I came across an interesting post on Search Engine Land that referenced two videos from Google’s Matt Cutts. One of them was of particular interest because it gave specific examples of several areas in which webmasters failed when it came to on-page SEO and SEM. I want to help you with 3 of those today.
I’ve included the video here for you to watch.
1. Include the Right Words on the Page
In order to include the right words on the page (words people would actually use when looking for a site such as yours) you must first know what those words and phrases are. This is where your keyword research comes in.
Keyword research is not nearly as complicated as most people make it sound. Once you’ve got a good understanding about what it actually is and what the important elements are, it’s just a matter of spending the time to go through the process of:
- researching possible terms
- analyzing their viability
- selecting phrases for each page you’ll be writing
I have a free report you can download called “Demystifying Keyword Research.” It simplifies the process and takes you step-by-step through what you need to do.
Once you’ve found the right words, you’ll need to include them in your text. Google has made some major changes over the last few years with the Panda and Penguin updates. The best practices for using keywords in copy/content have changed radically from just a few years ago.
The good news is, as Google’s algorithm has gotten more sophisticated, the process of keyword optimization has gotten simpler.
These days, putting keywords in every place you can possibly think of (old-school method) will likely get your page demoted, not advanced in the rankings.
Yes, you have to use the keywords on the page (just as Matt said in the video above), but do so gently. In addition, include synonyms to complete the optimization process.
If you are writing copy for a USB drive, for instance, also include a mention of “thumb drive” or “flash stick.” You don’t have to go crazy with it… a single mention on the page will probably be enough in most cases.
My “Writing With Keywords” video series will walk you through every step of the new keyword copywriting process and give you cheat sheets and planning guides to make implementation easier.
2. Create Compelling Content
Whether it’s a blog post or your website copy, you want to create content that appeals to and engages your visitors. Content that gets shared by others is more likely to rank high with the engines. No, a lot of shares and back links does not guarantee your page/post will hit the top 10, but it does circulate word about your business. And if others are talking about you, that – in and of itself – is bound to generate more traffic.
How do your write compelling content?
A Stronger Connection Means More Conversions
With this easy target audience discovery worksheet & video, you’ll have a handy tool that helps all your copy & marketing efforts hit the mark!
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First and foremost, get to know your target visitor. It’s impossible to write something engaging to someone you’ve never met. The more time you invest in knowing your target audience, the more successful your copy will be.
Whether you…
- join Facebook or Linked In groups that your target customers might be members of
- frequent blogs or forums of interest
- conduct a poll of your site visitors with questions you’d like the answers to
…or any number of other ways, the idea is to develop the same relationship with your target audience as you might have with coworkers or acquaintances.
Then write to them about what they want, what they struggle with, things that will make their personal or professional lives better, etc. As you troll the groups and forums and blogs, make an ongoing list of ideas to use when writing blog posts and/or website copy.
If you want more help with writing optimized copy for your B2B or B2C website, my “Step-by-Step Copywriting Course” will guide you with:
- discovering your target audience
- developing your unique competitive advantage
- crafting compelling headlines, copy and calls-to-action
- optimizing the copy for the engines
- and more
3. Pay Attention to Home Page Title & Meta Description Tags
Matt also specifically spoke about creating an enticing title and meta description tag for important pages, particularly the home page.
Learning how to write these tags so that they appease Google and engage searchers is vital. Title and meta description tags that don’t pass muster with the big G will be changed at Google’s discretion. That might sound OK, but usually the substitute tag is not up to par, in my opinion. Oftentimes, the title tag is changed to something silly like your company name and the description is pulled from snippets of copy from your page that don’t make complete sentences.
To retain as much control as possible, you want to create a flow.
That means your title tag, description tag, the headline on your web page and the copy should all flow together. You do not want your title to be about one topic, your description to be about something else and the web page to be on yet a third topic.
Keeping the message consistent and compelling is what will win you clicks from Google’s search engine results page (SERP) to your site.
For a complete outline of how to master this process, check out my Kindle book “SEO Copywriting Flow.” (Don’t have a Kindle? Don’t worry… there are free Kindle readers for just about every device including iPads, iPhones, PCs, Macs and more.)
If you found this post valuable, others might, too. Please share (below) on your favorite social media sites. Thanks!
