Keywords are The Key to Easy Search Engine Optimization

                                        Image via CrunchBase

                     After being in school as long as I was, it has taken me a while to really understand the importance of keywords for successful search engine optimization.  When you are a student, people are FORCED to read your work.  Now in the real world you have to actually have an audience in mind and figure out how to attract them to your site or blog. 


That's where keywords come in! Keywords are the words people use to search for something they are looking for.  So here are some ways I am personally working on my own search engine optimization:

1. Like anything worth doing, you have to do your research.  There are sites that can tell you what keywords are most possible like:

http://freekeywords.wordtracker.com/

http://www.selfseo.com/keyword_suggestion_tool.php

http://www.submitexpress.com/keytracker.php

http://www.wordtracker.com/

http://www.freewebsubmission.com/keyword-popularity.html


      2.  Use your keyword(s) in your post title. From left to right, the closer to the left your keyword is,
           the greater value it is given for SEO.  Remember to make it something that will catch peoples' 
           attention.



      3.  Create an SEO friendly permalink. Hopefully you’re using custom permalinks in Wordpress. If not, 
      don’t. If so, make it your title minus the fluff words (and, the, if, etc) with dashes (not underscores) 
      between each word.


     4.    Use your keyword(s) as tags or labels in blogger. Use no more than 2 tags per post. Use your tags 
        as file folders for your content topics. Don’t spam tags for all your posts.

     5.    Use your keyword(s) in your first and last paragraph, or a restatement of your title. As well, make 
         sure to use your keyword(s) throughout your copy when applicable.


     6.    Bold your keyword(s) and relevant statements/words throughout copy. Format for SEO
          (bold/emphasize) the first and last instances or reasonably throughout your copy.


     7.    Use your keyword(s) in the ALT text of every image on the post. ALT text is entered when you
           insert an image. Make sure you use a descriptive, short sentence similar to your title that includes your
           keyword(s).


     8.   Link to relevant content.  Create internal links within your own blog to posts you have written on 
          similar topics,  Create external links to relevant sources outside of your blog with your keyword(s) as 
          part of the anchor text in the link.