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ANSWER:
Determining the most effective Web site keywords is by no means an exact
science, but in general, the keywords should mirror the site's overall
topic and include a number of related terms as well. The trick is to try
to put yourself in the search engine user's position and attempt to imagine
which phrases he is likely to use when searching for your particular type
of Web site. A well-defined set of keywords will encompass any words or
phrases Internet users might use to search for the site and should ideally
span a wide enough spectrum to reel in Web users searching for terms that
are even remotely related to the overall site topic.
One way of zeroing in on the most effective set of Web site keywords
is to write down the most obvious keywords for the site; then spend some
time brainstorming synonyms and related terms. Another way to find effective
keywords is to study the competition. To do so, search the Internet for
pages with similar content to yours; then study the keywords of the pages
that received the highest rankings. View the source code of those pages
to see the keyword layout.
Keep the following issues in mind when compiling the keyword list:
- Be specific
A Web site's keyword list should include both generic and very specific
terms.
A generic keyword — "dogs," for example — might
be featured on, literally, hundreds
of thousands of Web sites. It should therefore be accompanied by more
narrowly defined
phrases that zoom in on the site's specific contents, such as "Great
Danes," "Great Dane puppies,"
or "Great Dane rescue."
- Be aware of common misspellings
Some words are prone to misspellings. Other words exist in multiple
grammatically
legitimate spellings. In such cases it is worth considering adding one
or more of the
most common mis- and alternate spellings to the keyword list.
- Focus on geography
If a Web site has a particular significance to a certain geographic
area;
it is a good idea to include the location in the keyword list.
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