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