In the process of Search Engine Marketing, far too many people get lost while they are searching for the Wizard of Oz. TWISTED LOGIC When creating web content for others, I am often blind-sided by the twisted logic of client webmasters. The point of writing original content for these people was to help them establish a legitimate presence in the search engines for their targeted niche. Here is where the story gets odd... A client had read somewhere that keyword density was the secret to his search engine success, and that his keyword density should be in the range of 12-15%. The client interpreted this to mean that Keyword Phrase #1 should be 12-15% density, and Keyword Phrases #2 and #3 should be 7-8% density. This breaks down to a 26-31% keyword density! Literally, one out of every three or four words will be a keyword! If I wrote keyword-rich, keyword copy, that had the word "keyword" in every three to four words, my keyword copy would become keyword-laden, search engine keyword-ready, keyworded garbage.It was difficult enough to write a 1-in-4 example above, let alone try to create a 1-in-3 example. I tried to explain this to the client and to suggest that we should write the content at 4% on each of the three keyword phrases bringing the density to a total of 12%. I was met with resistance by the client. So, I sent a sample using the 12/7/7 ratio, just to show the client how bad his guidance would appear to the "human eye." DOWN THE WINDING SPIRAL I received this reply... We are a little concerned on the quality and hope dropping the density will help with this. It seems these articles are the same generic points repeated, not really making a point. With 1-in-4 keyword-to-word ratio's, what would you expect? Of course, it doesn't really make a point. It is nearly impossible to make sense throwing keywords in this close together. We started again with the client changing his guidance to 10% on #1, and 5% on #2 and #3. Following the new guidelines, the client thought he was learning that I did not really know how to write anything of any real quality, and he as much as told me so! Last time out, the client changed his guidance to 9% on #1, 5% on #2, and 4% on keyword phrase #3. Wow! We have managed to talk the client down from a 1-in-3 ratio to a 1-in-5 keyword ratio! The client quit me, BECAUSE I did not have any talent as a writer! ALONG THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD One exchange between this client and myself really blew my mind! I knew the job was toast when I was told what I was told. I had attempted to explain to the client that if we did create content for them that was this heavily laden with keywords, then we would be doing him a disservice. I explained that even if this content did manage to get him a Top 10 placement in the search engines, it would serve no value to him. My reasoning was that if a search engine user arrived at his website from the search engine, and they saw his content with such keyword-heavy copy, they would not stay at his site. Instead, they would be racing to discover the BACK button in their browser. I suggested that this was a recipe for failure. I suggested that Top 10 placement was meaningless, unless they could convert that visitor into a user/buyer. I told him that any copy that carried more than 12% total keyword density could not keep a visitor on his website, let alone convert that visitor into a buyer! HE told me that it really did not matter to them how the content appeared to search engine's users! The only thing that was important to them was that they would be able to get Top Search Placement with their content. MEET THE WIZARD This client was off in his search to find a writer that could deliver a product that met all of his criteria. I will bet that he is still looking six months later. This client was searching for the Wizard of Oz. He was searching for that infamous Top 10 Placement in Google. What this client failed to realize is that the Wizard of Oz was a myth. It was just a man behind a machine. Google is the machine; it is the Wonderful Wizard of Oz. And, the search engine user is the "man behind the machine." Now, which of the two is actually going to buy what you are selling? Which one is going to pay your bills? Search Engine Marketing is only effective when it also helps you to convert visitors, from the search engines, into paying customers. |
