Body Copy: Don't Overlook the Obvious

Body Copy: Don't Overlook the Obvious Search engines can do only two things: index text on the page and follow hypertext links. Possibly the most overlooked place on a Web page to include targeted keywords is in the actual viewable body copy of the Web site. You're probably not thinking, "What a revelation! What a unique and groundbreaking idea! Placing keywords in the actual viewable Web page...Eureka!" Well, believe it or not the obvious is often overlooke. You would be amazed at how often this happens. In fact, you probably shouldn't place keywords in any other area of the Web page if they do not first appear on the viewable page.

I would like to nail this down so there is no misunderstanding, so I'll repeat: all META tags should come from the content of the actual Web page. Here is another interesting tidbit: Not all HTML tha makes up the viewable page is equal in the eyes of a search engine algorithm. I will discuss the importance of placing keywords in headline tags, hyperlinks, image tags, etc., but the viewable copy is the most important. There are several important places in the viewable pages where you should include your targeted keywords, as well as factors to consider when placing them.

Heading Tags

Search engines generally value keywords and text found in heading tags more highly than those found in other text on your pages because text found in headings usually identifies a particular theme or section of content.

The first 25 Words of Copy on the Page

Search engines often place greater emphasis on keywords found early on a Web page, frequently using the first 25 words of the Web page for the description that appears in search results if you do not include a description META tag.

The Last 25 Words of Copy on the Page

Search engines place emphasis on Web pages that introduce a subject, talk about it, and then summarize it. If a targeted keyword is near the end of a document, it is considered likely that teh document is in fact about that keyword or phrase.

Near Other Related Keywords or Synonyms

Some search engines also consider how near to one another keywords are placed on the viewable page. If someone conducts a search on "foreign car parts," the Web page that includes these keywords consecutively scores higher than the Web page that includes the words "foreign car" in the first 25 words but the words "parts" in the next paragraph, separated from the first part of the phrase by several dozen words. It may able be beneficial when targeting a keyword like "automobile" to include the words "car," "vehicle," and "coupe" on the page near "automobile."

Don't Forget Links

The text within a link is sometimes weighed more heavily than words found in the regular body text. I'm always surprised when I visit a Web page and the designer has included a link on the page that suggests that a user should "click her" for more information on a topic, and the words "click here" are the activated link. This is only a good idea if you seek to attain a ranking on searches for "click" or "here." If you insist on using these words in your link, how about "click for more information on keyword phras," with the keyword phrase as the activated link?

Emphasized Keywords in the Body Copy Get Special Attention

Keywords in the body copy that are emphasized, by the use of bold or italic type for example are often given increased weight by search engines algorithms.

The lesson here is that you should make every effort to carefully evaluate the keyword content of your viewable page before you begine populating your META tags. To overlook the viewable page and focas entirely on the META tags is a recipe for failure.

How To Integrate Keywords Into Your Web Site Copy
If youre reading this and your web site doesnt contain any body text on the home page, give yourself a good smack and go to your room without supper. When youre ready to behave and design your site with the search engines in mind, come back out and read this article.
The simple truth is ...
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