~~~Writing for the Search Engines~~~
From: Michael Goddard
I have a question that I don't think that I have seen on your site nor
any of your newsletters. I have a keyword that can be spelled several
different ways: t-shirts, t shirts, tshirts, tshirt tee shirts
etc.....
I have done extensive research on Word Tracker web site and all of
these keywords rank really well. How do I implement these variations
in spelling within my content? I do not want to be penalized for
keyword repetition and I do not want the content to look
"unprofessional" with the variations in spelling.
I appreciate any thoughts about this.
Thank you,
Michael Goddard - CIW Associate
TDH Marketing & Communications, Inc.
~~~Heather's Response~~~
Michael,
Thanks for bringing up such a great subject! We've heard clients pose
this question numerous times.
You're exactly right - if you include different spelling variations of
the same keyphrase - and you plunk every variation on your home page -
your keyphrases will stand out like a sore thumb. For instance, if
you repeat the keyphrase "tshirt" four times on your home page, and
then try to integrate "t-shirt" into the same copy, it will look like
a major typo. Not to mention, it will break your reader's flow and
make your company look extremely unprofessional. Heck, your prospects
won't know you're maximizing your content for keyphrases. They'll
just think your writer couldn't get it right.
HOWEVER, there is a back-door solution around this problem. The first
step is to figure out what the *highest searched-upon* spelling
variation is. For instance, if "tee shirts" is your number one
keyphrase, use this variation exclusively for the home page. If "tee
shirt" also pulls well - go for it. That allows you to combine the
same spelling variations on the same page.
Then, for your inner pages, you can use another variation, like
"tshirts" and "tshirt." Again, you're keeping the spelling consistent
on any given page - yet you're still using different keyphrases to
pull traffic. Chances are, your prospects *won't* notice the spelling
switch, so you don't have to worry about making a marketing boo-boo.
Want more information? I briefly discussed this topic in my article, "How to Write a Keyphrase-Rich Home Page the Search Engines Will Love". Enjoy!
Thanks for your great question! Keep 'em rolling in!
Heather
~~~Jill's unsolicited 2 cents~~~
Geez...Heather is so good lately that soon my 2 cent thingees will
become obsolete! Something that did catch my eye, however, is the
fact that you're only talking about one-word keywords, as opposed to
keyphrases. Hopefully, when you're talking about writing and
optimizing for "t-shirts" (with any spelling variation), you are also
planning to pair the word t-shirt with other words, e.g., "funny
t-shirts" etc. Cuz if you're not, good luck in getting a high
ranking. Most likely, it ain't gonna happen! Just trying to keep you
guys on your toes!
Jill
~~~Send Us Your Questions~~~
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