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How_To_Start_An_Internet_Business_ _Meta_Tags_and_Keyword_Density
| How To Start An Internet Business - Meta Tags and Keyword Density
Okay, you have a domain name, layout and content. Now we get to
a step that will go a long way to determining how the site will
rank. Yes, we are going to focus on two infamous topics, meta
tags and keyword density.
Meta Tags
Meta tags are html code blocks that “tell” a search engine what
is on a particular site page. Meta tags are not visible on the
pages of your site, but search engine robots focus on them.
Three different meta tags should appear on each page of your
site.
The meta title essentially acts as the title of the page. When
you do a search on Google, the meta title is the first
underlined text in each listing. The content of the meta title
should include the keywords you want to push with the most
important being listed first. Each word should be included no
more than 2 times and the total word count should not exceed 13
words.
The meta description tag allows for an expansion of the meta
title. Use short sentences to emphasize the who, what, why and
where of your business. Make absolute sure that every keyword in
your title also appears in your description.
One of the aggravating things about search engines is how they
use meta descriptions. Most pick only certain sections of your
description. When your link appears in the search results, the
description may make little if any sense. Unfortunately, there
isn’t much you can do about it.
Historically, meta keywords were a very important factor in the
ranking process. How times have changed. Google doesn’t even
look at them, while MSN and Yahoo give them marginal value. You
should still use them, if for no other reason then forcing you
to focus on your keyword phrases when creating content.
Keyword density simply refers to how often keywords appear in a
page as a percentage of the total text. A few years back, it was
common practice to cram and hide keywords all over a page. You
probably remember seeing pages with thousands of keywords listed
at the very bottom. This no longer works and is considered
spamming by search engines.
Much like the meaning of life, the best keyword density
percentage is a hotly debated topic. Theories and opinions
ranged from 1.5 to as high as 20 percent. We recently ran a test
with a page that only had a keyword phrase on it, thus
representing a 100% keyword density. The only search engine that
reacted was Yahoo, which listed it at number 1 for 25 days
before dropping it. Notwithstanding this test, the simple fact
is that nobody really knows the optimal density, except for
programmers at the search engines. Rumor has it that the
programmers are permanently hidden in secret labs in the
Himalayas, so there isn’t much hope of getting any information
from them.
Our experience is keyword density really doesn’t matter if you
have flowing text on the page. The point of your site is to
sell, so write copy that accomplishes that goal. Once you have
completed the copy, modify it to make sure the important
keywords appear at least once in the first paragraph. Do not
force the keywords into sentences; just make sure they appear at
least once. We have clients with number 1 rankings on Google,
Yahoo and MSN that have keyword densities ranging from .5 to
18.5 percent. Yes, these rankings are on keywords with lots of
competition and traffic.
In Closing
In my opinion, meta tags and keyword density are mystified far
too much. They are important factors, but the content on your
pages is far more so. Be judicious with your content, pursue a
targeted linking campaign and the rankings will follow.
About the author:
Halstatt Pires is with Marketing
Titan- an Internet marketing and advertising
company comprised of a search engine optimization specialist
providing meta tag optimization services and Internet marketing
consultant providing internet marketing solutions through
integrated design and programming services.
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