Google doesn’t use the meta keywords tag, but it does use keywords to help identify a web site’s relevance to a user’s search. The search engine looks for keywords in the page content, the URL, the title tag, and incoming links as it ranks your web site  against those of competitors. How often and where you use keywords and the quality of the keywords is critical. The best quality keywords are those that are most commonly used by Internet users searching for your products or services.

For visitors to your website and search engine spiders that will crawl through your site – CONTENT IS IMPORTANT. That’s why content should never be an afterthought – just something to fill in the white space between images and flashy multimedia presentations. Our tips for writing good content will help you create content that attracts visitors and turns them into customers.

Think Before You Write

Teachers know what they’re doing when they require that students turn in a term paper outline well before the finished paper is due. An outline forces you to research the topic, select the most important points, and order them effectively. You have to plan what to say before you begin writing.

Imagine this assignment: “Write 500 words on why Happy Puppy Organic Dog Food is the best.” You have to do research to accomplish three major tasks:

An outline keeps you focused because it imposes structure and discipline. Don’t write without one!

Use Informal, Active Language

The outline may be a school remnant, but forget the writing style you used for term papers. You know, where boring isn’t just
expected – it’s rewarded. Many people with excellent verbal communication skills have a writing style that’s downright painful to read.

Their budding writing ability was sabotaged at an early age when teachers forced them to write in “term paper style” where:

Although government agencies and attorneys seem to favor this style, how many people enjoy reading their publications?

Keep your language friendly, informal, and jargon free. You’re trying to communicate with potential customers, not show off your vocabulary skills.

Make Your Content Informative

Put yourself in the reader’s position. What would you want to know about the product or service you’re selling? Nobody enjoys this sort of overt sales pitch:

Simply the BEST dog food on the market!!!!
Dogs LOVE it!!!!
Order your bag TODAY!!!!

It’s not hard to write, but it doesn’t give any real information either. People can read stuff like that anywhere.

It’s ok to reprint (with permission, of course) articles that have appeared elsewhere on the Web and in print. That’s a great – usually free – way to add more depth and value to your site. Just remember that unique content is what makes your site a valuable resource on the Web.

Avoid Over-optimizing

You’re writing for humans, not just search engine spiders!

Keywords are important and you should pay close attention when Page Primer calculates your keyword density score. But spiders and analysis tools can’t tell you whether the content looks or sounds good to humans.

How soon do you get tired of the phrase “organic dog food” in this example?

“Our organic dog food is of far higher quality than competing brands of organic dog food. We use only the best ingredients in Happy Puppy Organic Dog Food. Dogs all over the country enjoy gourmet dining from a bag of Happy Puppy Organic Dog Food. Try a bag of this premium organic dog food today!”

Proofread And Spell Check!

I know from previous unpleasant experiences just how important it is to use proper spelling, grammar, and punctuation! Understand though, that it’s extremely hard to proofread your own work. Appeal to a friend or colleague for help. Ideally, they’ll find those typos before visitors do and give you valuable feedback about your content.

If you have to go it alone though, try these methods: