Search Engine Optimization Should Start At Your Front Door

Writing by Nick Stamoulis on Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Most website owners when undertaking keyword research and search engine optimization programs often make the mistake of concentrating on product or niche terms. Often the place to start is at your own front door. This also holds true when selecting your domain name.

If your bricks and mortar business is in the hardware sector, then selecting hardware keywords sounds quite logical. However, when it comes to attracting visitors to your site, using hardware keywords in your search engine optimization program may be ineffective. Incorporating the name of your town, region, state and or country into your keyword program may bring better quality visitors.

This is a strategy has been known for a long time and used to effect by many businesses. However, you can take the process one step further and use local jargon. Local or regional names have been hijacked in recent years to the extent that entering in a search term using the name of town may still return results from the other side of the country. The smart movers have worked every variation possible in their keywords.

Being a local, you have one advantage. You know the local jargon and you should use this to your advantage. Internet users are becoming sophisticated and will often try several different variations until they come across the site they are looking for. These variations often include regional jargon terms. This jargon also includes names often used for products. If the local term for a pocket knife is ‘whittler’, then it makes sense to use that term in your search engine optimization program. After all, who else but a local or ex local is going to search for that term.

Being aware of what is available outside your own front door can be an ideal way to gain traffic that is targeted to your region. Often, the best search engine optimization strategies can be the ones closest to home.

                      Category: SEO                      

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