Does Your Copy Look "Fake" To the Search Engines?
From the early days of search engine optimization, keywords and content have always been vital to achieving your goals.
Starting back in the days when we used to shove every slightly relevant keyword into our Meta tags, it has been obvious that search engines love text.
The more advanced the engines have gotten over the years, the more complex and sophisticated many writers have gotten with their search engine copywriting.Supposed formulas, saturation levels, and other mysterious concoctions have been developed to help us outsmart the engines.
However, what we should have been doing all along was writing for the visitor first and the engines second.
Why?
Because creating a site that's loved by visitors is a prime factor in linking, ranking, and marketing as a whole.
As the engines make great strides with more personalized and efficient searches (such as semantic search) natural search engine optimization writing is even more important.Rather than just indexing the copy on your site, engines are learning to "understand" what a page is about.
The ironic thing is, as the search engines get more complex the "formula" for SEO copywriting is actually getting more simple. Write NaturallyIn the future, search engines will be looking for Web pages that reflect a natural tone with the copy.
Is it obvious that keyphrases are being shoved in wherever possible?
Does every headline/sub-head, image tag, and comment tag have a keyphrase included? Does the copy sound fake, unnatural, and stiff?
If so, then spiders and bots will recognize it and possibly flag it as something to be wary of.Take a look at this lovely piece of copy I found while surfing just the other day.
(I've replaced the keyphrases used in the original copy with the word "wherever" so as not to embarrass the site owner.)Wherever Holiday RentalsHoliday rentals in Wherever for holidays in WhereverWherever holiday rentals directly from the owners.
Rent a holiday villa in Wherever or perhaps a 2-6 bedroom apartment in Wherever. Wherever vacation rentals for holidays in Wherever are easily located by searching the Wherever Holiday website. Wherever Holiday Rentals offer holiday apartments in Wherever and holiday villas.Find accommodation in Wherever by clicking on the Wherever map or the active links. You will then see holiday rental apartments, villas and townhouses in stunning Wherever accommodation.Let's suppose someone walked into your travel agency and asked for help.
You would most likely ask what they were looking for.
They would reply, "Holiday rentals in Wherever. What can you show me?" Would you honestly take off on the spiel above?
Can you see yourself talking to a real client face-to-face and saying, "We offer Wherever holiday rentals in Wherever and can find you many apartments, villas, and houses in Wherever"?
I don't think so.
Tips for Writing In Natural Language1) Vary your keywords/phrases.
For example, if a keyphrase you particularly want to target is "14k gold jewelry" consider also using keyphrases like "14k gold watches" or "gold wedding bands" or others along those lines.
This will give you a variety of phrases within your copy.2) Read it out loud.
When you read your copy out loud you'll get a better sense of whether it sounds unnatural.
If you wouldn't say, "We make 14k gold jewelry and have made 14k gold jewelry for 10 years. If you need 14k gold jewelry just view our catalog" out loud, then don't put it in your copy, either.3) Break up keyphrases.
As searchers get more knowledgeable about finding what they want in the engines, they use longer and longer search queries some of which just don't make any sense.
For instance, I recently had to use the phrase "real estate Pittsburg downtown" when writing a page of SEO copy.
Since this search string was not easily worked in as that exact phrase, I broke it up.
One sentence I used it in said: "When looking for commercial real estate in Pittsburg check the downtown listings first for exceptional locations and prices."
The words are still in the same order with minor breaks in between.
When you can't use a phrase "as is" this is a very viable alternative.Keep in mind the direction search engine optimization is taking.
The closer you can get to writing in natural language, the better off you'll be.
It only makes sense to create a site now that will last through the long haul.
Especially when that site will have a better chance of favorably appealing to the engines and your visitors.by Karon Thackston ? 2004http://www.copywritingcourse.com/keyword.
Karon is author of ?How To Increase Keyword Saturation (Without Destroying the Flow of Your Copy).? Discover the secrets to creating SEO copy with a perfect balance between keywords and natural language. http://www.copywritingcourse.com/keyword IF PUBLISHING ON A WEBSITE, USE THIS RESOURCE BOX:Karon is author of ?How To Increase Keyword Saturation (Without Destroying the Flow of Your Copy).?Discover the secrets to creating SEO copy with a perfect balance between keywords and natural language with this insightful e-report.
Cracking the Code to Increased Sales
Insurance sales is not rocket science, but there is a combination of activities that when performed together can yield great results.
Award-winning health insurance professional Dan Roberts has put together 6 tips for increased sales (www.byoib.com).#1) Listen to the client.
Successful salespeople always have a great and positive attitude. They make a sincere effort to help their clients, not just sell them.
They listen to their clients' needs and present solutions based upon that information.
Ask the client what their reason was for buying from you or why they didn't buy from you.
Listen intently to the answer, as it will guide you in future efforts.#2) Be consistent and keep things simple.
