Recently, I received an email with the following question about whether keywords mattered.  With her permission, I am posting A’ra’s question about the Value of Keywords, along with my response.  Hope it helps you, as well.  Here’s A’ra’s question:

“Are keywords still useful? What is the latest on website optimization. Talked with someone lately who told me that using keywords was so overdone that google doesn’t look for them any more. I know you’re always up on these things, so I was wondering what’s new with the latest and greatest in website land.”- A’ra Lippitt Blair

Here is my response about whether Google thinks keywords are relevant.

Hi A’ra:

Your friend was almost correct (if they were referring to the Meta Keyword field, not keywords themselves). It is a confusing thing, and without being there, I am not sure if they explained it incorrectly or if they understand it incorrectly, themselves.

Using appropriate keywords (on your page and in your code) are still very important for optimizing your site. What an appropriate keyword is, is a whole different conversation. So, let’s stay on their comment about keywords for the time being.

There are sections within the site’s code called Meta Title, Meta Description and Meta Keyword Tags. These 3 sections use keywords (words that are ‘key’ to helping people find your site).

These sections aren’t visible to the site visitor, but are important to be filled out to help the search engines rank you better. However, the Meta Keyword Tags are currently believed to be ‘less important’ to fill out than the other two sections.

Which is where your friend’s comment comes from. What your friend was most likely referring to is: Google has publicly stated they are currently not looking at the Meta Keyword Tags, because folks were ‘stuffing this field with inappropriate keywords’ (in these cases people were using words or phrases that get searched a lot, but are irrelevant to the specific site’s content).

NOTE: Here is a video of Matt Cutt’s from Google talking about this subject (Sept. 2009):

Yet, “keywords” (appropriate words to describe your services, or better yet your potential client/customer’s current problem) are what these 3 Meta sections consist of, so ‘keywords’ are still relevant.

And, each page/post may have its own set of ‘key’ words or phrases, which may be more relevant to the actual content on that specific page.

See why it gets confusing?

But, again, going back to your friend’s comment, they were (or should have been) merely talking about the Meta Keyword section not being relevant, not the ‘concept’ of using keywords.

AND, now, this is where it gets even trickier: just because Google isn’t using the Meta Keyword section does not mean it isn’t being used by other search engines NOR does it mean Google won’t decide to use it again in the future.

So, I recommend you do fill out the Meta sections, per page, with the appropriate keywords to describe the content on each specific page.

And, since you (A’ra) are using WordPress, you can get a plugin to help do just that! There are many to consider, but I tend to use the free version of All in One SEO Pack.

SEO is a big subject, and we’re just tapping into it a bit here. What I suggest, if you are interested in learning more, is to consider hiring someone to either teach you or do the appropriate work for you (make sure it is a reputable company that keeps up on the latest info).  As an online marketing consultant, not an SEO specialist, I  do what I call SEO Lite, which sets you up with the best practices and latest info, to help you optimize your site for the visitors, as well as the search engines.  I prefer to teach these SEO basics (while focusing on other ways to generate traffic to the site, since most of my clients don’t have huge budgets for SEO).  The SEO Lite sets you up with a foundation, because SEO is an ongoing thing. And, it is better for you to understand the basics, so you can continue to optimize each page and post for its individual content.

If you don’t have funds for one on one consultations, I suggest (if you don’t mind taking the trip up to Boulder) taking Dave Taylor’s SEO workshops at Boulder Digital Arts – use coupon code Bethany2011, to get 10% OFF!

And, you can also read the blog posts I have written on the subject, here are links to them:

• What is a Keyword and how do I find mine?
• SEO tips: How to Optimize your site
• Setting Realistic SEO Expectations

What I tell folks is: You will probably have to read each of these posts a couple of times. Then start with some small steps.

Let me know if that answers your question.

Focusing on the many possibilities…
Bethany

So, this was the response to A’ra’s question.  But what about you?  Are you hearing confusing, concerning or even conflicting information on SEO (Search Engine Optimization) or Keyword Research?  If so, comment below and I’ll try to answer it or find someone who can.  Who knows, maybe your question may lead to a full blog post response (I’ll always ask permission first, if I reference you by name)!  Or maybe you have some insights to share on the subject.
Feel free to comment below (with constructive suggestions, please):

Today there was a post on Ragan’s PR Junkie’s Blog (self-proclaimed “For Communication Junkies Everywhere“).  The blog post was written by Michael Sebastian about a press release from PitchPoint Public Relations –which consists of Chicago-based PR pro Mitch Delaplane, an Apple computer, and his dog Sally–issuing a press release titled, “The most amazing press release ever written.”

Here is the link to the post: http://blog.ragan.com/prjunkie/2011/01/did_this_pr_pro_write_the_most.html

When you read Michael Sebastian’s post, you’ll note his mention of the press release getting a #1 Google ranking for the term “amazing press release.” I’ll talk about why that #1 Google ranking might not ‘normally’ be as good as you’d think, in a moment.

When you read Mitch’s actual release (also included on Sebastian’s blog post, you may either think it is a very clever or an excruciatingly cheesy attempt to get some PR for his firm.  NOTE: I’m not here to judge the guy either way.  I’m just making an assumption of your reaction, based on the comments the blog post has been generating.  Some folks think he did something very smart and others were repulsed by his attempt (but they are PR folks, and not really Mitch’s audience, which are folks looking for PR specialists).

