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Google’s Policy on Keyword Stuffing

According to Mueller, Google doesn’t consider keyword stuffing in title and meta description tags a problem, but the company doesn’t recommend it either. Google considers keywords in title and meta description tags when it ranks websites. Companies sometimes fill their tags with as many keywords as possible to improve their rankings. That practice can make it difficult for Google’s algorithm to figure out what a page is actually about and provide results that are relevant for users. That’s where things could backfire on you if you do it this way. 

Mueller said creating tags that focus on relevant keywords, rather than stuffing them with lots of keywords, can help Google deliver results that users are seeking and improve a website’s click-through rate. Mueller also noted that having a higher click-through rate is so much more important than achieving a higher ranking in search engine results pages at the end of the day. 

So what should you do?

He recommends that companies, particularly small businesses, focus on creating title and meta description tags that include relevant keywords, as well as information on their location as this data will help them to better rank in their local geographic area.

Get Professional Help with Search Engine Optimization

It can be difficult to figure out the best way to design your company’s website and how to improve your search engine rankings and click-through rate. Many people don’t understand Google’s rules and policies or have enough time to learn while trying to grow the business itself. There is a lot of conflicting advice online and you want to be sure to choose a company you can trust to handle these pieces of the puzzle. In addition, the SEO landscape continually changes, so strategies that worked in the past may no longer be effective. 

Keyword Performance offers search engine optimization services. We understand best practices and stay up to date on changes in the industry and how they can affect businesses and implement those winning strategies to your site and campaigns.

Get started today! 

Our team can review your existing website and look for ways to draw in more traffic. If you don’t currently have a website, or if you have one that isn’t serving you well and you would like to create a new one, we can also work with you to design a website that will showcase your company’s strengths and attract more customers. 

Contact us today to learn more!

A website redesign is a good time to clean up old page titles.

Google’s SEO Starter Guide is a good companion to this article.

The post Keyword-Stuffed Titles Are Okay, According to Google appeared first on Keyword Performance.

How fast the page loads, how original and in-depth the written copy is, how user-friendly the design of the page is, all of these are factors that can help (or harm) your site from reaching the masses.

Over time, as Google released more updates, we’ve learned what areas are specifically important to focus on as we write, post, and make changes to our content. The one we’ll be focusing on in this post is something not everyone thinks about as they’re trying every other tactic to rank their site: Image Optimization.

If you think that there isn’t much weight to how and where you upload images to your website – guess again. In fact, image optimization is one of the growing areas of importance as images take up more and more room in search results, and as consumers expect more visuals than ever before.

If you’ve been wanting to get your images right in terms of optimization, here are 3 things you should always be doing.

1. Image Optimization Starts With Naming Images Properly

The first thing you want to do is choose an image that goes well on your page. Something that is clear, eye-catching, and memorable is best. When people can engage with images they tend to stay on pages longer, which is only more beneficial to your efforts.

Once you’ve selected and downloaded an image, be sure to format it properly. You need to tell the crawlers what the item uploaded is. This should include naming the file in a short and easily identifiable way (example: child-eating-cake instead of IMG_4359) and use target keywords whenever possible.

2.      Always add ALT Tags to Images

The engines will look at another area too, which people know as the “alternative text” for the image. Most people also call it an ‘ALT Tag.’ It sits inside the image tag and tells the search engine what’s on the page visually. It is important because, like the naming of the image file on your computer, it associates keywords with what the picture shows.

ALT tags are also key for accessibility reasons such as providing attribute data on the page for those who are using screen readers. In case an image doesn’t load, it’s also a great back-up to let users know what image would have appeared there – improving their overall experience.

3.      Use the Smallest File Size Possible

Even if you name your image properly, and add the correct tagging, you can still fall behind in SEO optimization if you are not considering the file size. One of the most important things you need to consider with a website is page speed and load time. Users have been notorious for clicking right out of a website if the page doesn’t load immediately.

If you want to maximize load time, you need to scale your images and use the smallest possible size so they load instantly. There are a number of free image optimizer tools online you can upload your images to and adjust. You will follow steps to allow these tools to compress the file as well as format the pixels and resize the photo for optimal placement. Modern formats such as WebP and AVIF can shrink files even further without a visible loss in quality, and lazy loading keeps images below the fold from slowing down the first view of the page.

So the answer to our original question, Does Image Optimization Still Matter? Yes! Absolutely. And it plays an increasingly important role as visual search and AI-powered results become a regular part of everyday life. Plus, taking all of these steps translates to better rankings in the SERPs and that’s what everyone wants, isn’t it?

