How SEO Can Put Your Business at the Top of Search Results (Part IV)

Last time, Marka and the FEI tribe discussed another best practice for search engine optimization (SEO). This week, their discussion concludes with a final SEO tip for businesses. Remember, fire = print.

The tribe had enlisted a writer named J.J. to craft copy for FEI’s new O-site, but he was having trouble with the project. One morning, Marka visited J.J.’s office and found this text on his O-puter screen:

“Matches matches matches matches matches.”

Marka shot J.J. a confused look. “Is this really how you think our ‘Matches’ O-page should read?”

“I’m not sure,” J.J. admitted. “I heard that repeating keywords on O-site pages was good for SEO.” J.J. was a young man with thick glasses who always wore crisp, clean togas and said “please” and “thank you.” Marka liked J.J., so she was willing to gently correct his mistake.

“Today, keyword density is a less important determiner of O-page search rankings than it’s been in the past,” Marka explained. “Plus, extreme search-engine-friendly text like yours barely sounds like English and will annoy our O-site’s visitors.”

“How do you suggest I write content that will appeal to search engines and O-site visitors alike?” J.J. asked in a voice that was as soft and light as lamb’s wool.

“Glad you asked,” Marka replied. “When writing our O-site copy, make sure it includes the keywords users would type into search engines when looking for the fire services we provide. This will help Oogle and other search engines appropriately index and rank our O-site.”

“Clearly, repeating a keyword five times in a row is not a good practice,” J.J. said. “How many times do you recommend repeating keywords throughout each O-page’s text?”

“Repeating keywords won’t hurt SEO, as long as each keyword listing is relevant to our O-site’s content,” Marka answered. “We should start with O-site copy that’s clear, concise and accurately describes what we do. During copy review sessions, we can perhaps tweak or add a word here and there solely to improve SEO. Ultimately, though, our priority should be impressing O-site visitors, not search engine bots.”

“Is there a limit to how many different keywords I can use within an O-site page?” J.J. asked.

“I suggest choosing just three or four relevant keywords for each O-site page, at the most, and weave them into the content as appropriate,” Marka said. “Putting 15, 20, or even 30 or more different keywords into an O-page so it shows up in many different searches, on the other hand, is considered a dirty SEO practice. It’s called keyword stuffing and can lead to Oogle and other search engines blacklisting an O-site.”

“How can I thank you for all the SEO wisdom you’ve given me today?” J.J. asked.

Marka pointed to J.J.’s screen. “Start by adding another word. Or two or three.”

Today’s FIRE! Point
Keyword density is a less important determiner of web page search rankings than it was in the past. When writing website copy, make sure it includes the words users would type to find the services you provide.

Start with site copy that’s clear, concise and accurately describes what you offer. During copy review sessions, consider tweaking or adding a word here and there solely to improve SEO. Choose just three or four relevant keywords, at most, for each site page and weave them into the content as appropriate.

Putting 15, 20, or even 30 or more different keywords into a web page so it shows up in many different searches, on the other hand, can lead to Google and other search engines blacklisting your site.

FIRE! In Action: Monheit Law Uses SEO Copywriting to Boost Site Traffic
The law firm enlisted an SEO marketing firm to rewrite its website content using SEO best practices and saw a 197 percent increase in site visitors. 


Next week: The FEI tribe discusses branding by way of creating a distinctive, effective corporate ID.