| If you're reading this and your web site doesn't | | | | Anyway, back to you and your web site. So now |
| contain any body text on the home page, give | | | | you've added plenty of text to your pages and the |
| yourself a good smack and go to your room without | | | | copy flows well for the reader. You've researched |
| supper. When you're ready to behave and design | | | | your keywords and phrases using WordTracker or |
| your site with the search engines in mind, come back | | | | something similar and now you're faced with the |
| out and read this article. | | | | dilemma of integrating the keywords into your |
| The simple truth is this: search engines read text and | | | | carefully written copy. So how do you satisfy the |
| not much else. You absolutely, positively need to use | | | | search engine's craving for keywords without |
| text on the pages of your site that you want | | | | interrupting the copy flow for the reader? The |
| indexed and ranked highly. Not graphical text that | | | | answer is: very carefully. |
| you created in your fancy design software, but | | | | Let's take a look at a practical example. We have a |
| actual, visible body text. Not sure if your site uses | | | | client that specializes in luxury adventure travel. |
| graphical or body text? A good rule of thumb that I | | | | Before I optimized their site, part of the home page |
| learnt from search engine guru Danny Sullivan is to | | | | copy read like this: |
| try and highlight the text with your mouse. If you | | | | "We specialise in providing vacations for people who |
| can drag your mouse over the text when viewing it | | | | want a personal service. We bring to our efforts a |
| in a browser, chances are this is body text and the | | | | fanatical obsession with quality and exclusivity. We |
| search engines can read it. | | | | also bring a freshness, an outward-going passion for |
| Ok, so you've created your body copy and your site | | | | discovery which justifies our growing reputation as |
| pages are loaded with good old-fashioned text. But | | | | one of the world's top travel providers. We can put |
| your job's not over! Now you need to get targeted. | | | | together packages that include all adventure |
| Search engines aren't going to rank your web site | | | | activities, accommodation, transport and food". |
| about socks highly if your body copy talks about | | | | Extensive WordTracker keyword research for the |
| foot sizes. You need to get specific. If you sell socks, | | | | client had determined that the home page should |
| then for heaven's sake, make sure your site copy | | | | target the following key phrases: |
| has plenty of references to the word socks! At the | | | | · adventure travel |
| risk of sounding like Dr Seuss, if you want to be | | | | · best adventure vacations |
| found for, big socks, small socks, cotton socks and | | | | · tailored travel |
| wool socks, then mention them all. Better still, sort | | | | · overseas adventure travel |
| your copy into categories based on your products | | | | · luxury travel packages |
| and services. If you sell blue socks AND red socks, | | | | So taking our original home page text, the challenge |
| then have a page dedicated to each kind. This allows | | | | was to integrate these keywords carefully and |
| you to target niche keywords within your copy and | | | | naturally so as not to disturb the logical flow of the |
| meet the relevancy guidelines for logical search | | | | copy and lose the interest of the visitor. Here's how I |
| queries. | | | | did it: |
| It sounds so obvious, but I'm constantly amused by | | | | "We specialise in providing the best adventure |
| the number of web sites I see selling particular items | | | | vacations for people who want a personal and |
| without once making reference to those items in | | | | tailored travel service. We bring to our efforts a |
| their body copy. For example, there are thousands of | | | | fanatical obsession with quality and exclusivity. We |
| sites on the Internet promoting web site design | | | | also bring a freshness, an outward-going passion for |
| services right? Next time you see one, take a look at | | | | discovery which justifies our growing reputation as |
| their body copy. You'll be surprised how often you'll | | | | one of the world's top overseas adventure travel |
| see flashy looking sites without a single mention of | | | | providers. We can put together luxury travel |
| the phrase "web site design" in their page copy. | | | | packages that include all adventure activities, |
| Instead they'll use fancy all graphic pages or Flash | | | | accommodation, transport and food". |
| movies. Or if they do use body text, it might include | | | | Note that the key phrase "overseas adventure |
| cryptic jargonised language like "Internet Solutions" or | | | | travel" accommodates the phrase "adventure travel" |
| "online brand building". | | | | too. Voila! The search engines are happy because the |
| What the heck does this tell a search engine about | | | | site contains text content relevant to related search |
| their business? Absolutely nothing. Are these sites | | | | queries, the client is happy because we were able to |
| going to be considered a relevant match for search | | | | integrate the keywords without distracting the visitor |
| queries about "web site design"? No way! The | | | | and I'm happy because I know the site is going to |
| creators of these sites might think they're being | | | | rank highly for the client's target search terms. |
| clever, but they are really missing the boat entirely. | | | | Now go and apply the same principles to your own |
| What's the point of having a web site if you are | | | | site... |
| going to sabotage its ability to be found? | | | | |