The Human Approach to Site Optimization
Most people online today
continue to use search engines to find what they are looking
for, as well as follow links from sites they trust. Let's
discuss this 'trust' from the standpoint of positioning your
Web business.
When you have generated traffic to your site, you need to
give people what they are really looking for. In particular,
you must deliver genuine answers and real benefits through
your site copywriting.
This is a big stumbling block for those who use doorway
pages to maximize their search engine positioning - without
taking into account their human visitors.
You know clearly focused keywording throughout your site is
fundamental to successful search engine positioning. So how
do you write the words on your page to accent your site
theme for the search engines, and more importantly, serve
your customers?
Go Belly to Belly
The answer is to write for people first, not search engines.
The Web business medium incessantly vies for our attention
and fragments our thoughts. It's exhausting! Doesn't it make
sense to create a Web site that offers shelter from the
online storm?
A key marketing thought to consider is that a few hundred
well-satisfied customers can feed you, clothe you, and take
care of you into your ripe old age.
These 'customers for life' will only be yours if you and
your Web site are personal service oriented. It's a powerful
way to separate yourself from your competitors who think
automation is the only answer for Web success.
Here are 10 key questions to help you with this approach.
The answers you generate will inform your Web site writing.
o Your Product/Service
1. For your site visitors: What are the specific
results/benefits you provide the people who buy from you?...
2. Your products and services: please list two short key
phrases that describe exactly what you supply...
3. What's your single, most marketable, unique, competitive
edge? This is your essential Unique Selling Proposition (USP).
4. Describe your product/service in detail...
A. List 7 features that jump out at you:
(A feature is a fact about a product or service, such as
"wash cold, hang dry", or "made in Morocco". Features
demonstrate how things are created, delivered and
maintained.)
B. List 7 enormous benefits your products/services give your
site visitors...
(A benefit is anything that will make someone's life better,
easier or more productive by using your product or service.)
5. Which product/service is your 'best of the best' - your
#1 most popular, profitable or marketable offering?...
o Your Site Visitor
6. Who is your perfect site visitor? Supply as much detail
as you can: demographics (age, gender, employment, etc),
geographics (location, country, city, etc), psychographics
(interests, culture, lifestyle, etc)...
7. List 7 unique and interesting facts you really want site
visitors to know about you and the products/services you
provide...
8. List at least 7 of the most commonly asked questions
about your products/services, as well as the answers you
give...
9. List at least 7 of the most common misconceptions your
site visitors have about your offerings...
10. What are the 3 specific things your target market most
wants to know about or looks for in your product/service?...
The Wrap Up: Integrating Customer and Search Engine Needs
You've thought long and hard, you've dug deep. You've even
asked your site visitors what they want! In the process
you've generated the raw materials you need to write your
site copy.
Here's how to use this information to please both site
visitors and search engines:
A. Write for your audience - the people you need to
reach. If you are writing sales copy, we recommend
the template outlined here.
B. Use the excellent
GoTo keyword suggestion tool. You are researching
which words people actually use when they look through a
search engine to find what you offer.
C. Take the #1 word you find on GoTo. Wherever it
makes sense (and without becoming obnoxious), substitute
this keyword for similiar words and phrasing within your
site writing. Ideally you should try to achieve a 3-7% ratio
of your keyword to the other words on your page. To measure
your keyword density, visit
Keywordensity.com. While you are at it, use this
tool to check out your competitors under this keyword.
Observe where and how they've used this keyword in their
visible text and source code.
D. Re-optimize your pages around this single keyword,
then hand-register these newly written pages with the major
search engines.
This is the 'human approach' to site optimization. It's not
scientific but it's fast, and can free up your time to move
onto the other aspects of your Web business.
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