Don't forget the other keywords
Writing for the Web is a decidedly different beast, one that pundits far more polished than I have written entire books on. So we're not starting to eat any elephants here, but we are going to tackle one bite: keywords. And not in the way you might think.
Yeah, yeah, you know what keywords are already. Keywords typically mean those words your research has indicated people are actively using for searching, and that you have some chance of using for optimizing your site so they find you.*
But there's another type of keyword you should consider: emotional words that hook people once they're at your site, words that convince them to stay once Google, MSN or Yahoo has directed them your way.
The first set of words gets people to your site. The second type keeps them there. It's the emotional keywords that say "Yes, we know who you are, we know what you're looking for. We understand, we're empathetic, we relate."
These words are important enough that I sometimes make two lists when working on a site. I research possible keywords for search and make a list of those. Then I make a list of what I call emotional keywords: words that are going to trigger a response.
For example, working on a site for a property management company that rents out vacation homes in Maine, the list of SEO keywords might look like rental homes Maine, Maine vacation houses, etc. But the emotional keywords list might be peaceful, clean, by the beach, cozy, beachcombing, restful, sun-filled, bright, view, quaint, etc. (depending on the market and what they want).
The trick as the Web writer, or the person supervising a Web writer, is making sure both types of keywords are appropriately and adequately used.
Until next month,
Sharon
*If you're not up to speed on keywords, let me know. If enough people raise their hands, we'll do keywords 101 in a future Marketing Monthly.
