Researching keywords prior to writing your articles has proven to be an effective method of ranking high with the search engines. I've read all kinds of tips and advice on many different websites, and the one main idea that always sticks out is: put your readers first!
Sure, you want to study your keywords and the competition that exists for them, but that doesn't mean you have to go write an entire article full of em!
The next time you look something up in your favorite search engine, take a couple of minutes to read through some of the articles on the first results page...
You'll notice that some articles are enticing while others don't seem to grab your attention at all...
Obviously, the sites that you want to pay attention to are the ones that reeled you in and kept you there. This is, in my opinion, one of the best methods of studying keywords, key phrases , and basically everything SEO related.
The sites that appear on the first 3 pages of your search query already have what you want, a high ranking web page on the SERP's. So why not study them?
If you want to learn about making money with free blogs, you study blogs like Mikes Money Making Mission. If you want to become an eBay PowerSeller or learn about DropShipping, you study guys like Mike Enos.
So naturally, when you want to learn why certain sites rank high in the search engines and how keywords are used on those sites, you study high ranking websites!
Remember, the sites you need to pay close attention to are the ones that not only rank high, but that also grab your attention and entice you to read past the third paragraph. Your research on high ranking websites will be much more fruitful if you do this with a few different search terms.
A few things to take note of while you are reading through your selected articles are: keyword placement, keyword density, keyword frequency, and the articles overall readability.
Some people also suggest placing keywords/phrases in header and sub-header text using H1 & H2 tags. I try not to go overboard with this. I only use header tags when they're necessary... Like my post titles, they are wrapped in H3 tags..
Also while studying your articles, you need to look past the words on the screen. Study the format of the entire page, pay attention to every detail... even the "alt" text in the images.
You should keep detailed notes of your research, so that you can refer back to them while writing your own articles..
One final thing I'd like to add to today's post, you don't have to follow anyone's "SEO Rules"... The above written suggestions are merely my own methods that I have used and am currently using in an attempt to gain better search engine placement for my blogs and sites. You can, and always should try out new methods.. Remember to take notes... it's the only way to really track your progress effectively.
Here is a list of keyword research tools that you might find useful:
I've used some of the tools in the above list in conducting my own keyword research. If you know of any other other good research tools that you think should be listed here, let me know by either leaving a comment here on the blog or by sending me an email here.
- Free keyword tool by Google. - A pretty useful keyword research tool by Google. Tool displays the current months search volume and the advertiser competition for any given keyword or phrase.
- KeyCompete. - An online keyword research tool that identifies the keywords your competitors are using in their pay-per-click campaigns. KeyCompete also identifies the competition that is bidding on your keywords. - You can try their service out for free.
- Keyword Discovery. - KeywordDiscovery compiles keyword search statistics from over 180 search engines world wide, and claims to have the most powerful Keyword Research tool.
- Keyword Research Guide. - The folks over at WordTracker created a fictional company, Virginia Veg, and asked experts to provide real answers to the problems facing its CEO... This "project" resulted in an e-book packed with insight, tips, and techniques on keyword research that you can apply easily to your own website.
- Word Tracker Academy. - The Wordtracker Academy brings you everything you need to know about keyword research. You'll find top writers to challenge and inform, case studies to guide and inspire, and practical e-books to ensure that you get maximum return from your investment in keyword research.
Best Wishes,
Antonio
Enjoyed this post?
Subscribe to my free content feed, here.
Other posts you might find interesting:
- Getting and Keeping quality traffic on your site.
- Trials and Tribulations: Adult Friend Finder.
- Using Squidoo to get more traffic to your Blog.
No comments:
Post a Comment