You can write the content for your website or blog yourself or hire a ghostwriter. For Search Engine Optimization (SEO), you have to write with keyword optimization in mind to make sure your content contains adequate and relevant keywords.
Keywords are words or phrases commonly used in search engines to find your site. For example, if you’re selling DVD drive, your keyword phrases would be DVD drive, DVD burner, DVD drive for laptops, and so on.
You can find popular keywords by using keyword research tools. The software can show you each of the combinations used with a particular keyword, along with how many times the keyword and its combinations have been used. You simply enter in the desired keyword, and you are given the list of results.
You can use Google keyword research tool which is offered for free in the Google AdWords toolset (www.adwords.google.com). Beware that general keywords are more competitive than those that are more specific. If there are fewer sites using the keyword, you increase your chances of getting higher ranking on search engines. You should also consider using keywords that give you conversion than just traffic searching for information.
When you have selected your keywords, you can start writing your content. You need to repeat your keyword several times throughout your content. You want your keyword to appear 2 to 5 percent of the time. For example, if you’re writing an article of 1,000 words, your keyword should appear at least 20 times and no more than 50 times.
If you don’t optimize your keywords properly, search engine spiders won’t be able to pick up your web page. And if you optimize it too many times, it’s seen as spamming and search engines will penalizes your site.
Make sure your content sounds natural and enjoyable to read. Use 2-5 percent keywords as a guide. Aim for ranking at the top of relevant organic search listings and avoid being banned. You are serving the search engines and the readers, but write for the readers first.
Find out what keywords and layout your competitors use by entering your keywords into the search box. Determine the purpose of your writing for the readers. Do you want your reader to act by clicking a link, visiting a certain page, submitting an email address, downloading a PDF document, watching a video, or purchasing a product?
Advertising copy or copywriting is used for the purpose of selling a product or service. The same rules of keyword density that apply to your articles also apply to your advertising copy for the purpose of Search Engine Optimization (SEO). The first rule of copywriting is AIDA:
A – Attention: Grab your reader’s attention with a powerful headline
I – Interest: Tell them the advantages of having your product or service and make them interested.
D – Desire: Tell them the benefits of using your product or service.
A – Action: Tell them what to do next, to take action.
After your content is finished, check for any errors by using a word processing programs such as Microsoft Word to check the spelling, grammar, and keyword density. Make sure your keywords are between 2-5 percent. You can also use a free text analyzer tool (www.webconfs.com/keyword-density-checker.php). Count each time your keyword is found by using the word count feature of your word processing program and divide this number by the total number of words in your content to find out the percentage.
It is critical for your content to sound natural, unique, and valuable in order to get read and earn links. Good luck on your SEO work.
By John Stanford – 2019 – Update 2020
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For additional articles written by John Stanford, see alliedpublishing.com/seo. John Stanford is the author of Ultimate Guide to Search Engine Optimization.