Keywords and writing for the Web

Keywords are essential in effective writing for the Web. Here are some do’s and don’ts to help you use them effectively.

Do use keywords. Most internet users will find the things you write about by entering keywords into a search engine. These search engines, such as Google and Yahoo, weigh the topic of an article by the way keywords are used.

For example, if you write an article about losing weight, you will want to use the phrase “losing weight” at least twice in a 500-word article (which is an average length for a Web article). By using the phrase more than once, the search engine will know that your article is about losing weight and is not just a mention that someone has lost weight.

Don’t overdo the use of keywords. Remember when you were assigned a 100-word book report and you wrote that “The book was very, very, very, very…”? Your teacher wasn’t very happy about it, was she? Well, search engines don’t like repeated use of a keyword either. The technology is designed to weed out Web sites that stuff keywords in an attempt to improve search engine ranking.

Do use a variety of similar keywords. Your article on losing weight will rank more highly if you use similar words throughout the article. Consider using such terms as diet, exercise, weight-loss, etc. These will help people find your information.

Don’t forget to provide good information. While keywords are essential, you still need to give good information. People will be more likely to see your article if you have truly unique information. For example, rather than simply saying Weight-Loss Product X is the best weight-loss product under the sun, be more specific. Perhaps you can give a first-person account of how you used the product.

Do use keywords in your page title, your headline and in your first paragraph. This not only signals the search engine what your article is about, it makes it very clear to the reader what subject you will cover. It will also focus your writing and help you stay on the subject.

Don’t forget the meta tags. Meta tags are used in the Web-page creation process and are signals as to what the page is about.

The “title” tag is the most important meta tag, because it will show on the search query results pages, as in our screen clip above.

For the “keyword” meta tag, you will insert your main keywords. For the description tag, you will put a brief description of what your page is about.

Do hyperlink your keywords. The beauty of the internet is the ability to link to other pages with valuable information so users can get a lot of information quickly. Search engines may weigh your article more favorably if your keyword is hyperlinked to another page.

Do use a keyword selection tool to help you come up with keywords. There are many keyword selector tools that are free to use online. They will tell you how often people search for the keyword you are considering and often provide alternatives that may get better results. It is a simple thing to revise your article to improve its search engine ranking.

Some writers misunderstand the use of keywords and are unable to get used to keeping them in mind in their writing. Think of it as a simple technique to get your writing seen on the Web. Think of keywords as your heading for a dictionary or encyclopedia entry. Your keyword will show internet users what information you have quickly. Then use the rest of the article to give them the unique information you have to offer.

Discover the world of Web writing – make a great income writing from home, or from anywhere

Sell Your Writing Online NOW

There’s great money in Web writing. Some Web writers are making $20,000 a month by blogging for a stable of sites. Others are writing articles or ebooks.

Join the Web writing gold rush with Angela Booth’s comprehensive training: “Sell Your Writing Online Now”.