~~~Successful Online Writing~~~
From: JB
I want to optimize my home page for keyphrases. After I write the text
and figure out the meta tags, can't I just add the keyphrases and
sprinkle them into the finished text? I really don't want to write the
text again from scratch.
~~~Heather's Response~~~
Hi, JB,
Good question! In fact, we hear this question a lot when we work with
new clients.
First, repeat after me. "I will not even *think* about meta tags
until I have determined keyphrases and created optimized text." A lot
of people think that the writing is secondary - and you can just
"tweak" your meta tags to get high rankings. They're wrong.
Determine your keyphrases, write your copy and THEN worry about your
meta tags. Otherwise, you're doing it completely backwards.
Jill wrote a great article about "editing" meta tags called, "No Quick
Fixes for High Search Engine Rankings." You can check it out at
http://www.rankwrite.com/quickfix.htm.
On to your question...just like with meta tags, it's a really common
misconception that you can "edit" your existing visible home page text
for keyphrases and plunk in phrases where they look OK. "Hey," you
figure, "I've added keyphrases to my copy. I've done my job! And I
didn't even have to pay for a rewrite. That was easy!"
Well, not really. As we've said over and over - there are no "quick
fixes" with seo. If you want strong rankings AND to convert your
prospects into buyers, your best bet is to optimize your text right
the first time.
Yes, if you spent thousands of dollars creating your latest home page
content (and went though five committees and 15 revision processes to
get everybody's signoff,) hearing "rewrite your text" is a big
shocker. But remember, if you randomly insert keyphrases into your
existing home page text, you run the risk of getting good rankings -
but sabotaging your marketing flow. Your carefully crafted text will
sound like a big keyphrase speedbump, and not be an effective
marketing tool for your business. And that's a mistake you don't
want to make with your home page.
Still not convinced? Think about your existing home page text. Now,
imagine that you have to insert two to four different keyphrases in
your copy - and insert these phrases enough times to count with the
search engines. Suddenly, your existing writing starts to sound
really strange, and those keyphrases stand out like a sore thumb.
Finding a new keyphrase slot is like working with an insane jigsaw
puzzle - you can get the pieces to fit, but the final result doesn't
make any sense.
Your home page is your most important page - from both a search engine
and a prospect perspective. Admittedly, rewriting your text takes some
extra work, time and money. However, why would you want to take a
chance with both the search engines and your prospects? If you do it
right the first time, you'll be fine.
Thanks for your question! Keep those online writing questions coming!
~~~Jill's unsolicited 2 cents~~~
Occasionally, you can work some keywords into some of the inner pages
of a site, but Heather is right. You simply can't afford to fool
around with the main page. It's just too important not to do what it
takes to get it just right!
Jill
~~~Send Us Your Questions~~~
If you have questions about online copywriting or search engine optimization (or both!), just zip us an email to questions@rankwrite.com. We've had some folks ask if their question
was "too basic" to be printed - and you don't have to worry about
that! There are no "stupid" search engine optimization or copywriting
questions, so ask away!
