SEO Hosting Blog

After blogging for over three years I have learned a lot of things about search engine marketing and keyword ranking. And one of the things that I have learned is that it really doesn’t take a lot of content to rank for keywords in Google. Granted, there are a lot of contributing factors towards ranking for keywords, but I am finding that the amount of content written doesn’t really hold too much weight in the equation.

Content adds quality to a page. It adds value, and typically, it provides people with what they are looking for. I believe that that is what Google and other search engines seek. They seek, index, and rank pages that they feel will be important to people. In doing so, that makes their search engine favorable because people find what they need. So, in most cases, as a publisher, writing content is what’s needed to achieve ranking. But the question remains, “How much content is needed?” Many publishers feel like a lot is required, when in many cases, it’s not.

A large amount of content isn’t always necessary to achieve ranking. Content is very important, but publishers should be aware that thousands of words on a page isn’t always required to achieve keyword ranking. The point I’m aiming to get across here is that writing content is difficult, takes a lot of time, and requires a lot effort. So, putting in more resources than what’s needed is a waste. With many jobs, it’s the duty of managers to control costs and expenses, to manage payroll and control hours, and oversee that excessive materials are not being used to complete the job.

The same should apply with content writing and search engine ranking. Don’t assume that content is always “King” when it comes to targeting keywords in Google and other search engines. I have learned that the “King” is with identifying alternative keywords and phrases that have low levels of competition with high search counts. The second part is identifying what it will take to rank above the existing competition on the search result page.

When you have it set in your mind that you want rank for certain keywords and phrases, take time to study your competition on the search results page. Ask yourself, “How did they rank for this keyword?” and investigate. Once you discover how your competition achieved their ranking, then you will have a better idea of knowing how much of your own resources you’ll need to use towards ranking above them.

My point is this: The amount of content is only a small factorization in the equation of search engine ranking. Content is much like butter on toast, milk in cereal, or sugar in coffee. Content really only adds flavor to a page. And with keyword ranking, it’s your job to figure out the ingredients needed to make toast, cereal, and coffee. After you do that, then you’ll know exactly how much butter, milk, and suger to add.

Keyword research is the foundation of any SEO strategy. If you target the wrong keywords, you’ll never attract quality traffic that converts, but you already knew that. However, just because you know the goals of keyword research, doesn’t necessarily mean you’re doing it right.

Let me explain. I’m a freelance copywriter, and I often get called upon by clients to rewrite their website copy because it’s just not getting the job done. More times than not, one of the key problems with their copy is that it’s full of jargon and industry buzzwords. These are keywords that companies use to describe their products and services; they aren’t the same keywords buyers use to describe them. As a result, there’s a disconnect, and the website doesn’t attract a lot of buyers. And the few people who come to the website end up leaving because they can’t cut through the jargon to clearly understand what the products and services are.

Getting on the same page as your buyers is crucial to achieving true SEO success. Here are some basic tips that will ensure you’re using the same keywords your buyers use.

• Check your analytics to see how customers are arriving at your website. If you don’t already have analytics installed on your website, go get Google Analytics. With this tool, you can gain deeper insight into your website traffic. You’ll see which keywords visitors are using to arrive at your website and how they react once they land on your page. This is a good tool for understanding the types of phrases buyers really use when looking for your products and services.
• Use a keyword research tool to see what people are searching for. There are plenty of keyword tools you can use to better understand which terms buyers are searching for. Remember, it’s not always about going for the term that gets the highest search volume. It’s about figuring out which keywords will bring in interested buyers that you can convert more easily.
• Look at your competition’s website. I’m not saying you need to create a “me too” website, because that’s not going to convince visitors to buy from you. However, there are things you can learn by studying your competition. Take a look at the websites of your competitors, and try to figure out which terms they use to describe their products and services. Look at their title tags and source page to see which keywords they’re targeting.
• Search social media platforms to see how people talk about your products and services. As a copywriter, one of the biggest benefits I get from social media is studying the way customers talk. If you can study the types of phrases and tone your target audience uses when talking online, you can better target your copy to connect with them. You can also get an idea of which words they use when talking about your products and services.

Are you sure you’re using the right keywords on your website? What have you done to make sure you’re on the same page as your buyers?

When I set out to publish a page on the Internet, I already know well in advanced the primary keyword phrase I am looking to target in the search engines. In this article, my aim is to teach you how to target primary keyword phrases in the search engines by publishing uniquely written content. For me, I am a blogger and one who chooses to use WordPress as my choice blog publishing software.

WordPress is widely supported and increasingly growing in popularity. With that being said though, it really doesn’t matter too much as far as what program you use towards publishing content on the Internet. What really matters though, is how you go about it. For me, WordPress happens to cover pretty much all the bases I need with only a few minor tweaks to the program and the current template being used. (more…)