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If you ask just about any reputable SEO expert what their #1 SEO “secret” is for getting a site indexed and referred highly by search engines for key terms, you will undoubtably get this answer: “Content is King”.

I know… Not exactly the cool, sexy, techy SEO tip you were looking for, is it? However, this is a very legitimate answer. Every other SEO tactic you may try to incorporate within your site to improve your search engines rankings ultimately will need tied into your site’s content to be beneficial to you. So before skipping ahead in this series to read more about all the SEO “tricks,” I highly recommend that you take a few moments to really consider your site’s content first.

Search engines and visitors both love a good, content-driven site. Sites that simply have general marketing fluff in them with no real “meat,” are not updated regularly, and do not include many key terms within the site’s readable text do not tend to come up in search results as well as more developed sites. Therefore, as you develop or refine your website, here are some things to take into consideration with your content:

1) Proof, proof, and proof again. Make sure the content on your site is grammatically correct. Not only will you discredit yourself with your readers with typos and poor grammar on your site, but search engines can also rate your content on its reading level as well. So don’t get penalized for silly typos.

2) Provide your visitors with relevant industry information and not just general marketing info. Listing basic information about your product or service is great, but providing additional industry specific information can help create an even better site. Not only does it position your business as an industry “expert” (which can help generate some critical links to back your site as well as provide credibility with your visitors) but it also provides different content for search engines and potential new visitors to find you. For example, if you are a florist and your website just lists your store hours, delivery fees, directions, and contact information that will probably be sufficient for local clients who most likely already know about your business and will just look up your web address for this type of quick basic info. But if you also include information about what the different colors of roses signify when given as a gift or tips on how to keep your floral arrangement fresh, not only do you provide an extra-level of authority and customer service for your regular site visitors, but someone across the country (or world) may “google” an industry-related topic covered in this more informational section of your site. True, this person may never translate into an actual paying customer for you. However, their visit to your site “counts” in your site’s traffic count, which can ultimately help boost your search engine results with your more local clientele or stronger prospects. Good ways to work this type of information into a business site are to have a “FAQ” or “Resources” section. Or, you can add a blog to cover topics like these in conjunction with more standard business info.

3) Include updated content regularly. Not only do search engines like this, but it also helps you generate more repeat visits if visitors know there will be something new to see on your site regularly. Examples of ways to do this include regularly featuring a special rotating product or offer on your site; keeping your portfolio or photo galleries updated; or adding listings of upcoming conventions you’ll be attending, classes you are presenting, or press links. You might also feature a “news” page or column on the site. If your site is for a bookstore, you might consider including the “New York Times Best Seller List” along with your store’s current recommendations or reviews. There are also lots of ways to have fresh content added to your site which don’t involve you actually having to add the new content yourself. For example, if your site is about breast cancer awareness, you can have a RSS feed bring in streams of news updates from other sites about this issue. If you’re a stockbroker, consider adding a stock ticker widget to your site. You could also add a customer forum or guest book where customers can leave comments or questions. Or, if appropriate to your site, you can add a widget that streams in your own Twitter feed or blog posts. And of course, blogs themselves (if they are tied into your main site) serve as a great way to add new content regularly. The possibilities to easily keep your site fresh and updated are endless.

4) Make sure that your content includes an appropriate amount of key terms you hope to come up for in search engine results. If your site is for a used car dealership, make sure it mentions the terms “used car dealership” in your copy from time to time. This seems like common sense advice, but it is often over-looked, or on the flip-side, way over-done. Saturating your content with the same key search terms too much not only decreases your site’s readability for your visitors, but can flag search engines to the potential that your site may be a SPAM site. So make sure your site has good keyword usage in it, but keep it naturally flowing and don’t over do it.

Once your site is truly maximized with good, regularly updated content then you are ready to move on to other SEO strategies to help peak the search engines’ interest on what your site has to offer.

Related posts:

1. SEO Article 1: Why Isn’t My Site #1 on Google?
2. SEO Article 3: Guide to Using Keywords, Titles, & Page Descriptions