SEO Must Serve The Real Master

Tuesday December 30, 2008

SEO or search engine optimization is my kind of writing challenge. Give me a list of words to work into my copy, and I’m like a kid looking for the perfect spot for that piece of sky in the jigsaw puzzle. But how can I make a sentence sing and still include a phrase like higher education procurement? Sometimes it feels like the keyword is more important than the content itself.

Wait a minute, isn’t content supposed to be king? Of course, I understand the purpose of SEO is to get more hits on Google when folks are searching online. One of the things I appreciate about SEO is it forces me to think like the user and write in terms that people actually use. It’s possible to dwell too much on positioning and differentiation. And while differentiating points may help folks make their final choice, that’s not what they’re putting into the search engine. They’re thinking in general terms, even when they add specifics to their search. So they key in poodle grooming services rather than your trademarked Pampered Poodle Package.

I’ve known clients who balk at using a generic term for their special product name. But no one is searching for a product/service that they’ve never heard of. So the client is missing out on capturing that new business. For example, if my Web site promotes Pampered Pretty Poochies, but I don’t include a generic descriptive phrase, how will anyone searching for holiday dog grooming find my service?

Here are some of the easy rules I follow to make Web content SEO-worthy yet persuasive reading:

1) Use the keyword in my headline (also known as the H1 tag).

Too many times headlines on Web pages are clever but don’t even mention the product/service or benefits. But it’s one of the first places a search engine checks. Don’t be afraid to expand the navigation label in your headline — they don’t have to be exactly the same. If you clicked on Grooming Services on your specialty poodle care site, the page headline could say Poodle Grooming Services.

2) Use the same keyword in the first paragraph.

SEO experts say it helps to repeat the exact same keyword in both the headline and the first paragraph. Some even say the first sentence. That’s tricky if you don’t want copy to sound repetitive or awkward. But it can be done. Your first line could read: “Look no further to find the ultimate in standard and miniature poodle grooming services.”

3) Work in other keywords throughout the page.

While repetition is good, it’s ok not to use poodle grooming services every 10 words. But you might also want to include dog grooming equipment. You can find many possibilities when you check a keyword tool (example: Google AdWords).

4) Use different keywords throughout the site.

A breadth of keywords keeps your content from sounding repetitive and gives you more chances to capture Google hits. As you drill down into your site, your internal pages can have more specific or longer keywords (often called the Long Tail — no, it’s not about poodles. Here's Wikipedia’s explanation.). For example, you might use toy poodle toenail polish. A good SEO firm can help you determine the right words for the higher level pages on your site vs. the lower level pages.

5) Never forget you’re writing for readers.

Keywords may help direct people to your site, but once they get there, they want content that makes sense and is engaging. So don’t sacrifice well-written copy on the SEO altar. Great site content excels in both ways. That may take a little more creative writing, but as any good writer knows, there’s always more than one way to turn a phrase.

And no, I don’t use every last keyword I’m given. That may sound like heresy to SEO enforcers, but content is still king. And SEO is just a vassal, sworn to a life of service to the ultimate master.