The longer the keyword, the shorter the list
In my previous post on SEO tips and tricks, I talked about how important it is to use distinctive keywords. That can mean repeating a web address or strangely spelling a word or name.
This can also mean simply using a long keyword phrase. The more words you string together to match a Google search, the less competition there will be for that phrase. Fewer search results will come up for a longer phrase, so your site is bound to be nearer to the top. There are a couple of ways and reasons to do this.
Generating traffic
If you simply want to get lots of hits, head to Google Trends or your favorite site that shows popular keyword searches at the moment. If you choose the longest keyword phrase, you’ll get more traffic. Long keywords are also referred to as longtail keywords in “the biz.”
Sometimes it can be awkward to use the same phrase over and over. For instance, a popular search term on Google now is “Daytime Emmy Awards 2009 winners.” It took a little finessing, but I managed to use it several times and generate a pretty healthy amount of traffic in a short period of time.
Selling a product
If you are selling something through your web site, and you want your company to appear at the top of a Google search results list, being very specific about your product by using longtail keywords will get you closer to the top of a list of search results for that phrase.
For instance, if your company fixes cars and you want to be on the top of the list for certain procedures, use specific wording in the copy on your web site to target customers. For instance, instead of trying to get to the top of the list when people search for “transmission,” use “rebuild manual transmission” or “rebuild automatic transmission.” The longer the keyword phrase, the better.
Longer keywords, longer articles
Besides using longer keyword phrases to promote your site, it is also good to have a lot of text to support those keyword phrases. That’s why having a blog on your web site can greatly increase page views for your site.
Let’s face it, Google is the search engine to optimize. One way to get yourself closer to the top of the Google search results lists is to have longer pieces of copy, between 300 and 500 words. The more words the better. Of course, we all know that writing much more than 500 means no one is going to read the whole thing.
Recap of tips and tricks
So far in this series we have talked about keyword density, which means the number of times you use your keyword phrase compared to the total number of words in your article. I also mentioned using distinctive keywords. It is also important to stay on topic and write about what readers are actually looking for.
I am sure all of us have marveled at times about how well Google answers questions and matches search results with exactly what you wanted to know or read about. That’s no accident, so make sure you are giving people what they want when you focus on a keyword phrase.
Come back next week for more tips and tricks for SEO copy writers.
Discussion of More Tips for SEO Copy Writers