| SEO has three main branches: the identification of | | | | reads) identifies that word as being more |
| “keywords”, using those words to change | | | | important than other un-tagged text. |
| how your web page appears to search engines, | | | | The position of words determines their |
| and the use of other sites to promote yours (link | | | | importance. As with natural speech, if asked |
| exchanges, etc). I intend to focus on keywords | | | | what we do (our job for example), we would |
| and their use. | | | | normally respond with a descriptive word or |
| Keywords are a set of single words and/or | | | | phrase followed by any necessary qualification. |
| phrases that best describe the content of your | | | | Similarly, in natural speech we may often close |
| web site. The critical stumbling block to excellent | | | | explanations with a summary, reiterating the most |
| keyword selection is that the Internet has | | | | important points. SEO observes the same |
| become flooded with competitors for every | | | | “rules” and requires the placement of key |
| target audience. Contender web sites will replicate | | | | words at the beginning and end of a body of |
| the most commonly used words, or attempt to | | | | text. |
| find alternative phrases that are simultaneously | | | | Key words can also be repeated in “alt” |
| unique, yet frequently used in searches. Keyword | | | | and “title” tags on images, and |
| selection has become a paradox. | | | | “title” tags on hyperlinks. Further more, file |
| In my field – “artwork” – it is a | | | | names should use keywords. Essentially, you |
| matter of fact that hundreds of thousands of | | | | need to take each and every opportunity to |
| sites use art related keywords, yet the number | | | | repeat your key words, and increase the |
| of daily searches made using those key words | | | | saturation those words in your document. |
| and phrases is perhaps only in the hundreds. The | | | | In summary, how, where, and when (frequency) |
| point I am trying to make is that good and | | | | you use your keywords gives them increased |
| appropriate keywords are relatively easy to | | | | significance. |
| select, but great keywords are tremendously | | | | You should quickly realise that making a web site |
| difficult to find. | | | | search engine friendly has the possible |
| Leaping forward, let us assume you have settled | | | | consequence that presentation and content |
| on some key words. How do you use them? I | | | | become compromised. You will face dilemmas. Do |
| expect everyone knows that keywords should be | | | | you employ word repletion to achieve density in |
| used in head tags (site description, keywords, | | | | preference to eloquent and rich language? Do you |
| title). Search engine optimisation requires the | | | | change that fancy graphic banner at the head of |
| saturation and emphasis of keywords throughout | | | | your page to a less visually impressive “h” |
| your web page. | | | | tag that a search engine can read? |
| Text content should be modified so that your | | | | Summary |
| key words appear with the greatest possible | | | | By all means, learn and employ the principles of |
| density. For example, if your key word appears | | | | SEO, but do not substantially compromise site |
| once in 100 words, it will have little prominence | | | | design quality merely to attract visitors in greater |
| (1% density). If it appears 10 times in 100 words | | | | quantity. |
| (10% density), it starts to become more | | | | Recognise that SEO is an iterative process. You |
| noticeable, and so on. | | | | often have to sit back a wait to see if your |
| Once you know how to use keywords, you can | | | | efforts yield performance improvements. |
| see that deciding on their numbers creates a | | | | At the end of the day, SEO can only ever be a |
| further dilemma. Use very few, and word | | | | best guess effort. Google’s search algorithm |
| saturation is more easily achieved, but this is a | | | | is a trade secret, and continually changes. Similarly, |
| high-risk strategy focusing on few search choices. | | | | the moods and behaviours of the surfing public |
| Use more keywords and you cover more word | | | | are in a state of flux. |
| search options, but the key words begin to | | | | SEO can be used to focus and narrow the appeal |
| compete with each other. If you have 20 | | | | of a site, rather than compete for a wider |
| keywords, and use them equally, each word can | | | | audience, and it is hit quality that counts, not |
| never exceed 5% density. | | | | visitor quantity. I would rather have one visitor |
| If a keyword is in bold, or wrapped in a heading | | | | genuinely looking to commission a portrait, than |
| tag (h1, h2, etc), it becomes more prominent, not | | | | 10,000 looking for general artwork. |
| just visually, but the coding (what a search engine | | | | |