In my last post, we covered brainstorming as an aspect of article development. Another tidbit to keep in mind when writing articles is the list of keywords or phrases that you want search engines to recognize when looking for your article. If you load your writing with keywords from the outset, your piece is much more likely to get attention from the search engines… and therefore (ta da!) traffic.
You probably already know that keywords and keyword phrases are used in internet marketing to achieve rank with the search engines. Now, at a certain point in time, webmasters abused this system by saturating the content of their websites with keywords to be able to achieve a higher ranking. This bonehead tactic not only made for unreadable content, it resulted in search engine users getting results that had no relevance whatsoever to their query. To combat this abuse, search engine webmasters developed algorithms to decipher which websites have relevant content and which websites do not. Now, the whole focus for keyword utilization has shifted to content rich articles with a keyword ratio average of about 12% of the whole article. That figure, 12%, is only approximate. Search engines, Google being the trendsetter, keep their secret sauce, well… secret.
The whole reason for this shift in keyword utilization stems from the fact that search engine sites track and record the abuse of keywords. If you happen to have an article of 500 words containing nothing but the word “porn”, chances are your site will be banned from the search engine. In fact, if you have nothing to say on the topic of “porn” in the specified 500-word medium, let’s just say you should probably get out more often. But that’s another story…
Okay. Back to the topic. …So this shift in keyword utilization has created a whole new industry in writing. You will definitely be able to get a few odd jobs writing search engine optimized (SEO) articles, if that’s your intention. Take a look at Craigslist and Elance.com to find out more about this kind of work.
The key to writing good SEO articles is to be true to the subject at hand. Good lord, why I should even have to state that is beyond me. Doesn’t it just make sense? (Now where is that soapbox? I know I left it around here somewhere.) You want to make sure that your SEO article contains relevant information and a substantial proportion of keywords scattered throughout the article. Include a keyword or phrase in the title of your article. Include a minimum of 2 keywords or phrases in the beginning and ending paragraphs of your article. Finally, scatter keywords in the body of your article. If you have a 500 word article, a minimum of 1 keyword or phrase per paragraph in the text body is recommended.
Write your article for your product, not for the sake of keywords. As you go on with your article, you will be using your keywords when you describe your product and when you give out instructions on how to use the product, service or topic. Write about how the product came into existence and how it has developed through the years. Cite instances where the product has been particularly useful to you or to someone you know.
When you write, don’t force the keyword issue. Trust your topic, and trust the flow. Your articles need to be straightforward, literate, easy to read and entertaining. Some writers sacrifice grammar for the sake of a keyword placement. Don’t be that guy. When searchers are directed to an article of yours and it happens to contain spelling errors, wrong grammar and a generally sloppy composition, you lose credibility. A visitor might decide to look for another article or website that contains better, more well-written content.
If you’re not able to compose your own article because of time constraints, you can use freelance websites to hire article writers who will do the job for you. Prices for an original SEO article containing 500 to 750 words max range anywhere from $1 to about $15. Just be sure to communicate well with the writers so that they fully understand what you’re looking for. Ask for previous work samples so you can judge whether their skills are up to your standards. If you come across a writer offering his service rather cheaply, don’t rush in and call yourself lucky. The best way to be sure that you have found a cheap but quality conscious worker is to ask him to provide you with a sample article. You can use it as criteria for judging his qualifications, and also you might use it later on for other projects.
There is serious money to be made online. Don’t think the party’s over – it’s just beginning. But making money takes savvy, hard work and commitment, just like any other business. Let me help you take some angle off your learning curve. Head on over to www.eCommerceGal.com for some free tools and a wealth of proven techniques to make your business soar!
Good commerce,
ECG
