place to start.
One more tip: if you are building a new site, tell your designer to keep the Flash animation (moving images) to a minimum. Search engines cannot read Flash and if your site is entirely built with it (and many are), the content is invisible to Google and thus to your customers.
Next tip...be patient. It can take a several weeks before Google gets around to crawling your site again, but eventually it will start creeping up the ladder toward that enviable first page ranking. You have just learned one of the big factors that can improve your Google ranking and help your potential clients find you on the web.
The team at justBurbank.com collaborates on articles. Each employee contributes ideas, Kate edits for business friendliness and Libby has the final edit for humor's sake. Our aim is to provide useful & entertaining information.
