I use Google’s keyword tool because other keyword tools require you to sign up as a member or limit the number of searches you can do. But there are many tools out there for you to choose from.

How to use the keyword tool

1. Before you go to the keyword tool, make a list of words that your customers might use to find your products or services
2. Now, go to the Google keyword tool and enter your search terms into the box Word or Phrase– you can add as many terms as you would like. I will add up to 10 terms before I begin searching.
3. Next select a region. This can be a little deceiving because the local search is actually on a national level – so you are not getting Ontario or Toronto trends but you are getting Canadian trends.
4. Then: select whether you want to search for broad, phrase or exact results. I’ve given you a little more detail below as to the advantages of using each level.
5. A quick tip: Consider adding a geographic location with the search – if you’re searching for “web copywriting”, search “web copywriting Toronto” or “web writing Oakville.” While we live in a global economy, people still search locally for products and services.

Different levels in search

On the left hand side of the Google keyword tool URL, you’ll see the words Match Type. Match type allows you to select the level of search that you would like to perform.

The broad search gives you search results at the widest level of search. Broad search returns the “sum of the volumes for a keyword idea.” The results generated pick up terms that do not “match” directly to the terms you have searched but have a relation to the terms at a broad, conceptual level. For example, in searching today for Boards of Directors and governance, the term leadership displayed in the results. This makes sense because leadership is one of the roles for Boards of Directors.

Using the broad search is a way to generate related keyword terms and other key words and phrases that you might not have thought about.

The phrase match gives you the “sum of the results for all searches that include the whole search phrase.”  These results show search volumes for your terms as part of a longer query (more words). These results are a more accurate reflection of the number of times per month your terms are searched in Google.

The exact match result gives you ”the search volume for that exact keyword.” An exact match result gives you the closest result to the monthly searches.

Record your keyword results. Determine which terms best describe your product or service, are used most frequently and then compare them with how your clients speak about your products and services.

Now What?

Once you have identified words and phrases that return good search engine results in your region, you can now incorporate those keywords into your titles, web copy, alternative text and images. If you’ve written your copy, review it and incorporate your new keywords.

Keywords play an important role in website and blogging. And Google AdWords Keyword Tool is a free online tool to help you start your keyword research. My last word of advice is: make sure your content still offers plenty of interesting, original content. Being found is only one piece of the search engine optimization puzzle. The other important piece is to keep your readers through compelling, informative content.

Are you using keywords? A keyword tool? Do you have a strategy? And are you happy with the results?

Cross-posted at Go WordPress

Here’s a copy of my Creating remarkable copy – one WordPress website at a time presentation. Make sure you leave any questions or comments.

Cross-posted at Go WordPress.

But that principle doesn’t apply on the web. First impressions are central to making and keeping website visitors.

So how do you write web copy that will make that great first impression? How do you make it magnetic? Whether you’re blogging or creating static content for your website, here’s a web copy manifesto that will ensure that you don’t worry about first impressions:

1. Short sentences without extra clauses
2. One main point per sentence
3. Short paragraphs (sometimes even one sentence – breaking traditional grammar rules)
4. Chunking/segmenting – including several sub-headings. This helps your readers scan and find the pertinent information that they are looking for.
5. Bullet points – a great technique that enables scanning – it’s like reading down a list without extra verbiage in it (like phrases and all that extra stuff that make up sentences)
6. Bolding or italicizing – this makes certain phrases stand out – bold or italicize the information that you want your readers to notice while they scan
7. Hyperlinking – making sure that you have text that links your site together for a smooth user experience
8. Using keywords both in titles and subtitles on the page and throughout the text. The closer to the heading or beginning of a paragraph the better. [This technique is not for your readers but for search engines]

If you use these web writing principles, you won’t have to worry about being “judged by your cover.” You’ll be on your way to keeping and then engaging your site visitors.

Have I missed any web writing techniques? What else do you do to magnetize your web copy? Leave me a comment.

Stock Photo Courtesy of

If you liked this post, you might enjoy:

Thoughts on writing naked
Draw and keep your website audience with 4 time tested tactics
Five ways to kick start your writing
Developing web content through play

Cross-posted at Go WordPress

Blog-Life

I’ve been in business writing for a long time. I’ve written proposals, customer communications and marketing material – among other things.  So I thought that blogging was going to be easy. But you know what? It hasn’t been for me.

I’ve tried to figure out what my problem was and I’ve realized that there are a couple. First, you have to find your voice online – or should I say, I needed to find my voice. Blogging is more casual than business writing. And less formal writing also means a little of YOU showing through.  Showing more of yourself also means having more confidence.  And I needed some of that.

Solving the lack of confidence and finding voice can be solved by doing it.

Second problem -  as a writer, I was only ever involved in the final text product.   I knew that great blogging required more than just good writing.  Blogging is about all the content – not just the words.

For years, I’ve called myself a techno-peasant because I don’t have a tech (web) background.  So when it came to blogging, I felt stuck.  Stuck because – as a blogger – you need to know how to make your blog interesting for people – giving them all round good content – not just good text.

