Relevant Keyword and Title Tags Usage
by John Fitzsimmons
Posted on 11.06.2007
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The Web Design SEO Checklist (Part Four)
Welcome to part four of our Web Design SEO Checklist. Today we are covering Relevant Keyword and Title Tags Usage
Keywords can be fit into a page in many ways; title tag, meta tags, headers, sub-headers, paragraph content, bullet point content, linking text, image alt tags, etc. But the main thing to consider is to keep the keywords relevant and focused. Off topic keywords or keywords that are not mentioned in the content but just placed into the code can have adverse effects on ranking.
Also, there is a term called “keyword stuffing” which basically means keywords have been stuffed into almost every place on the page possible. Search Engines penalize for this because in the early days of SEO it was often an action done by Search Engine spammers.
The best approach is to try to be “natural” about it. Put keywords into the title and Meta tags appropriately. Use the keyword in the content just a handful of times. If the content is primarily about the keyword using the keyword in a header tag is a good idea. Anything beyond that, mix it up. Sometimes put keywords into alt tags, sometimes don’t. If the site looks too formulated it’s not good.
As mentioned, a highly recommended place to use your keyword or phrase is in a page’s title tag. But here’s the trick; Use the keyword first and the title of your business or website second. For example most sites you see will do something like this:
Bill’s Online Camera Emporium, Inc – Nikon 3X Teleconverter Lens
[Company Name] [Product or Keyword]
But ideally, since you hope to come up in the Search Engine’s for “Nikon Teleconverter Lens” related keywords the key terms should go first in your title tag. Here is what it should look like:
Nikon 3X Teleconverter Lens - Bill’s Online Camera Emporium, Inc
[Product or Keyword] [Company Name]
Keywords first and business name second – the Golden Rule of title tags.
Next we discuss Duplicate Content, Images Used for Text, and Valid Markup.
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John Fitzsimmons is a Search Marketing Manager with Spiderbait.com. He also consults on web development projects and social media.
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