Keys to Keywords

The principal job of a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) firm is to increase the visibility of a client’s website so that it draws more visitors who, hopefully, will become that client’s customers. Most SEO firms employ a wide variety of techniques and strategies to boost a website’s viewership. These range from very technically-oriented practices such as updating and rewriting computer code to “softer” strategies that include creating and maintaining blogs and deploying dynamic video.

Keywords and Relevance

One of the more commonly used, but infrequently mastered, approaches to website optimization is the creation and placement of keywords in a client’s site. A keyword (or, just as often, key phrase) is a word or words that appears on a website and that is related to the content or purpose of the site. For example, common keywords that would appear on the website of a plumbing company might include “plumbing,” “plumber,” “pipes,” “leaky pipes,” “clogged pipes,” etc. The idea is to identify the kinds of words or phrases a person might enter into a search engine when looking for the types of products or services your business offers. These make the best keywords.

Search engines such as Google and Yahoo list the results of search queries according to a total “relevance” score they assign to each website. The sites that have higher relevance scores appear on the first page close to the top of the results; those rated as having lower relevance are father down, on the second, third, or later pages. Websites that don’t appear on the first page of results are much less likely to get traffic than those that appear at or near the top. The goal of SEO is to get the client’s website on the first page of search results, as close to the top of the list as possible. There are several ways to increase a site’s relevance score, and deploying relevant keywords is one of the most effective.

What Makes A Good Keyword?

The more relevant content your website offers – content that includes keywords and phrases used to search in your industry – the higher the site will rank for relevance. However, not all keywords are created equal. Where a keyword appears on a web page, for example, can influence how it is ranked for relevance. Keywords and phrases that appear in headers on a page receive a higher ranking than those that appear in the text of an article on the page. Those that appear in sidebars – especially sidebars that consist of lots of keywords and phrases grouped together – rank even lower still.

Another key consideration when choosing keywords is to broaden as much as possible the number of words and phrases you select. While “air conditioning” and “heating” would be natural keywords for an AC/heating contractor, they do little to distinguish one contractor’s website or business from all the others online. Keywords should include as many industry-specific terms and phrases as possible, even those that you many think are unfamiliar to the layperson. General contractors searching for subcontractors online will probably be looking for those with specific experience or skills. Oftentimes, homeowners seeking a contractor or trade specialist have begun to gather information about their problem or the work they need performed. The broader your net of keywords, the more likely that your website will be at the top of search results.

SEO With Your Business In Mind

Although selecting the most effective keywords is critically important, many companies choose an SEO firm that has little or no background in their industry. The SEO firm must rely completely on the client’s knowledge and experience when creating keyword content because its IT specialists simply don’t have the industry background to inform and guide their decisions. That’s why it’s key to have an SEO firm that understands your business as well as it understands IT techniques and SEO strategy. The firm you pay to optimize your website should bring ideas to the table based upon a firm knowledge of how your business operates, which is what sets Axiom apart.

Axiom’s highly trained staff includes not only the best IT team in the business, but also professionals with a wide range of experience in fields including electrical and mechanical contracting, plumbing, roofing, air conditioning and heating, and even photography and the legal profession. Axiom believes that there is no substitute for real, hands-on knowledge of the client’s business when it comes to creating relevant keyword content that will enhance your online profile.

Whether you are looking to get online for the first time, or you simply want more out of your existing website, contact Axiom today. Find out how we do SEO and why our team of trained experts is just the group to give your website the jumpstart it needs.

Posted by: Axiom Internet Marketing