Yes, keyword analysis plays the most essential part in search engine optimization process. It needs careful and thorough study and research as this will later on lure internet users to your site. Prepare a list of keywords or phrases related to your products or services. Analyze every word you have in the list, find out its related terms and compare which is commonly used by users. You will be surprised to see there are lots of terminologies people are using on a specific word that would mean the same thing in your list. It’s better to use different tools available online to know how many are actually searching on a specific keyword or phrase everyday so you would only focus on the popular ones and get rid of the least searchable terms. Ideally, it’s not advisable to have bulks of keywords as it will be hard to maintain and deal with them in the future. Just stick to 3 to 5 best profitable keywords.
Where to place keywords?
Page URL
Web Page Optimization
Off-page Optimization (Inbound Links)
Page URL
Placing keywords in the URL can gain advantage in search engines and can help achieve high ranks in Search engine Results Page (SERP). But this is not advisable to well-established and high-ranked sites. This is only worth considering in creating new page or site. Make sure to make a sensible one by not abusing the keywords. Here’s a good tip in creating a domain name: separate words or phrases by a hyphen (-) or underscores (_) and do not write them as a single word as search engine will understand them as one word.
Web Page Optimization
Keywords properly placed in your web page will definitely pull you up in SERP. Titles are weighed more than any other else in the HTML code. Place the most important keyword at the beginning of the title followed by the support words. But don’t over stuff them. Insert other keywords in your “meta description” and “meta keywords”. Make a unique title, descriptions and keywords in every page to avoid conflict with search engines especially when you check on the Google webmaster tool. Your web content should also include keywords in bold, highlighted, emphasized and placed in headers to inform search engines of their importance. Also use keywords in alt image attributes.
Off-page Optimization (Inbound Links)
Get links from different site! Web page optimization should be supported by LINKS from other sites. Use your keywords as an anchor text. Search engine loves context clues. It helps search engines informed of what your site is all about. The more links you have from reputable and related sites, the faster you will rank in search engines.
| Tip from the Author: |
 In my own personal opinion, supported by my experiences in search engine optimization, Google gives more weight in the Title page, putting your site on top on keywords properly positioned in the Page Title then supported by off-site link factors while Yahoo loves links! Keywords used as anchor text will boost your ranking in Yahoo then on-page optimization comes next. |
I believe that you have more knowledge about this subject than I do, however there are a couple items in your blog post that I “don’t” agree with.
First of all, I “do” agree that
1. limiting keywords are important (something i have to work on)
2. Linking to relevant and reputable sites are important!
3. I probably could have gotten a better search on my name if I would have went with the blog URL: Curtis-Bizelli.Wordpress.com as oppose (to what it is): CurtisBizelli.wordpress.com (For example, however I wasn’t aware of this before I read your blog.)
A couple items that I “don’t” agree with are:
1. limiting keywords to ONLY 3-5 (I do need to work on limiting mine, however I see nothing wrong with going up to 10.)
2. From what I understand per one of your statements is that we should actually place relevant keywords in our Domain Name. Is this correct? I truly think it is more important to make a “memorable domain’ as oppose to something “drawn out with a lot of hyphenated keywords”. I am very much satisfied with the domain I own: http://www.Bizelli.ws (It is simple). I also made the title to be CB Headquarters (note: my former domain was http://www.cbheadquarters.com), for that is “memorable” and “catchy” (also includes my initials AND applies to the fact that I have Criminal Justice experience and specialize in some public safety.) It also metaphorically says, “This is an OVERALL site dedicate to the a. business & b. personal life of Curtis R. Bizelli.”
(unofficial disclaimer: my site is a work in progress – only 3 pages at this time)
I would also like to add:
1. “Outbound Links” are very important. It doesn’t matter whether they link back to your not. If you are linking to reputable/relevant sites “yourself” … you are more likely to get noticed by not only the search engines, but also the linked sites (thus possibly getting linked back to without even asking.)
MOVING ON to a “a couple” of questions I have for you (considering you do obviously know more about SEO and SERP than I do.):
1. How do you suggest I go about developing a content theme for my weblog at http://curtisbizelli.wordpress.com. I specialize in “quite a few” niches, subjects, and topics. I’m an overall freelance writer, journalist, editor, online publisher, and PR man!
2. How do I change my blog Title & Subtitle to match this?
Thank you very much for sharing this material and looking into my blog!
Many Blessings,
Curt Bizelli
Hi Bizelli! It’s nice to know somebody get to noticed my blog and I really appreciate and respect your comment as I take this as an additional knowledge gained, for me to learn as well. Yes, you’re right, there’s no problem increasing the number of keywords even up to 10 0r 20 and so forth. It was only a suggestion I noticed even when I was doing seo with other sites previously (where I have to maintain 35 keywords). Whoa! that was a headache. I started to research on keywords and realize that most automated software (though I would suggest manual link building than using automated ones) would ask for 3 to 5 titles as an anchor text so probably it’s even better to concentrate on less key phrases, preferably your major ones, and achieve your goal of pulling your site on higher ranks and later, you can add minor keywords. What I’m thinking in suggesting limiting keywords is the ability to manage them in the future, as not to hurt your major ones. After all, everything depends in your strategical ways to beat other sites and take the first position in search engines.
Regarding your 2nd inquiry about relevant keywords being placed in the URL. From my blog, this statement goes “But this is not advisable to well-established and high-ranked sites. This is only worth considering in creating new page or site.” You have a prerogative to use your company’s name in your domain especially if it is already well-established. Altering it would mean a disaster. I suggest for those who are new and planning to create a new one, try considering putting keywords in your URL as this is one of the many factors that will pull your site up in high ranks. Try typing these few search terms using Google: independent living, virtual assistant, seo company, real estate… and notice the url or the sites in good ranking position (preferable on top).