And, I’m not either a PR firm or a company looking for a PR specialist.  I do online marketing consulting.  So, what is my reason for mentioning all this here?

At first I was just going to comment on the blog post, but then I started to think about whether it was an effective marketing piece and whether the term he ranked well for matters to his audience.  And that led me to my own conclusion based on my experience as an Online Marketing Consultant.

Two comments from me and then I hope you’ll let me know your thoughts, by adding your own comments:

1. From a Search Engine Ranking point of view: In the past, people hadn’t search much for the term “amazing press release”(This is based on Google’s own Keyword Tool, which shows that previously only 46 people looked for that term, on a monthly basis. We’ll see if it goes up now, due to the attention this release is generating).  So Mitch may not have taken search engine optimization (SEO) into account as much as Michael Sebastian initially may have thought. In other words ranking #1 on a term  people would NOT ‘normally’ use to find a PR specialist would ‘normally’ not help the original release much. (See #2 below, to see why I emphasize the word ‘normally’.)
2. From a Marketing point of view: Mitch did get people talking about him, and he got included in a post on Ragan, with a mention of the #1 ranking status on Google (which folks will probably do a search for now, to see for themselves how it ranks – increasing its ranking even more) and may get him even more exposure.  Plus, as I am writing this TechCrunch just mentioned Mitch’s release on their site! So, that is why I emphasized the word normally.  Normally, it won’t have helped much, but the word of mouth supersedes the fact that normally this term doesn’t get searched often.  Plus other words in the release may rank Mitch well, too.

If I were Mitch’s online marketing consultant, I would have advised him to put the release up on his own site, first, so his website would get credit for the original posting of it.  And though it is now too late for that, I might suggest doing a PPC ad on that search term, to bring people back to his site (but gear it to the people looking for a PR specialist, not just folks interested in the trend, to not waste his money). But even without that, his site is now getting some incredible inbound link credibility (which is great for SEO purposes).  The Ragan post also included a link to his Twitter Profile.  And now other folks are talking about him, too.  Plus, there is industry prestige in getting listed on Ragan & TechCrunch.  And, all the conversations generating buzz will help get the attention of the people who can use Mitch’s PR services.

I’d say he did a good job of extending the reach of his release and getting additional attention.  And, as my Great Aunt Joan used to say “it doesn’t matter what they say, as long as they get my name spelled correctly.”  She understood the value of marketing exposure.

This indicates, Mitch will probably get some work with appropriate clients (clients that share his sense of humor or appreciate his style).  So the attention (negative and positive) might be a good thing to help extend the reach of what Mitch does!

This makes the release successful, even if it may not be the most amazing release.  Then again, he doesn’t state the piece you are reading is that ‘most amazing press release ever’.  He just indicates he is writing about the experience of having written the most amazing release ever.  And, that may seem cheesy to some, but I think it is a clever example of his style.  Which in effect garnered attention to his style, which hopefully will lead to finding his ideal clients. (The ones who appreciate his style and have the budget to use his services.)

Focusing on the possibilities…
Bethany

P.S.  When you comment below, please keep in mind, I am taking this from an online marketing campaign point of view.  Did it generate the exposure he hoped?  I’d say so, as it got me to write a blog post about it, in addition to the original post I read about it.  But what do you think, did it do its job of generating conversation?  Does it inspire you to think unique?  How could you (or would you) use this type of idea for your own business?  Comment below:

Jill Whalen CEO and Founder of High Rankings wrote an interesting article about SEO Expectations in her newsletter, shortly after I posted my SEO post on this site.

It is a sharp read, about being realistic in your SEO campaign. It doesn’t sugarcoat anything, so if you are looking for someone who is going to tell you they can get you to #1 overnight, this is not the place. This is actually why I trust Jill – she doesn’t make false claims, she is realistic about what it takes to get ranked well in the search engines. If you are looking for instant gratification, her article may not do the trick. It will, however, talk about realistic steps to take to make your site rank well consistently!

After reading it, I contacted Jill and asked her if I could mention it here. She promptly gave me permission and sent me a link to where it is posted online. I think it is a great read about setting real expectations for your SEO campaign.

I especially agreed with these comments under the subheading of What Exactly Is Good Content?:

Good content is unique. Really and truly unique. It is creative ideas that simply popped into your head which nobody else in your space has thought of yet…

And it’s (say it with me) making your site the best it can be for your site visitors AND the search engines.

And, be sure to read her section called It’s About Targeted Traffic, Not Rankings - which starts with:

As we move forward in this industry, webmasters, site owners, and SEOs need to shift their focus from asking how they can get this keyword to this position in this engine to how they can get more targeted traffic and convert it into customers.

Read Jill’s full article called Setting Realistic SEO Expectations and consider signing up for her newsletter at her HighRankings.com site. I’ve been reading her newsletter for years and she definitely knows what she writes about. So, for a realistic and authoritative view into SEO, I highly recommend her.

There are a couple of other people I recommend for SEO, too, so let me know if you need other recommendations.

I look forward to hearing what you think of Jill’s article, so please comment below.