On-Page Optimization Part Three : Keyword Development and Placement

This is the third and final installment to this three part series. Next week I will tackle Off-Page Optimization...I am thinking I will break that one down into three parts as well.

Keyword development is the most important on-page optimization factor you will learn about and could easily make or break your website's ranking! But do not let that scare you.

Why are keywords so important? Because search engine algorithms are laregely based on keywords - keywords on your web page, keywords in your code, keywords in the links within and pointing to your site. I guess you could say that Google and other search engines have keywords on the brain.

A Keyword is any word or phrase that describes your website. Another way to think about it is in the form of a search term. What a user enters into the Google search box is considered a keyword or keyword phrase.

Choosing a keyword is more of an art than a science. However, your selection of a keyword can be greatly simplified if you follow these steps:

1. Define the content of your site in general terms. What is my site about? Once you've identified a general topic, its time to start your keyword research.
2. Identify keywords/keyword phrases related to your topic. To do so, visit the Google Keyword Tool. Google was one of the first websites related to paid search and is now the dominant player in search.
3. Enter the keywords you are considering and press Go. The resulting list contains all of the search terms and search counts.
4. Select two or three keyword phrases to research further. This is where the rubber meets the road. Look at your list and choose a few keyword phrases that represent your website. Make sure your phrases have a search volume of at least 1,000 monthly searches. Keep in mind that the more searches on a given keyword, the more competitive it may be.
5. Determine the competitiveness of the keyword or keyword phrase (KEI). There is actually a formula you can use to determine the competitiveness of any keyword. This statistic is referred to as the KEI which stands for keyword effectiveness index.
6. Research the competition. Regardless of which tool you use to generate or research your keyword phrases, you'll need to size up the competition. Remember that Google is a voting machine. The question you need to ask yourself is whether or not you can optimize your website (both on-page and off) better than your competition (and get more votes!)

I hope this simple three part series helps you with your on-page optimization. Maybe this series can help you get started...