When people think of SEO, the first thing that comes to mind usually regards the use of keywords. In fact, it isn’t uncommon for someone new to digital marketing to think that keywords are the only part of SEO. Once upon a time, stuffing a webpage or blog with as many relevant keywords as possible was an effective, albeit misleading, digital marketing maneuver. By including an abundance of the keywords likely to be used by Google visitors to find a webpage, a site would quickly find itself at the top of the rankings. Often, the keywords used didn’t even make any sense. For instance, a salesman using the keyword best engagement rings might write something like, Welcome to the page with the best engagement rings. We have the best engagement rings. Click around to see the best engagement rings.
Obviously, something like this isn’t quality content. These are simply key phrases designed to attract search inquirers, but once these inquirers view the webpage, they’ll quickly realize that the website isn’t actually offering them anything substantial or helpful, and the chances of them returning to the webpage — or taking an interest in the offered product — are practically none.
SEO is continually evolving, and while keywords still have their place, Google has changed its algorithm and program tools to focus on quality content over repetitive phrases that match a search query. These days, keyword stuffing, as the practice is known, will actually significantly lower your ranking in search results, making it far less likely for someone to come across your website.
Keywords Shouldn’t Feel Forced
If you’re writing quality content, you’ll already be using the keywords that will attract interested visitors to your website — and you’ll be using them in the appropriate amount and context, as Google encourages.
To truly draw in visitors using keywords, you’ll need to research your audience and your competition. You’ll need to know the kinds of phrases that your target audience will use, and you’ll also need to know which phrases are underused by your competitors. Pick just one of these keywords and focus your content around the phrase in a way that is natural and engages readers. One common practice is to incorporate your word into the title or header of your blog or webpage. You want search engines to be able to pick up on the value of your content.
It’s also worth noting that the longer a person views your webpage, the more likely Google is to view your page as helpful to web visitors — and move it up higher in the rankings.
Balance Keywords with Longer, Quality Content
To really get on Google’s good side, you need to write content that is more than just a quick paragraph. The longer and more thoughtful your content, the more likely search engines are to view your page as worthwhile to searchers. Aim for content that is at least 400 words, with a tendency toward the longer 500 to even 1,500 words. In fact, the content that ranked the highest on Google this past year averaged more than 1,100 words. People trust in-depth content over quick pieces, and Google knows this. Remember to break up your content with relevant headers and images. One statistic states that blogs with imagery get 94% more views.
In our technological world, the more media that you include in your content, from photos to videos, the more likely it is that your webpage will be viewed as trustworthy and high-quality by search engines and visitors alike.
SEO Solutions to Save You Time
SEO in 2018 certainly isn’t what it was in 2008, and businesses simply don’t always have the time to keep up with all the changes. Researching and producing quality content these days requires a significant amount of time — and a team. That’s where Bamboo Marketing can help. We know how to optimize your content for all of the search engines, using careful analysis and keyword reports. There’s no keyword stuffing here. We’ll help you create quality content that gets readers interested in what you have to offer them with keywords that are effective and separates your webpage from your competition. Get in touch with us to see how our team of SEO experts, writers, and graphic designers can serve you.