Content Is King

Over the past few years, there have been many debates about different search engine optimisation strategies, though it is highly important that a range of strategies are pulled together as one to form the best optimisation program possible. There is one particular factor that is becoming ever more important when it comes to reaching number one in the search engine results pages. That factor is "content". It seems search engines in their quest to provide ever more relevant results are giving site content more and more weight in their ranking algorithms. These days we are seeing web pages packed full of relevant text as opposed to the wonderful, graphical pages that used to adorn many a company's web sites.

Though of course page content is only one aspect of a good optimisation campaign, it is important to follow a few simple guidelines when constructing that content in order to get it right:

1. Research ? before you write a single word about a particular product, group of products or service, it is important that you know as much as possible about your subject. Good research will allow you to construct factual, relevant content. If you decide to merely copy content already out there, then be very careful. It is advisable to approach the owner of such content first and ask their permission. For example if you need to write about a product and your supplier already has a good description of it on their site, then it may be the case that they will let you use it for promotional purposes. Again you need to seek their approval first. Even if you intend to re-write someone else's content it is a good idea to check with them first. In general a good rule of thumb is "if in doubt, don't do it". Your own original content is always best.

2. Spelling and Grammar ? you should always seek to maintain a high level of spelling and grammar. Always assume anyone reading your content is looking for mistakes. Buyers look for reasons not only to buy, but also not to buy. Good spelling and grammar portrays a confident and professional image.

3. Layout ? page content needs to be laid out correctly in order to appear more pleasing to the eye. Keep paragraphs short and to the point. Any keywords and key phrases need to be worked into the content naturally and read correctly. Titles and headings should be in bold and the first letter of each word should be capitalised. Always use a plain, easy to read font. Fancy fonts may look nice to you, but don't forget your content is going to be read by the masses and needs to have a general appearance, that can be read by everyone. Any important words or references should be highlighted using quotation marks or again bold text.

By using the three basic guidelines outlined above, you will be able to write good, relevant page content, that is straight to the point, pleasing to the eye, and professionally written, as well as keyword rich. Never forget the search engine spiders love content, but be careful not to over do it, otherwise you will lose your readers attention, which ultimately means lost sales.

Thanks for reading my article. Please feel free to rate it at the bottom of this page.

Jason

**************************************************************************** *****
Jason Morris is co-author, search engine optimization and marketing consultant of Business Phone Systems Direct. An established communications company, offering advice and implementation of high quality business phone systems.
*********************************************************************************

---

Top 2 Ways To Get Higher Rankings in Major Search Engines

Top 10 search engine rankings. Everybody wants it but a... Read More

Niche Marketing - Why Keyword Research Come First

A good portion of my business involves spending hours and... Read More

How Search Engines Connect Sellers and Buyers

Maggie knows how to find what she wants. She lets... Read More

HTML and Search Engine Optimization - What You Dont Know Can Kill You

When it comes to search engine optimization there is a... Read More

Every Search Engine Robot Needs Validation

Your website is ready. Your content is in place, you... Read More

Adding City Names At The End Of Your Keywords Can Bring You More Profits

In recent times, I have been closely studying keywords that... Read More

Beyond Hits!

Your Website visitor reports are a goldmine of information. If... Read More

Dont Make the Top 30 SEO Mistake

SEO consultants will tell you that you need to be... Read More

Writing Search Engine Friendly Webpages

In order to tap the huge stream of targeted traffic... Read More

The Long And Short Of It Is That These Two Sales Techniques Are The Same

With the Internet beginning to stand up and be counted... Read More

Beyond the Box with Googles Web API

Google, the most popular, and many say best, search engine,... Read More

Link Popularity

In today scenario when we talk about Search Engine Optimization,... Read More

Search Wars! - MSNs Opening Salvo

With all the recent publicity given to Google as the... Read More

How To See What Pages Of Your Site Google Has In Its Index

There is a lag time between the indexing or updating... Read More

7 Essential SEO techniques

1) Title Tag ? When we're talking about SEO Technique,... Read More

The Need of Popularity

In very simple words, the link popularity of your site... Read More

High Search Engine Rankings - A Long Term Strategy

The last 1.5 years have shown major changes in search... Read More

SEO Quickstart - 3 Things You can Do to Improve Search Engine Rankings Right Now

Increasing your search engine rankings should certainly be one of... Read More

2 Powerful Ways To Capitalize on Your Search Engine Traffic

Many marketers know that search engine marketing is among one... Read More

Five Short Quick Tips on Web Page Titles

By Catherine FranzSearch engine spiders read and record page titles... Read More

An Ethical Alternative to Doorway Pages

Definition: A doorway page is content created specifically for the... Read More

Have You Been Dropped By Yahoo?

Yahoo has fairly recently updated its guidelines. You can read... Read More

Link Building - The Waiting Game

Link building is a waiting game. Many clients have asked... Read More

Do Search Engines Scare You?

What do the words "Search Engine" make you think of?... Read More

Gaining Link Popularity Techniques

Link popularity is very important these days for all websites... Read More

Search Engine Traffic Domination - How to Turn the Search Engines into Your 24/7 Salesmen

Getting your website returned by the search engines as a... Read More

Search Engine Optimization Tips For 2005 - Part Two

Welcome to the second part of our series of articles... Read More

Do the Search Engines Know Your Website?

Are you considering a search engine promotion campaign to improve... Read More

What You Did Wrong With Your Domain Names!

Trying to improve search engine rankings is just like a... Read More

The Real Search Engine Optimization Guide

Nowadays, there is so much talk about SEO (search engine... Read More

How to Get a Website Indexed Fast

Get Indexed FastWhat does getting indexed mean?The search engines keep... Read More

Utilizing Popular Directories as Free Link Sources

If you're a webmaster, you've probably spent almost as much... Read More

The Fundamentals of Inbound Links

We have all heard that adding quality content to your... Read More