How should I determine my keywords?
Generally, the keywords should mirror the site's overall topic and include a number of related terms as well. Try to put yourself in the search engine user's position and attempt to imagine which words and phrases he/she is likely to use when searching for your particular type of Web site. Note that important pages on a Web site can (and should) be optimized for separate sets of keywords.
One way of zeroing in on the most effective set of Web site keywords is to write down the most obvious keywords for the site, then spend some time brainstorming synonyms and related terms. Another way to find effective keywords is to study the competition. To do so, search the Internet for pages with similar content to yours, then study the keywords of the pages that received the highest rankings. View the source code of those pages to see the keyword layout.
Keep the following issues in mind when compiling your keyword list:
- Be specific
- A Web site's keyword list should include both generic and very specific terms. A generic keyword — "dogs," for example — might be featured on, literally, hundreds of thousands of Web sites. It should be accompanied by more narrowly defined words and phrases that focus on the site's specific contents, such as "Great Danes," "Great Dane puppies," or "Great Dane rescue."
- Consider the phrasing
- The selected keywords should closely reflect the content/topic of the page in question, but they should also be words/phrases that potential customers and other search engine users would actually use. In some instances, highly technical terms thus might benefit from being supplanted with more commonly-used wording.
- Focus on geography
- If a Web site has a particular significance to a certain geographic area, it is a good idea to include the location in the keyword list.
