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1.) Writing for High Search Engine Ranking - Part II

By: Dave Pierce

In the last issue we covered the first 2 Steps in writing for high
search engine ranking:

Step #1) Planning your keywords and keyword phrases for high search
engine ranking

Step #2) Making sure you are optimizing for the most profitable
keywords and keyword phrases

If you are a new subscriber, or would like to review those first 2
Steps, please click on the link below before reading the rest of
this article:

High Search Engine Ranking Part I

Step #3) How to use-- and where to place the keywords and keyword
phrases in your sales copy for high search engine ranking:

Once you have picked out your keywords-- it is now time to
strategically place them in your sales copy.

Search engines like to see a certain percentage of keywords to the
total amount of words on a given page. That percentage is open to
conjecture-- and it is further complicated by the fact that you are
going to have to write for all the search engines out there.

But, if you just follow a few simple rules, your sales copy will
rank well on the 2 major search engine databases, Inktomi and
Google. (Remember that optimizing for both of these search engine
databases will cover the majority of search engines.)

In writing your web page you want to try and stay in the 200-300
words range-- which is roughly a one-page letter. Search engines
seem to heavily favor shorter pages over longer pages for high
search engine ranking. So, you want to keep the page at 300 words
max on the first draft…

(OK-I am going to rant a little here. Why in the world do search
engines give a higher ranking to short pages verses long pages? They
claim they are looking for content-- but a 1,000-word page with the
same percentage of keywords ranks WAY lower than a 200-word page. I
just find this an oxymoron in high search engine ranking. But, hey,
whatever.. We have to play by their rules!)

… Now what about those percentages? Well-- you want to keep your
keyword percentage to 3-5% of the total words on the page. So, for a
250-word web page the keyword or keyword phrase should be mentioned
between 5 and 12 times.

Personally, to achieve high search engine ranking, I would mention
the keyword or keyword phrase a maximum of 7-8 times for a 250 word
web page.

Now, it is also important where you place those keywords and keyword
phrases. You want to place the keywords in the Headline of the web
page, and then 3-4 times in the first 100 or so words. Good places
for these are in your Sub-Headlines-- those tend to get read by the
majority of net readers who are skimmers.

(And I have found, myself included, that the majority of web users
are "skimmers"-- they read the Headline, Sub-heads, and the PS. That
is why it is vitally important to use all 3 of these tried and
tested direct marketing techniques. … But, more on the construction
of a web page in one our next newsletter issues. Let's get back to
writing for high search engine ranking….)

Then you will want to sprinkle your keywords into your sales copy as
you write the rest of the page.

Finally-- and this is important-- try to fit them in the last line
of your sales copy. A perfect place for this is in the "PS". (And
yes-- contrary to some "experts" out there-- the vast majority of
internet users read the "PS". It is extremely effective in writing
sales copy for the net!)

Step #4.) Using Headline Tags to get high search engine ranking:

Now, once you have your web pages (sales copy) written it is vital
that you have the web guy or gal put the Headline in a Headline Tag
(H1). And to put your Sub-Headlines in Sub-Headlines tags (H2). This
is vitally important to high search engine ranking!

But, make sure that the web guy or gal uses some programming to make
those Headline Tags (H1) one point larger than your page text. And
the Sub-Headlines Tags (H2) the same size as your text tags.

I am not going to go into the design aspects any further. Suffice it
to say that in writing sales copy for the internet-- especially
sales copy that you would like to be optimized for high search
engine ranking.... You have to be able to work with the web
designer(s).

In the next issue, you will receive the final installment of writing
for high search engine ranking:

Step # 5) THE single most important element in achieving high search
engine ranking

Step # 6) Using internal links for high search engine ranking.

Step # 7) Seeing all of this in action!


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Click here for Part II of the Direct Sales & Website Copywriting Newsletter February 20, 2002

Back to the copywriting newsletter archives