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However, I'm about to make a few changes and thought I'd get some input first. This is relevant only to the keywords I use and which pages I place them upon.
Here's what I've done: I started with my own log reports for the month of September and created a list of my top keywords and phrases. Then I went to Overtures Search Term Suggestion Tool and typed all those in, one at a time. I pasted each result into a spreadsheet; so now I have columns of related search words and phrases. I printed this out and checked each word or phrase that I wanted to use. My new list is about 300 words long.
Next is a list of every phrase or word I picked from the spreadsheet. Beside that list I indicated which word or phrase will go on a particular page on my site. The index gets the lions share, but the "little blue widgets" page gets relevant keywords only.
I'm now ready to go thru my pages and rewrite the meta information, referring to my list for each page. Any thoughts on this process of keyword selection and distribution?
The reason I went to all this trouble is because the meta information on every page is nearly identical. I have to believe that a more focused set of keywords for each page is better than all the same keywords on all the pages - of course keeping in mind that my meta tags aren't the "be all and end all" of SE optimization. I've just printed some good pointers from this forum for other tips that I'll be looking at very closely.
What say you - Did I just waste most of a very late night's work?
Thanks
grandpa
No, in fact I wish I was as organized and disciplined as you!
>I have to believe that a more focused set of keywords for each page is better than all the same keywords on all the pages...
Yes. Almost every page of your site can, and really should, be used as an entry page to your site.
Did I just waste most of a very late night's work?
No, but I do not believe that you have really done the most important part of the job yet.
of course keeping in mind that my meta tags aren't the "be all and end all" of SE optimization.
That is putting it mildly. Some believe that the meta keywords tag is now valueless, while others will argue that it still has "some value". Nobody seems to be willing to argue that it is "valuable".
I have to believe that a more focused set of keywords for each page is better than all the same keywords on all the pages ...
Now we are coming to the useful part!
As Mona writes (and you seem to understand by implication) you should try to make every page attract search engines, not just the index page.
I would go back with that spreadsheet and look at the text of each page and make sure that as many as possible of the keywords appropriate to that page are in the text. Some repetition, some bolding, putting some in headers (all when appropriate) will add to their weight.
Next is a list of every phrase or word I picked from the spreadsheet. Beside that list I indicated which word or phrase will go on a particular page on my site. The index gets the lions share, but the "little blue widgets" page gets relevant keywords only.
How many keywords you should put on the index page depends very much on the dynamics of your market, and how people search. Let me give you an example of a recent "online shopping expedition" I did.
I wanted to buy a BrandAAA Gizmo, they make the best Gizmos in many models. So step one I went to the BrandAAA web site and spent a long time comparing models, specs and prices.
Having chosen the model I wanted to buy I searched for BrandAAA Gizmo 123, where 123 is the model number. Every single page that showed up on page one of the SERPs was dedicated to Model 123; i.e. I got absolutely no index pages. So for the searcher looking for a specific model optimizing the index page for a whole bunch of model numbers seems rather pointless.
Had I not decided to go straight to the BrandAAA web site I would have searched for Gizmos and would have hit a lot of index pages. But I would have hit them because they optimized for Gizmos, not for model 123.
In my shopping (different people shop in different ways) I view the index page as a place to go to when I am learning about the products available, when I am ready to buy I tend to look for specific internal pages.
So to me it makes sense to optimize the index page for the more generic terms, keeping the specific ones for the internal pages.
Your mileage, of course, will vary :)
