The two golden rules: focus on key phrases and make sure your content is original.
Important points to remember:
- Identify and use key search phrases (maintain a 2-4% density)
- Ensure each page contains 200 – 300 (or more) words of consistently keyword-dense copy. We usually aim for 250 to 500 words per page.
- Search engines read TEXT only; they can't see images or read flash files. So, make sure the key phrases appear in TEXT, not in images or flash files.
- Make sure you use the key phrases in the following places, as search engines give them extra weight:
- Page title tags
- Headlines and subheads (H1 and H2 tags especially)
- Emphasized text
- Navigation and anchor text
- Ensure the key phrases are scattered throughout the text. Don't just clump them all together in one spot, then drift off topic.
- Lay out text to enhance both SEO and usability: use headlines, subheads and body text.
- Keep in mind that web users tend to scan rather than read. For this reason, these techniques are particularly helpful:
- Put your most important information first, then fill in details later.
- Make use of bullet points where possible. These help make your meaning clear at a glance.
- Don't be clever at the expense of being clear. Especially in headlines, it's sometimes tempting to use double meanings, puns and other clever devices. If clarity is sacrificed, don't do it.
- Don't test the patience of your readers. Get to the point.
- Don't focus on the sale, try and stay objective and informative.
- Link to resources, rather then explaining it in your copy.
To avoid being penalized for “duplicate content”, ensure all your content is original, not just copied and pasted from other sources.