So many agents are just after the big score and miss out on the smaller opportunities, which over time, add up to big numbers.
It's like a game of basketball.
During any given...
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Laird Small, PGA teacher of the year and Director of the Pebble Beach Golf Academy, endorses the DivotMat
The Tiffin Company, manufacturer of the DivotMat, announced today it has agreed to a multi-year endorsement deal with the PGA's top-ranked golf instructor, Laird Small.
The agreement allows Laird Small to promote DivotMat to golf students and other professional golf instructors throughout the United States.
Terms of the agreement were not announced. One of the most popular golf instructors in the country, Laird Small has been on every GOLF Magazine list of the nation's "Top 100 Teachers in America" since 1995 and was recognized by Golf Digest on its "Top 50 Teachers in America," in 2002.
Beginning his 17th year at Pebble Beach, California, the 46-year-old Small has been a PGA member since 1988 and director since 1996 of the Pebble Beach Golf Academy.
Small was named the 1996 Northern California PGA Teacher of the Year Award and 1997 Junior Teacher of the Year, an honor by the AT&T Pebble Beach Junior Golf Association.
Commenting on the announcement,...
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Clontarf Irish Whiskey Wins Gold, Family of Irish Whiskeys Sweeps Awards
New York, NY (ContentDesk) August 9, 2006 -- Castle Brands Inc. (AMEX: ROX), an emerging developer and global marketer of premium branded spirits headquartered in New York, announced today that its Clontarf Irish Whiskey has received three awards in the 2006 International Review of Spirits.Clontarf Single Malt Irish Whiskey was awarded a Gold Medal in the Irish whiskey category by this well-respected competition conducted by The Beverage Testing Institute.
In addition, both Clontarf Irish Whiskey and Clontarf Reserve received Silver Medals. The Irish whiskey category has been growing steadily for the last several years.
It is an exciting category to be involved in with new brands stimulating interest at the consumer level, said Roseann Sessa, Vice President, Marketing & Public Relations.
Clontarf, with its three expressions, has been well-received by spirits journalists and consumers alike.
In March, the New York Times, in its comprehensive article...
Clontarf Irish Whiskey Wins Gold, Family of Irish Whiskeys Sweeps Awards
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Newtek Outsource to Onsite Chicago
Chicago, Il. (ContentDesk) February 17, 2006 -- Onsite Chicago an IT outsourcing Services Company was awarded the project to maintain Newteks computer networks at their Chicago satellite office. Newtek Services have been actively searching for a dependable Network Consulting firm to manage their office in Chicago. They required immediate service at a moments notice and we were able to meet those demands at an affordable price says Khayyam Dawoodi. When a complete site is offline then a ripple effect takes place all through the exterior sites.
The important point is to get things going at the shortest time possible, and we just did that with Newtek Newtek Business Services, Inc. is one of the premier providers of business services and financial products to small and medium-sized businesses throughout the United States. Since 1999, Newtek has helped business owners realize their potential by providing them with the essential tools needed to manage and grow their business.Onsite...
Newtek Outsource to Onsite Chicago
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Understanding Celtic Wedding Rings
Thousands of years ago, the Celts, a group of independent tribes spread throughout much of current day Europe, were sophisticated artisans, carving knot work patterns that have inspired modern day jewelers to create wedding rings.
These motifs have meaning.
Yet understanding the knot patterns and why they make such ideal wedding rings can be illusive.
The ancient motifs are rooted in mysterious cultures that stretch back well before written history.
Though the earliest written accounts of the Celts were from Roman descriptions, some knot work motifs found in Eastern Europe may be as old as 20,000 years.
We know the Celts, similar to Native people of North America, viewed that the earth itself as well as all aspects of life and death as divine. They had a large and varied pantheon, worshipping local gods.
The natural world was considered sacred, and every river, mountain and tree had its own spirit of place. Rituals were rooted in...
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?Discover True Magnificence - Moissanite Wedding Sets?
Beautiful moissanite wedding sets are now being sold over the counter across the world. The glamour and luxury that these moissanite wedding sets exuberate is something that cannot be explained by a sheer display of ornamental prose, it simply has to be seen to be believed.No bridal finery is complete without jewelry and no jewelry is complete without the magnificent glamor of moissanite. The sheer sparkle of moissanite set in pure 22 carat gold in exquisitely handcrafted rings, and eternity bands that match the style, is a feast for the eyes befitting a wedding celebration. Whether it be a standard wedding set or a customized one, tailor made to specific standards, whether the settings of moissanite wedding jewelry is in gold or silver or in platinum, the charm and the elegance that moissanite renders to the jewelry, is pure viewing pleasure. For once, even diamonds fade away before the brilliance of dazzling moissanite.Sparkle In Moissanite Wedding JewelryMoissanite wedding sets are...
?Discover True Magnificence - Moissanite Wedding Sets?
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