The shift in how search engines treat keywords is significant. They tend to ignore the keyword meta tag and rather look for keywords in the actual page content.

This means that you need to figure out your keywords before you write any content. Then, you include them throughout your content, particularly in headings and summaries.

Metadata is perhaps the most misunderstood and disliked aspect of running a Web site. Adding keywords to content is generally seen as a menial task that should be automated if possible.

In fact, getting your keywords right is crucial to the success of your content.

It doesn't make a lot of sense to add keywords to content after it is written. It has resulted in some bad practices, including the following:

  • Authors could be sloppy in their writing. They didn't have to worry about writing clearly. They—or someone else—could afterward add keywords that would highlight the key themes.

  • Web site owners could play tricks with keyword meta tags.

 

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

image of Gerry McGovern
Gerry McGovern (gerry@gerrymcgovern.com) is a content management consultant and author. His latest book is The Stranger's Long Neck: How to Deliver What Your Customers Really Want Online, which teaches unique techniques for identifying and measuring the performance of customers' top tasks.