In my last post, I gave the first step to finding good long tail keywords. Here is the second step. Also, I’ll talk about part three next Sunday.
- Part 1: Generate an initial keyword list.
- Part 2: Target the keywords.
Part 2: Target the keywords.
Targeting your keywords is a pretty simple process. But many bloggers make one of these two common mistakes.
First, don’t spam the keyword in your blog post. Most bloggers don’t seem to have this problem, but it’s worth mentioning just in case. Google has penalties for keyword spamming. Also, keyword spam is annoying to your readers.
The second mistake is more common: not being aggressive enough with your targeting. Yes, I know I just talked about not spamming but some bloggers make the mistake on the other end of the spectrum. They barely include the keywords in their posts.
There’s a balance between spamming and barely targeting a keyword.
Let’s look at two specific ways to target your keywords without spamming.
Title Tags: Inserting the keyword in the title tag is by far the best onpage SEO strategy yet many bloggers don’t do this. Now, you don’t need to repeat the keyword unless it makes sense to.
In regards to blogging software and title tags, I only have experience with WordPress. WordPress automatically takes you post’s title and inserts it in the title tag. I suspect that most software does the same.
Also, try to add the keyword at the beginning of the title tag. The first words in the tag hold more weight.
For example, let’s say your keyword is predictably irrational book review. Between the following two title tags, go with the second one.
- Customers Don’t Act Rationally: Predictably Irrational Book Review
- Predictably Irrational Book Review: Customers Don’t Act Rationally
Keyword Repetition: I think a good guide is repeating the keyword every 150-250 words. This keeps you from spamming while still letting the search engines know which keyword you’re targeting.
So, if you write a 500 word post, make sure the keyword is in the post at least twice but no more than three times.