Want to improve your website? Looking to get new, effective content written? Give us a call today to talk to an SEO Expert about how Keyword Performance can help.

Our on page SEO services include image optimization, alt text and file naming. Our technical SEO services also cover image size and page speed.

Google documents the speed and usability thresholds it measures in Core Web Vitals.

The post Does Image Optimization Still Matter? appeared first on Keyword Performance.

Most anyone can string together some sentences and describe a problem and solution. But it takes more than that to truly write effective copy online. That is especially true today, when so much content floods websites and attention spans continue to decline.

Highly effective SEO copy aims to increase search engine ranks, and it takes a certain set of skill and technique.

We’ve compiled some of the newest types of copywriting that are showing promising results today. We also included a couple of our old-time favorites that have stood the test of time.

Follow along and jot down how many of these you’re using each day. Then plan for your website’s domination on the SERPs.

Headers Still Matter in SEO Copy

Remember when we said that title tags were just one piece of the puzzle? Well, those and the Headers on the page are actually pretty important. So are titles. Anything that is going to be prominent needs to be creative, focused and strategic. You wouldn’t have a web page about Auto Insurance and have all of the headers talk about seatbelt safety. Seatbelt safety might fit in the copy, if it’s relevant. But your main points, your keywords, and content should all focus on the term “car insurance.” Beyond the keyword, the important, impactful and original things you say will raise the quality of the page as a whole.

The same is true if you’re writing an article for an online publication or a blog. You want your headline to grab the attention of readers. Pique their interest and draw them in to click and read further. It’s your one shot to engage them and make a great first impression. So do your research, and do it well.

Quality Content Will Always Win

First, create a killer headline or the best headers possible for the page. They should give readers and search engines structure for what the page covers. Then you need to do the legwork of creating all the copy to support it.

Has an article ever drawn you in because it sounded interesting, only to disappoint you? Maybe it had a novice approach and lacked detailed analysis or original thought. Think this way when you’re copywriting too. You might write a product description, About Us page copy or an Employee Spotlight series. No matter what you’re writing, you need to write SEO copy that people want to read.

Study the audience, get a feel for the brand and write from that point of view.

Ideas on Types of Blogs

You might have the things we mentioned down to a science. Even so, you might still fall short in the rankings department. In highly saturated markets, you need to take things a step further. Build content plans that test out theories and use new methods to attract readers to your site.

• Focus on Relevant News / Trends

One of the best ways to draw in new readers is to talk about what is on their mind. You can do this by writing about trends and recent news. Set-up Google alerts, pay attention to local broadcasts and keep a pulse on the markets a company serves. Chances are there will be a way to draw a connection between the two. This level of freshness is unlike covering any other topic. It’s also a sure way to make your content stand out. Combine the relevancy of the “hot topic” or current news event with the product or service offerings on the site. Then users will come.

Get More From Your SEO Copy With a Series

• Write a Series

Keeping readers engaged and coming back for more requires a really good idea that lends itself to detailed posts. Come up with a plan for 3-10 dedicated posts diving deep into a main topic and call it a series.

For example, you could write a blog series for new homeowners. It could offer in-depth information about the heating source in their new home.

A series won’t just entice the reader to revisit the page. It also gives you the perfect chance to interlink and do it with reason. Quality linking is another important strategy for SEO.

You might end up with a strong set of articles. In that case, you could even package this new expansive content into an e-book.

• Make it a Point to Revisit & Revise

Don’t be afraid to keep a running spreadsheet of all the posts you’re creating. Add calendar reminders for when to revisit the content to see how it’s performing. When there, add more relevant links and find ways to make improvements. That’s the real beauty of SEO and the online world. Nothing is permanent. There’s always a chance to track performance, revisit, change and optimize anything you put out there. When it comes to quality content writing you’re only as good as you continue to push to be.

Write for People First, Then for AI Search

Search now includes AI-generated answers, and those answers draw on pages that are clear, accurate and well structured. Write direct answers to real questions, use descriptive headings, and show your first-hand experience so your content is worth citing.

If you want high-quality SEO copywriting with years of Web experience behind it, look no further. At Keyword Performance we follow all industry standards and best practices. We create effective content that meets the needs of your company and assures the best possible results.

Our SEO firm has been doing this work since 2003.

If you want help putting this into practice, our copywriting services are a good place to start.

The post How to Write SEO Copy That Gets You Noticed appeared first on Keyword Performance.