Question --> Readable content VS. SEO content. SEO Experts, Please read and reply.

[Menno Marketing]

Hi everyone,

I have experiences that there is a difference between the keywords that people type in, and the way you can use those keywords in on-page content.

For example (I do quite a lot of local businesses): people search for 'plumber chicago' and you want to optimize for that term. However, you can't really put 'plumber chicago' in a sentence of the content because it doesn't make it a good read and grammatically incorrect.

This also goes for other (longer tail) keywords, because people tend to summarize their problem in the search string making it a weird phrase, and it's harder to rank for that exact search term.

How can you find the balance here? I want to rank for certain terms, but it's hard to get keyword density for them because the content would be a bit strange.
Is putting them in Title tags, H1 etcetera enough and leaving the content out?

Thanks a bunch!

[spoiledkid01]

Originally Posted by Menno Marketing

Hi everyone,

I have experiences that there is a difference between the keywords that people type in, and the way you can use those keywords in on-page content.

For example (I do quite a lot of local businesses): people search for 'plumber chicago' and you want to optimize for that term. However, you can't really put 'plumber chicago' in a sentence of the content because it doesn't make it a good read and grammatically incorrect.

This also goes for other (longer tail) keywords, because people tend to summarize their problem in the search string making it a weird phrase, and it's harder to rank for that exact search term.

How can you find the balance here? I want to rank for certain terms, but it's hard to get keyword density for them because the content would be a bit strange.
Is putting them in Title tags, H1 etcetera enough and leaving the content out?

Thanks a bunch!

Google dont like businesses to be told what they are not.
I am a chicago plumbing, that is a wrong phrase. Instead of that you can say I provide Chicago plumbing service.
I have worked allot in local businesses specially in Chicago.

[MikeFriedman]

Are you talking about the content for the website itself or content that you are distributing for backlinks?

For local SEO, generally the on page content doesn't matter. I have one local client right now that is #1 for 10 different keywords. None of those keywords show up anywhere in their content, title tag, or H1 tags. In fact, their front page probably has less than 250 words on it.

Now for content you are distributing and you are worried about the anchor text, try partial anchor text matches.

Instead of "Plumber Chicago", use "Plumber in Chicago", "Best Plumber in Chicago", "Plumber near Chicago", etc.

Might take a few more links, but it will work fine. Some people are doing some tests and believe that partial anchor text matches are working even better than exact anchor text matches.

[Mike Anthony]

Originally Posted by Menno Marketing

For example (I do quite a lot of local businesses): people search for 'plumber chicago' and you want to optimize for that term. However, you can't really put 'plumber chicago' in a sentence of the content because it doesn't make it a good read and grammatically incorrect.

"There are a number of things to look for in a plumber. Chicago has a number of establishments "

Will the punctuation affect things? Perhaps a little bit but I really doubt the on page SEo score moves very much based on that .

Plus a creative writer could put in easily.

"I recently was searching for a plumber. I live in Chicago and there are no end of people claiming to be plumbers who really are not certified. Search engines were of no help. After an hour searching for - plumber chicago - I gave up with only one good lead."

Trust me - there is no phrase you can't work into a good article

Plus as far as content goes I really think people overdo worrying about it. Write a good coverage of the subject and if there are some "in" "of" (plumbers in chicago". Plumbers of chicago" in the content you are still going to be able to rank it

You mentioned keyword density and I know there are people who swear by a fixed percentage but truth be told I find that if my article really is about the subject I rarely have to worry about it and if I read over it and there are not alot of references its a quick fix. I like my subject words to appear high in the the article but after that I have no set percentage rules.

[Menno Marketing]

Originally Posted by MikeFriedman

Are you talking about the content for the website itself or content that you are distributing for backlinks?

For local SEO, generally the on page content doesn't matter. I have one local client right now that is #1 for 10 different keywords. None of those keywords show up anywhere in their content, title tag, or H1 tags. In fact, their front page probably has less than 250 words on it.

Now for content you are distributing and you are worried about the anchor text, try partial anchor text matches.

Instead of "Plumber Chicago", use "Plumber in Chicago", "Best Plumber in Chicago", "Plumber near Chicago", etc.

Might take a few more links, but it will work fine. Some people are doing some tests and believe that partial anchor text matches are working even better than exact anchor text matches.

I was talking about the content for the website itself but thanks for your input!
It's probably best to use the backlink strategy and anchor text to rank for certain terms rather than major on-page content changes..

[alxvallejo]

Originally Posted by MikeFriedman

For local SEO, generally the on page content doesn't matter. I have one local client right now that is #1 for 10 different keywords. None of those keywords show up anywhere in their content, title tag, or H1 tags. In fact, their front page probably has less than 250 words on it.

This is quite interesting as I do see this on a # of search results. How can this be? Backlinks & Site age? Social media? What other factors can you name that would make a low-content-rich site appear on top?

[theverysmartguy]

When you see strange search terms like that, that doesn't mean that is what the search actually typed into Google itself.

There is a long extensive list of very common words that Google just doesn't bother to store in it's servers to save time and space. So when you go and do your research, that is why they come up like that.

So when writing your web content, just write it for the readers. In the end your keyword will present itself inside your content, and you will rank for it perfectly fine.

However, like other posters have mentioned, you don't need to have that keyword in your content to rank for it. As you will see tons and tons of websites out there are ranking for keywords that really aren't displayed on in their web content at all.

-- Jeff

[alxvallejo]

Originally Posted by theverysmartguy

As you will see tons and tons of websites out there are ranking for keywords that really aren't displayed on in their web content at all.

How and why?

[ezzypro]

Always write your pages for readers first, and Google second. Good quality will eventually lead to high rankings.

[MikeFriedman]

Originally Posted by alxvallejo

This is quite interesting as I do see this on a # of search results. How can this be? Backlinks & Site age? Social media? What other factors can you name that would make a low-content-rich site appear on top?

It's all backlinks. There are no social buttons on their site either.

That whole social thing is grossly overrated.