I’m going to be really honest about SEO here. Do you know what you really need to get good Google rankings? Is it keywords? Is it meta-data? Is it hyperlinks? I’m not going to say that these things don’t or can’t help, but what you really need is loads of good content.

Of course, a website writer would recommend that, right?

Of course I would! But the fact of the matter is that search algorithms are getting darned clever at evaluating content. If you have relevant content, the “keywords” just fall into place naturally. We also have to understand how Google and other search engines see keywords these days.

Do you have an SEO expert that says you should use keywords on a word-for-word basis at a certain density? I’m sorry to say they’re behind the times. Search engines can now identify synonyms too. In fact, a video from Google that I recently watched pointed out that search engines look for synonyms and even topic-related words these days.

What does this mean for your website?

Because search engines are getting better and better at looking for relevancy above all other things, having relevant, high-quality content is what makes them recommend your website. Another advantage of having high-quality, highly readable content is that people who find it by chance will see that you really are an authority in your line of business.

There is no magic formula that can fool search engines these days, and if you attempt to do so, you might end up having the opposite effect to the one you want. Write about things that people who are interested in your specialty will want to know. There are no short cuts.

Am I saying that keywords are bunkum?

Not entirely. But they’re also not the be-all and end-all. The words that people enter into their browsers to find you are still important. I call myself a “website writer”, “word wizard” might sound more fun, but who is going to look for me with that handle? How will google be able to work out what I do? Let’s keep it simple and direct.

Don’t look at my website to see if it’s well-optimized. It isn’t. I know it isn’t. I actually prefer it that way at the moment, but I realize that my clients won’t feel the same way. I’ll follow any and all instructions given by the SEO guys, but the point I’m trying to make is that a combination of great content with keywords is far more important than just having content with keywords in it. And having too many keywords repeated too often will actually get you a downgrade on search engine rankings.

Relevant content with relevant keywords is the answer. Interested in the latest SEO trends? I like to use Moz to get the latest info. It’s a good, authoritative website with a no-nonsense approach. I found an article on SEO myths and misconceptions that you may find interesting. It also serves as an excellent example of highly relevant content that gives visitors valuable information.

Content really is king – as long as it is relevant and readable.