Editing for Key Phrases Spells Disaster:
"I specifically recommend rewriting home page text around well-researched key phrases. However, the quick fix mentality is hard to fight. Fellow workz.com expert Jill Whalen and I hear these comments time and time again when helping small-business owners optimize Web sites:
'I don't want to rewrite my home page. Can't you guys just edit the key phrases and put them in where they'll work?'"
The answer is no. If you want to gain strong rankings and successfully convert prospects into buyers, doing it right the first time is crucial.
But in the same breath, they complain that their search engine rankings are dropping off the map. They figure that by adding a few key phrases somewhere within the copy, they'll draw lots of eyes. But will that attention translate into sales? Probably not...
You need at least 250 words for maximum search engine effectiveness. If you don't increase the word count with more value-added content, which means a rewrite, you'll never have enough room to intelligently work your key phrases into the copy.
Consider your existing copy. Now imagine trying to insert two to four key phrases five times, each, somewhere within the text. Makes your copy sound kind of funny, doesn't it?
Copy must engage your visitors. Sure, if you repeat your prime key phrases often enough, search engines will stand up and take notice. But what happens when prospects hit your site? Chances are they'll take one look at your block o' key phrases and miss the point of your carefully crafted copy. Then they'll surf to a competing site where keyword-rich copy makes sense....
posted by Jen @ 6:20 AM
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