To achieve good rankings with popular search engines like Yahoo! And Google, it’s essential to optimize the website for the appropriate terms. The most important part of this optimization process is clearly identifying what the site should be optimized for. This isn’t as straightforward as it may seem, but there are several ways to find this information.

The Secrets to Smart Keywords

The best keywords for a website are rarely the first ones that come to mind. It’s very difficult to achieve top rankings for a generic term like “cheese.” Chances are, however, that the company doesn’t really want to be top in this area alone. “Gourmet cheese,” “aged cheddar cheese,” or “cheese gift baskets” may be more accurate.

There are many keyword tools online that will provide the popularity of certain search terms. Though it requires a good deal of research and some trial and error, it’s possible to hone one’s sights to find those elusive keywords that are begging for optimization. It’s much easier to get good page rankings for a niche area than it is for a widespread category, so this is where companies should place their focus.

Optimization Do’s and Don’ts 

While pages should be optimized around the proper keywords, there are good and bad ways to do this. Keywords and related phrases should appear in the title, H1 tags, and content. However, these words and phrases shouldn’t be used in an unnatural or repetitive way. The reader should be completely unaware of the keywords and phrases that are slipped into the content. With proper flow and good writing, it’s possible to slip these in so naturally that the eyes move right over these important words.

Keywords should also be used in relation to high quality content. Don’t produce ten pages of content about cheese unless each one truly offers a different take. Visitors don’t want to get lost in a poorly designed site with stale content and repetitive information on every page. They’re looking for something new and interesting. Videos, photos, and infographics will spice up the content and give customers something worth looking at.

Optimum Organization

Successful web pages need to be organized in a clear manner, so information is easy to find and pages flow easily from one to another. Including a site map is a great way to assist both customers and search engine crawlers with understanding how a page is laid out. A navigational tool bar is another powerful tool. If it takes a visitor more than two or three clicks to get to any one location on a web site, there’s a good chance that he or she will give up before reaching this destination.

Keep on eye on performance and tweak various elements of the website often to find the best optimization tactics for a particular niche. Over time, the best keywords and usage will pop out and become very apparent.