Hi Karon,
Thanks for the great info. I have enjoyed your emails and articles for several years. After many years using Serif Web Plus, I’m just starting out using Word Press. I found the learning curve to be challenging. Finding where things reside such as where do I put the Google Analytic Tracking code was my biggest problem but I think I have most of it mastered.
I am going to order your Kindle book today.
Chuck Pettijohn
I know, Chuck. Change takes time 🙂 Good luck with your new CMS and thanks for your interest in the book.
Great article Karon!
I think, all too often, we try to over complicate on-page optimisation.
You offer three simple but important principles that if followed will put us ahead of the crowd when it comes to on-page SEO and deliver the SERP results we want.
Many thanks for the advice.
Bill
What I’m finding is that, as Google’s algorithm gets more sophisticated, keyword optimization actually gets simpler. 🙂
Enjoyed the article. With today’s search engines I have found that it works best to have extremely targeted keyword phrases that have a high search volume and low competition mix. In the most basic keyword terms — your keyword phrases must be relevant and describe your quality written content accurately. Thanks for sharing insights on quality copywriting. I will enjoy the book.
Yes, John. That’s always been true.
Hi Karon,
Nice article. I always find the problem with on page SEO is that it is very difficult to measure the impact of small changes. When you write and article and follow the basics of H1, H2, keyword % in copy, meta tags etc it still feels a little hit and miss. Some articles can appear quite high in the keyword search but other, even for long tail keywords with low competition, can perform badly.
I guess its the site in general that holds most of the importance. If your site is liked by Google then all of your articles should perform well. Do you have any specific tips on making sure Google recognises your site as non spammy, or is a double edged sword where the articles affect the overall site and then the site affects the articles? Now my head is spinning 🙂
Hi Stewart. Well, first off, some of these “basics” are out of date 🙂
Keyword density hasn’t been a valid measure of SEO copywriting success in probably 10 years. Google hasn’t used meta tags in I don’t know how long. This article explains that they don’t use the meta keyword tag or the meta description tag. The title tag, however, (which is not a meta tag) is still valid, although Google is changing it at their discretion more and more.
What you’re assuming about Google liking your site/blog (and thus all articles doing well) is not necessarily true. While Google does look more at the site as a whole, what is probably causing the articles on those sites to succeed is the fact that they are good 🙂 Granted, there will always be web spam and over-stuffed pages that slip through Google’s filters, but for the most part, I think they are doing a better job than they have before.
Keep in mind that copy is only 1 element in the SEO equation. You also need to have a solid social presence where people share your content regularly. You need quality links pointing back to your site (not just freebie links from article directories, etc.), you need a strong site structure/navigation and more.
If you are working on a blog you’ll also want to make sure you don’t over optimize the posts. Most SEO plugins these days are far behind the curve when it comes to current SEO practices. They suggest you look at keyword densities, put only keywords in your title tag and other outdated stuff.
I’d suggest you subscribe to Jill Whalen’s newsletter, High Rankings Advisor. Jill always stays updated on the current SEO info.
You can also pick up a copy of my new mini-video course about post-Penguin/Panda keyword optimization. It’s called Writing With Keywords.
In response to Stewart. I do agree with you that it takes time to see results. I like to review my important pages when time allows. It seems that I can find small ways to improve. I start out looking at my keyword phrase on at least two keyword research tools, then I check my keywords in my title tags. Look at trying to rethink the keyword position in the title and the possibility of using a secondary keyword. I do spend time on my meta description because I know the description influences me when I am search online. I think of it as a small ad. Sometimes I see results fairly quick, other times I don’t see much at all. There has been times where I didn’t worry about it because I felt it was an improvement to my site and I am surprised when it moves me to the first page. I feel that sometimes it takes Google a while to recheck and reevaluate pages but keep trying to improve.John @ Google-Keyword Success
Thanks Karon for the comprehensive response, very useful!
I agree that Google’s changes are on the whole making things easier, not least by punishing people who use black hat backlink techniques. I have always avoided these as its common sense that as search engines get smarter they will recognise a genuine backlink from a paid one.
On the subject of meta tags, I have usually had more success when including my keyword vs when i have not. I am sure this is just coincidence but it backs up my point that it is so difficult to judge the impact of such things.
Thanks also for pointing me to Jill’s newsletter, I will be sure to subscribe.