SEO Posted May 21, 2003 Share Posted May 21, 2003 The first step to any Search Engine Optimization (SEO) consideration is selecting the proper keyword phrase(s). First, think outsides of your position (you are not 'you' looking for 'you') rather really try to put yourself in the shoes of a potential viewer. What would they (again, not 'you') use to find your content? Create a list of potential keyword phrases. Take these and see how popular they are… How? Well, there are several ways. One, do searches using these words, do your competitors come up? How many pages are in the index with this phrase? More accurate information can be gleamed from professional (i.e. you pay for it) services that offer 'real' numbers. Wordtracker is one example that can give you real data on the popularity of a term. Some people review the PPC rates (Pay Per Click) of individual phrases and assume that the higher the cost, the better the phrase. The important thing is to spend the proper amount of time (i.e. research) to determine the ideal phrase. It is not only the first step, but also one of the most important. Real Story. A client, on a TCH server, came to us and asked to optimize their site for 'barley straw'. They offered a single product to fishpond owners, bags of barley straw. It turns out that if one places barley straw in a fishpond, it prevents algae (a continuously big problem for fishpond owners) from growing. Well, the first step was what? Yes, Keyword Analysis. We found that 'Barley Straw' was not a real popular search phrase. Now we could have easily optimized their site for 'Barley Straw' but what would be the point? Through analysis, we found that 'Garden Pond Supply' or 'Pond Supply' would be the best phrases (also the most competitive). Through our optimization procedures, this site has top rankings among all the major search engines for these two phrases. Traffic to their site resulting from these rankings altered their entire business; they now offer all kinds of garden pond supply! Morale of the story… Choose your keyword phrases wisely. Read more: Search Engine Optimization Specifics Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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