Content Development - Use Keywords to Improve Search Engine Ranking

To improve search engine ranking, use keywords to help create relevant information that addresses your customer's questions.

Writing web content and blog material is a challenge for every business owner. However, if you develop relevant writing themes, your job will become easier and you will boost your ranking.

1. Make a list of the words and phrases that a web customer might use to find your services or products.

For example, let’s say you own a toy store in Nags Head, North Carolina named “The Playroom”. Your keyword list will include phrases such as

• Nags Head toy store (include your town name and what you are offering);
• Outer Banks toy store (include regional names);
• Toddler toys Outer Banks;
• Educational toys;
• Video games for children; and
• Board games Nags Head.

Your list can include hundreds of key phrases—add to it whenever you think of a new one. You can also check your ideas for keyword using a Google AdWords Tool. This will show you the number of people searching using that keyword phrase in any given month and the difficulty, which they higher the number the more difficult it will be to achieve ranking.
If Google Analytics™ is installed on your site, take advantage of this tool and study the terms people have used to arrive at your site. These statistics can help you figure out the keywords that your site is missing—and the customers you might be missing due to a lack of that content.
Remember to keep the words simple: unless you want to target a limited audience, change technical terms to common ones.
After you have developed your list, insert these keywords into your main page headings, blog titles, and body text.

2. Name your image files with your keywords to improve search engine ranking.

Title your graphics and photos with relevant keywords and phrases, not your company name. For example, use words such as “nags-head-toy-store.jpg” instead of “theplayroom.jpg”. Don't post images with the default title that your camera creates. Search engines cannot give you SEO credit for a photo named “CMI234566.jpg”. It also is important to use dashes to separate your keywords and limit the file name to about 24 characters.
Be sure to add the keywords to your “alt” image tag. Alternate tags on images “tell” blind web visitors what the image is about, plus these tags improve SEO

3. Add fresh content to your site.

To reach the top pages of an internet search and remain there, you must update your site—daily, if necessary. Even if you hire a web developer to optimize the main content of your site, competitors who regularly post relevant articles, photos, and client feedback will quickly out rank you.
If you make a habit of blogging, your search engine ranking will improve. Here are some basic blogging tips to help drive the right customers to your site.

• Choose a relevant, focused topic that addresses a client’s need or a frequently asked question (remember those phrases you discovered using Google Analytics?).
• Use the keywords in your post title.
• Insert the keywords in two spots (blog posts should contain a total of 500 to 600 words). Use the keywords in your pre-styled headings (heading 1, heading 2, and heading 3) and in the body text.
• Use one relevant photo or graphic and remember to named it for search engines.
• Use keywords in your CMS’s “meta” title, keyword focus, and description. For WordPress™ users, make sure you have a SEO plugin installed such as Yoast™. This editor appears near the bottom of every page and post on your site.

4. Learn how to edit your content management website (CMS) and make a habit of updating the main content and adding new blog posts.

If you have a site that you can update yourself, learn how to use it. Many business owners shy from using their CMS to its fullest potential.
Your website is probably the most important marketing tool that you have so get best practices instructions from a professional internet marketing agency. Paveya offers a great deal of educational material on our website and through our blog.
But your best bet is to dive right in! It can be daunting at first remember the reason why you started in this business in the first place… tell about your passion and why your products are unique. Once you become proficient, your search ranking and the quality of your web traffic will improve.