6)Don’t forget Geographics. If your products and services are local or regional, be sure to include your state or city within your search phrases. For example, an investigations company that conducts most of its business in Midwest would want to choose “Indiana and private investigator.”

7)Take a look at your competition. Based on your top three competitors, look at their website for specific search terms being used. Also, look at their META keywords to get a good idea of what search terms they think are important. Remember you want to look at competitors for your different markets served and products and service lines.

8)Analyze your website traffic. Make sure your web hosting company provides you with ability to analyze your website log files. Some hosting companies have you log into your account to view monthly web traffic reports, while others email monthly reports. Information obtained can tell you top search terms and search engines used to find your website and other valuable information. To get most out of your log file data, it is recommended to use a log file analyzer such as Web Trends or Urchin.

By applying these methods, you will be well on your way to generating highly-targeted keywords and phrases that attract right types of prospective clients - ones that have direct interest in your products, services, and solutions you offer.

Article optimization tactic 4: Utilize keywords in 1st sentence of initial paragraph. This an easily be accomplished and still make paragraph read well and in a natural sounding tone if read back. Remember that you want your reader to feel like they are being talked with not "at" and you want your reader to not realize that your placement of your keyword phrases might be planned.

Article optimization tactic 5: Utilize keywords in text with appropriate keyword density. After you write your article, you can easily edit to try to obtain best keyword density for search engines you'd like to target.

Google's optimum keyword density is between 1.5% to 2.5% keyword density at time of this writing.

Once you have article written you can use GoRank's keyword optimization tool http://www.gorank.com/seotools/ (new browser opens) to check what keyword density is of text of article so you can edit accordingly.

Remember, you don't want to 'stuff' page with your chosen and targeted keyword phrase but you do want to make sure that you utilize your keywords when you can up to required amount for desired keyword density.

Article optimization tactic 6: Bold or italicize keywords in text. When bolding and italicizing your keywords in your articles, it isn't necessary to bold and/or italicize every keyword phrase. When reader comes across bolded and italicized words they add emphasis to text at time they read those words. So you should use your best judgment as to what looks right and 'reads' right when you edit your article.

One key item to remember to write naturally so you get your message across in a human manner.

You want reader to click to your link at end or in body of article and more human and conversational your article comes across, more likely that reader will travel to URL you'd like them to see. Some marketers write their articles without search engine optimization in mind and then go back and edit them for search engines.

After your article is optimized, do all you can to get it posted to other web sites so number of relevant links pointing to that article is heightened. If you get your article posted to some of heavier web sites that post articles and have correct categories where your article will fit, faster your article URL will get indexed by search engines.

Author, "9 Deadly Mistakes To Avoid When Starting An Online Business" Publisher, "Starting Smart!" e-zine

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