Keywords 101

**Deana** · 02-03-2007, 01:55 PM

I'd like to ask a simple question about keywords without revealing just how new to the website world I am. The fact that I got my website together and working, plus a blog, makes me feel like an honorary membership in "tech world" is coming. . . . but here's my question:

What makes a keyword strong and relevant? Obviously you want a keyword that your target consumer is going to type in, but is it also important that it matches your content on the page?

My index / home page is really just an intro to my site, but I want consumers that may be looking for content that is somewhere else - on a different page.

If I have to have the keywords in my metatag match the content on my page in order to do well in the search engines, please tell me.

Appreciate all the help I can get!!

**jimkimmons** · 02-04-2007, 09:00 AM

First, the meta keywords need to be entered, but the search engines don't give them a lot of weight. You need to have a meta title and description that match the content on the page and have the same keywords in both.

Trying to get too broad will only dilute your efforts. Develop a content theme for each page with a relevant set of keywords and use them in the content, title and description. It isn't all about getting them to the intro/home page and sending them elsewhere. That's a great goal, but it's usually the most difficult, as the main page on a real estate site is competing for the most heavily-used "yourtown real estate" type keywords.

I don't care how they get to the site, just that they do. If you've got good relevant and interesting content, they'll end up precisely on the page of interest with a search. An example might be your market area's government page. Well written, with title, description and content on-topic, you'll have searchers end up on that page first if they want building codes, etc.

This is also why a blog could be one of the most important lead generators on your web site. If you don't have a blog integrated into the site, and you're early in the curve, consider a Point2Agent site with blogging. Done properly, it will give you the fastest SEO boost. Email me at realestate.guide@about.com for an invitation to a free P2A site. However, you'll need to upgrade to a $39.95/month site to get the blogging.

Much more help for web site design and seo here.

**Deana** · 02-04-2007, 09:33 AM

Thanks Jim!

I have a P2A account and I really do find that site to be easy to use. I have not upgraded yet but would consider once I have more customers. My blog is hosted by WordPress but is linked to my site and vice versa plus I post something new every day.

I will have to put forth some very concentrated effort and analyse my title, descriptions and content. Although I've tried to match content, I've also put words in that are not on the page at all. This will dilute right?

Back to work I go!!
Thanks again

Deana

**jimkimmons** · 02-04-2007, 10:49 AM

Deana:

If you're talking about the "meta keywords" section, you can put in more of them that aren't that related, as the big engines don't use those as much as they used to. However, your meta title and description should be highly related. Example for a page of local government (real estate tie-in):

Meta title: Taos, NM and Taos County Government & Regulations

Meta Description: Those considering Taos real estate will find local town and county government information, rules, regulations, building codes, restrictions and political information here. Links are provided for septic rules, land use restrictions, condo regulations, and building permits.

Now you develop your content using the various keywords in the description. Even if it's mostly just links, you can get the first sentence or two off the government site and they usually use some of these terms. Note we got our most competitive and site-related keywords in for "Taos real estate" in a logical way that works for the searcher. Remember that this description will frequently be shown with the search result link.

As far as the meta keywords, adding others that are less related isn't a big problem, as the engines don't rely on them as much as what we've discussed here.

I too had a separate blog with a Page Rank of 5, but closed it down and moved content as soon as the P2A blogging feature was introduced. The value of all the blog content being part of the site is huge.

Jim

**Deana** · 02-05-2007, 04:08 AM

Thanks Jim - this is the example I was looking for. I have some work to do on my site's pages now as I was focusing more on the meta keywords and less on the description.

Deana

**Alpharetta** · 02-13-2007, 11:06 AM

Deanna,

If you can, use Google Analytics to help with your keywords. With a new website, like mine (four months old) you will have a while to wait no matter what you do to try and get high rankings for terms with "real estate" in them. What you will be able to do is rank for terms called longtails. These are much more specific search terms like "new community home search" or something with a specific neighborhood in it. There is much less competition for these terms and they tend to be more targeted by the person searching (better lead).

**Deana** · 02-14-2007, 03:57 AM

Thanks Alpharetta. I've just discovered some of the things Google offers this week with the site map generator; which led me to clicking other things and there it was. It is humbling how much effort needs to go into this piece of website participation.

I will take a stab at the phrasing as you suggested. We have a realtor in our area that has purchased every imaginable URL with the name of our county in it so no matter how hard I try, if it has the word "Macomb" in it, his links take up the first page and half the second in Google.

Ahhhh . . . competition. Don't cha just love it?

Deana

**Alpharetta** · 02-14-2007, 06:16 AM

I am finding some of the same issues withgetting ranked. I have been told that time is one of the biggest factors for Google so I guess we just have to keep at it.