Content is King
As a small business owner or CEO trying to broaden your online target and get recognized, I’m sure you are aware of the significance of new, fresh, recurring material on your website of all types. When it comes to written content on page copy or blogs and articles, you need to be able to write well, inform and entertain, that’s a given. That’s for your viewers. But if you can’t write as well for Google and the other search engines to optimize your content for Search Engine Marketing, you’re the proverbial tree in the forest that falls when no one else is around. This article provides a frequently discussed yet misunderstood technique to help you make your subject matter relevant and explode your SEO online.
Google Adwords Keyword Tool
Perhaps you’ve heard of Google Adwords, Google’s main pay for placement vehicle on their mother of all search engine returns. You may have run a campaign or I bet you’ve at least been solicited by Google Adwords “experts” to run your campaigns for you to help you pay less per click, also known as PPC.
Well, Google provides a free tool to help you select keywords and phrases depending upon how much they are searched every month and how much competition there is from other marketers. It’s called the Google Adwords Keyword Tool and while it is created for advertisers, it exposes plenty of clues about search engine optimizing your written content (or video tags) for your page copy and blogs. Unlike what many believe, you do not have to have an Adwords account to utilize this tool, and here is the link, so bookmark this:
https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal
I could tell you about it, but why don’t I just show you. Watch this instructional Vlog video:
Awkward Placement
When I write I like to write for the readers. I’ve seen too much material created for search engine optimization that really stinks to the point of being unintelligible, stuffing keywords into sentences. It’s uncomfortable to write like this for me, and perhaps for you, because it just feels odd and you can end up with an article or webpage that seems phony. Here are a few ideas for getting adjusted to it:
- Use the Adwords Tool first and uncover 3-5 keywords (phrases) for your content, using high-traffic, low-competition keywords where available. Write them on a sheet of paper in front of you.
- Lay out your paragraph or article in consideration of the phrases you picked out for SEO. It might just give a different slant than you first had or take you down a different direction that you know interests the readers out there.
- Write your article dropping in the key phrases on your list where they click. Add a check mark each time you use a keyword, and you can use variations of a keyword to not sound too repetitive (spot gold, spot gold prices, spot gold pricing, gold prices).
- Re-read for balance and content flow, and modify where necessary.
That’s it! Get used to that technique and it will get easier and easier.
About the Author:
Karl Walinskas is the CEO of Smart Company Growth, a business development firm that helps small to mid-size professional service firms build competitive advantage in an online world of sameness. He is author of numerous articles and the Smart Blog on leadership, business communication, sales & service, public speaking and virtual business, and Getting Connected Through Exceptional Leadership, available in theSmartShop. Get your FREE LinkedIn Profile Optimization eBook & Video Course, Video Marketing video and course, or Mastermind Groups e-course & video now.
Image: KROMKRATHOG