I needed to figure out how to break the barrier into good content.  And I needed to build my confidence.  So what’s changed so that I now think of myself as an emerging blogger getting a blog-life instead of a techno-peasant?

Here’s the scoop.  I’ve been using Twitter (and writing posts) pretty unspectacularly for the last 18 months.  I took a break for a few months.  I wanted to evaluate whether I wanted to keep tweeting.  Some days, it felt like the social pressure that I have always tried to avoid.

After a hiatus from Twitter (I took the summer to check my bellybutton lint) I decided to return for one last shot.

When I came back to Twitter, I stumbled upon (pun intended) a Twitter chat every Tuesday evening #SBT10 (Start Blogging Today). I’d been following a couple of people from the chat for a long time.  I searched #sbt10 and discovered that it was a chat to help people (just like me) learn how to blog.  These folks are talking about the very things I wanted to know more about:  How can I save time blogging? How can I optimize my blog? And lots more.

Now I have only been in two chats (just discovered this awesome chat 2 weeks ago) but I’m telling you – these people are helping to change my blog-life. The chat is moderated by the folks at Start Blogging Today.  So far Grant Griffiths (Twitter handle: @Grant Griffiths) has headed the chats and they have been great – informative.

I highly recommend that you join the Twitter chat #SBT10. Or you can read my posts sharing what I’ve learned from the weeks before.  I’m planning to share what I’m learning for all of us Blog-newbies!

What are your experiences in blogging?  Any funny stories to share?  Anyone checked out #SBT10 want to share something? I’d love to hear what you have to say.

Photo Courtesy of Mexicanwave

This new interface will show both search results and ad results. The Google Analytics Blog states that “We expect Google Instant will help users find what they’re looking for faster.”  So the purpose to this new feature is to speed up searches for people looking for stuff on the web.

Take a minute to enjoy the marketing video Google produced to introduce this new feature:

This new feature will impact SEO and how we apply SEO tactics to web pages and content. The Google Analytics Blog says that “with this change, you might notice some fluctuations in AdWords impression volume and in the distribution of organic keywords. For example, you may find that certain keywords receive significantly more or fewer impressions moving forward.”

As a web writer who pays attention to SEO, I think that Google Instant will encourage better and more focused content. Google Instant will decrease the power that non-content SEO tricks have had in the past.  All text SEO will become more important. This will then, increase the value of good content as a tactic for effective SEO.

I think that the web will be abuzz about Google Instant and I will be watching for others opinions on it and keep you posted. Benefits to users for sure, benefits to Google (I imagine) and benefits to web writers that remains to be seen. What do you think about Google Instant?

If SEO was a world map, we would constantly redraw the political boundaries. Some of the great SEO techniques included: using alternative text for images (since bots can’t read images), keyword meta tags, keyword density analysis, submitting your website to directories and using keyword meta tags. I have used most of these techniques in the past believing that clients would show up well in search engine results – and they usually did.

Does that mean that you throw the baby out with the bath water? No… I still use those strategies but I use them for different reasons.

I now use alt text to comply with Creative Common Licenses. I like to promote images and photos from people who are freely sharing their art. I use Flickr and abide by the Creative Commons Guidelines. Check out  Flickr for some fantastic images. And alt text is still useful for Google Image searches if you want your site or images to show up in searches.

I still do keyword research. I find search for words and phrases that people would use to find my clients products and services. Then I write text using those terms. This helps me to keep my writing tight and focused. I still include a keyword meta tag… but I recognize that this doesn’t necessarily have a big impact on optimization… it just feels right to do it.

I never did do keyword density analysis. I strictly focused on text and content.

I confess that I still submit sites to directories. I recently submitted a sitemap to Google and within a week, the site’s ranking had jumped by two points. What does that tell you? That tells me that Google likes you to use their tools. Check out how to submit your sitemap to Google using their   Webmaster Tools.

I also submit sites to the ODP – The Open Directory Project. The ODP is “the largest, most comprehensive human-edited directory of the Web. It is constructed and maintained by a vast, global community of volunteer editors.” I love that. I love the fact that this is a volunteer community committed to editing and monitoring sites on the web. I like the human touch (although this can have its limitations, as well).

Some of the older SEO techniques are not as relevant as they were in the past but I am still using them. But I use these techniques for different reasons. What are some tried and true techniques that you still use? And for what reason are you using them? Leave a comment here and let me know.
 

Welcome to www.dawncomber.com – my new website. After many rewrites and redesigns, I am now the resident blogger for my writing and editing website.

I’m Dawn Comber – an experienced, professional writer. I provide creative, affordable writing and editing services for clients – for print and for the web.  I always begin by conversing with you to understand your needs, and then I help you to converse, communicate and connect with your customers.

Most of my clients are in Toronto, Mississauga and Oakville, but the beauty of technology and the Internet allows me to work with small businesses, non-profits and people just about anywhere.