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Let's begin with a brief explanation of terms, so everyone
understands what we're talking about.
SEO: Search
Engine Optimization - the process by which we gear our websites to be
searchable by search engines such as Google, Bing, Yahoo, and others.
Keyword: a significant
word used in indexing or cataloging, or in labeling other text. For example,
some genre keywords are romance, historical, fantasy, scifi, highlander, etc.
Label: These are
similar to keywords, but are brief descriptions given for purposes of
identification.
Hashtag: a word
embedded in a searchable text on sites such as Twitter, Facebook, and other
social media. These words (or tags) are preceded by the symbol # which is also
called a hashmark, hence the term, "hashtag".
How do I use SEO?
How do you make your website findable by a search engine?
First, you need to give it content that can be searched. If you are a
photography site, your content is photographs and words about the photos. If
you are an author, information about your books is your content. It might also
be info about you, your genre, and any other material that pertains to books,
writing, the genre you write, and so on. To optimize the searchability (SEO)
you want to have a strong combination of terms (keywords, labels, and even
hashtags). More on that in a moment.
Putting SEO together
Do you have the right material to be found? Here are some
basic rules I follow to make sure.
1. Decide on a theme for the post (an article on using
SEO for example).
2. Have at least 300 words about SEO in the post.
3. Pick a main word (not to belabor a point, but SEO would work) that will be your keyword.
4. Use the word SEO in the title.
5. Use the word SEO in the labels for the post.
6. Use the word SEO multiple times in the content. (see the pattern?)
7. Have a photo for the post and put SEO in the alt tag.
8. Use a short URL with the keyword in it. Yes, it can be edited. The one for this post just says how-to-use-SEO.
If you use Wordpress, get the Yoast SEO for Wordpress plugin. It will teach you these very things. If you do them, your article is going to be much
more findable by search engines. Use the
checklist, and write good content that contains information people want to find. It's that simple.
Kayelle Allen is the founder of Marketing for Romance Writers, and a best-selling author. Her unstoppable heroes and heroines include contemporary every
day folk, role-playing immortal gamers, futuristic covert agents, and warriors who
purr.
