Okay, you've got a website name, layout and content. Now we get to a step which will go a long way to determining how the site will rank. Yes, we are going to focus on two infamous topics, meta tags and keyword density.
Meta data
Meta data are html code blocks that “tell” a search engine what's on the particular site page. Meta data aren't visible on the pages of your site, but search engine robots concentrate on them. Three different meta tags should appear on each page of your site.
The meta title essentially acts as the title of the page. When you do a search on Google, the meta title is the first underlined text in each listing. This content from the meta title should include the keywords you need to push with the most important being listed first. Each word should be included a maximum of 2 times and also the total word count should not exceed 13 words.
The meta description tag allows for an expansion of the meta title. Use short sentences to emphasise the who, what, why and where of the business. Make absolute certain every keyword inside your title also appears inside your description.
Among the aggravating things about search engines is when they use meta descriptions. Most pick only certain parts of your description. Whenever your link appears within the search engine results, the description could make little if any sense. Unfortunately, there isn’t much you can do about it.
Historically, meta keywords were a very important factor within the ranking process. How times have changed. Google doesn’t even look at them, while MSN and Yahoo provide them with marginal value. You should still use them, if for not one other reason then forcing you to concentrate on your keywords and key phrases when designing content.
Keyword Density
Keyword density simply refers to how frequently keywords come in a webpage as a percentage of the entire text. A few years back, it had been common practice to cram and hide keywords all over a page. You most likely remember seeing pages with a large number of keywords listed at the very bottom. This no more works and is considered spamming by search engines.
Much like the meaning of life, the very best keyword density percentage is really a hotly debated topic. Theories and opinions ranged from 1.5 up to 20 %. We recently ran a test having a page that only were built with a keyword onto it, thus representing a 100% keyword density. The only search engine that reacted was Yahoo, which listed it at number 1 for 25 days before dropping it. Notwithstanding this test, the truth is that nobody really knows the perfect density, aside from programmers at the search engines. Rumor has it that they're permanently locked away in the Himalayas, so there isn’t much hope of having any information from them.
Our experience is keyword density really doesn’t matter if you have flowing text on the page. The point of your site is to sell, so write copy that accomplishes that goal. After you have completed the copy, modify it to make sure the key keywords appear at least one time in the first paragraph. Do not force the keywords into sentences; just make sure they appear at least once. We now have clients with # 1 rankings on the internet, Yahoo and MSN that have keyword densities ranging from .5 to 18.5 percent. Yes, these rankings take presctiption keywords with lots of competition and traffic.
In Closing
For me, meta data and keyword density are mystified way too much. They are important factors, however the content on your pages is far more so. Be judicious together with your content, pursue a targeted linking campaign and also the rankings will follow.
Meta data
Meta data are html code blocks that “tell” a search engine what's on the particular site page. Meta data aren't visible on the pages of your site, but search engine robots concentrate on them. Three different meta tags should appear on each page of your site.
The meta title essentially acts as the title of the page. When you do a search on Google, the meta title is the first underlined text in each listing. This content from the meta title should include the keywords you need to push with the most important being listed first. Each word should be included a maximum of 2 times and also the total word count should not exceed 13 words.
The meta description tag allows for an expansion of the meta title. Use short sentences to emphasise the who, what, why and where of the business. Make absolute certain every keyword inside your title also appears inside your description.
Among the aggravating things about search engines is when they use meta descriptions. Most pick only certain parts of your description. Whenever your link appears within the search engine results, the description could make little if any sense. Unfortunately, there isn’t much you can do about it.
Historically, meta keywords were a very important factor within the ranking process. How times have changed. Google doesn’t even look at them, while MSN and Yahoo provide them with marginal value. You should still use them, if for not one other reason then forcing you to concentrate on your keywords and key phrases when designing content.
Keyword Density
Keyword density simply refers to how frequently keywords come in a webpage as a percentage of the entire text. A few years back, it had been common practice to cram and hide keywords all over a page. You most likely remember seeing pages with a large number of keywords listed at the very bottom. This no more works and is considered spamming by search engines.
Much like the meaning of life, the very best keyword density percentage is really a hotly debated topic. Theories and opinions ranged from 1.5 up to 20 %. We recently ran a test having a page that only were built with a keyword onto it, thus representing a 100% keyword density. The only search engine that reacted was Yahoo, which listed it at number 1 for 25 days before dropping it. Notwithstanding this test, the truth is that nobody really knows the perfect density, aside from programmers at the search engines. Rumor has it that they're permanently locked away in the Himalayas, so there isn’t much hope of having any information from them.
Our experience is keyword density really doesn’t matter if you have flowing text on the page. The point of your site is to sell, so write copy that accomplishes that goal. After you have completed the copy, modify it to make sure the key keywords appear at least one time in the first paragraph. Do not force the keywords into sentences; just make sure they appear at least once. We now have clients with # 1 rankings on the internet, Yahoo and MSN that have keyword densities ranging from .5 to 18.5 percent. Yes, these rankings take presctiption keywords with lots of competition and traffic.
In Closing
For me, meta data and keyword density are mystified way too much. They are important factors, however the content on your pages is far more so. Be judicious together with your content, pursue a targeted linking campaign and also the rankings will follow.
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