While the math behind the Google algorithms may be impossible for us normal people to understand, pleasing this search engine giant doesn’t need to be as difficult. At this point as a small business owner or marketing professional, Search Engine Optimization is a phrase you’re plenty familiar with, and it is something you need to take into serious consideration when keeping your company’s online presence up to date. A big part of SEO is your keyword selection, and to ensure due diligence, follow the steps below.

MAKE KEYWORDS RELEVANT
A problem people often run into is trying to choose too many keywords. As a specialized business with a unique set of products or services, you have a distinct offering for which you are known. Use this as the basis of your keyword choice, perhaps also including the region or  area you serve. Keep in mind that keywords can be specific to separate pages within your site and should be tailored to fit each page’s content and the audience you wish to attract.

SPRINKLE THEM NATURALLY
After you’ve chosen a select few keywords, it’s time to naturally spread them throughout headlines and body copy. There are companies you can hire who create site architectures with the chosen keywords and use fancy software to assess its strength. While this may create informative copy, it most often reads like a dictionary and does not do a good job of relating to the reader. You need copy that uses your keyword once in the headline, once early on in the first paragraph, and only a couple more times in the remaining body copy.

Over-stuffing copy with keywords makes for stiff content that isn’t fun to read. So depending on your writing abilities and the time restraints you’re under, it may be beneficial to hire a professional copywriter or content developer to ensure your message is concise and convincing.

REVIEW AND UPDATE
Google Analytics is a simple tool that can help you track the relevance of your chosen keywords and how well your website is retaining visitors. If you notice there is less competition for a similar phrase, you can update your copy and check back to see which performed best. Google loves new content, so staying on top of this will help you stay on top of the rankings.

All in all, keeping up on your SEO doesn’t have to be a big hassle. Just make sure you’re selective about your keywords, use them naturally and with a personable voice, and check back every once in awhile to review their performance and update your website accordingly.