Content Optimization came up in an article I wrote an last week on Do-it-Yourself SEO Tips. One of my readers made a comment about Content Optimization. Content Optimization is something I do every day, and I don’t really think much about it. However, not everyone knows what content optimization entails, so I wanted to give you a quick rundown on how – and how not – to optimize content for SEO.

What is Content Optimization?

Content Optimization is the practice of creating content that is targeted to perform well for specific keyword searches. For example, if I wanted to create a page that would pop up high in the search results when people looked for “Root Beer,” I’d want to optimize my content on the page to capture a high search engine page rank. The more competitive the keyword set, the more difficult it is to capture a high keyword page rank – because more people are going after the same page rank. One thing you can do to ensure you get a high page rank is to optimize your content so the search engine ‘likes’ it.

Long Tail, Short Tail and Alternate Keywords

When you’re optimizing your content for SEO, you’ll run across a few phrases that you might not have heard before: long tail keywords, short tail keywords and alternate keywords. I’ll give you a clue: these phrases have nothing to do with furry woodland creatures. These are the various types of keywords you can use in your content optimization pursuits:

Long tail keywords.

Long tail keywords are the exact keyword phrases that people search for on the Web to find their content. Long tail keywords might be awkward and difficult to work into your copy, but it helps to have at least one instance of a long tail keyword in your copy, as well as in your title. While long tail keywords are typically very specific, they also tend to target a demographic that is prepared to make a decision, which translates to a higher potential for conversion with long tail keywords.

Short tail keywords.

Short tail keywords are short, general keyword sequences that may describe the overall purpose of your page. While long tail keywords are very specific, short tail keywords are very general. A good example of the difference might be:

Long tail: business writer Cambridge, MA

Short tail: business writer

As you can see, the short tail is a much more general keyword set. When you use short tail keywords, you’re likely to come up on a wider range of websites, but because short tail keywords are so general, you’ll be competing with far more pages. That means you’re less likely to come up near the top of the search. Long tail keywords are much more targeted, but because they’re so specific, you’re likely to come up near the top of a long tail keyword search. You can use both long tail and short tail keywords in your copy, but where you place them plays a big role in how your page comes up.

Alternate keywords.

Alternate keywords are variations on a keyword set that people might use when referring to a product or service. For example, some people might search for “business writer,” while others might search for “corporate writer.” If you see variations on your primary keyword, you’ll want to find a way to work alternate keywords into your copy so you have a chance of getting traffic for those keywords, too.

How to Find Your Keywords

Don’t just take a stab in the dark as to what keywords people are using to find your website. You can use several tools to find your keywords.

1. Use a keyword search tool. Free tools exist and they’re easy to use. Try Google’s Ad Words Keyword Tool or Google’s Search-based Keyword Tool. You can also find other free or paid keyword search tools, so feel free to shop around.
2. Do a Web search for the keywords you might use to find your site. Think about it logically. How would you go looking for your product or service, if you were a client? Do a Web search, and see what comes up. If you see a huge website, such as Yahoo or Travelocity, you’ll know you need to use more long tail keywords to stand a chance of coming up high in the search results.
3. Install a Web tracking tool on your website. I use Google Analytics, which is free, but a friend of mine uses a paid Web tracking tool. Use whatever tool you’re comfortable installing and using. Most Web tracking tools tell you what keywords people are using to find your page, and whether or not they stuck around to read it after finding it. Capitalize on the popular keyword searches, and you might want to consider changing pages that don’t have high keyword hits.

Where to Use Keywords

Writing organically is a great way to provide human-readable content, but it might not rank the highest with search engines without a little help. When you’re optimizing your content for SEO, try to include the long tail keyword as close as possible to the beginning of your article. One rule of thumb is to make sure the long tail keyword occurs within the first 9 words or your article. You should also try to include the long tail in your title. After that, you don’t have to use your long tail keyword again at all! If you’re working with short tail or alternate keywords, try to work them into the content organically, and you get a bonus if you can work these keywords into titles.

How Not to Use Keywords

One mistake that people make is to overload their article with extraneous keywords. “Keyword density” is a phrase bandied about when people are talking SEO, but it’s becoming less and less relevant in SEO rankings – except to penalize you. That’s right – if you use a keyword too many times in your copy, you can actually be penalized in search engine rankings. When a search engine, such as Google, sees a high keyword density, it assumes the copy is written to ‘trick’ the search engine into ranking it well and actually gives it a lower placement because the data might not be valuable. Write your articles organically, and make sure you don’t overload them with keywords, or you can actually find your search engine rank dropping.

Note: Keep in mind that search engine algorithms change periodically, and aren’t exactly the same from search engine to search engine. Stay up to date with current SEO practices to ensure you’re putting your keywords in the right place and using them the appropriate number of times. If all else fails, write organically and see what the search engine thinks of your copy!

Formatting Your Content

Take advantage of the formatting tips I provided in the DIY article. Use Headers in your content formatting instead of Bold tags to break up the sections. You should also try to break up the text into manageable chunks, and use bullet points or ordered lists to make the text more human-scannable. While you want to get a high page rank to drive traffic to your page, there’s no point in driving traffic only to create a page that people can’t read, and will click away again immediately!

Target Your Pages to Specific Content

Finally, don’t try to cover too much content on a page, because you’ll dilute the message. Target the content on your page to a specific message or keyword set. You might need more pages on your website, but you’ll vastly improve your search engine results if you aren’t trying to cram too much on a page and confusing the search engines as to what your page is actually about. Less is more – try to keep your content in the 500-1500 word mark (although 1500 is a bit long) and use more pages if you need to talk about a variety of different topics or products.