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Mar 4 2008, 8:08 PM EST tallynt 164 words deleted
Feb 27 2008, 6:48 PM EST tallynt

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1. Use Keywords in Page Titles

  • Page titles will show up in the organic results on a search engine, so titles that contain “top” keywords related to content on that page will be the most meaningful.
  • Short page titles with keywords are also helpful for readers to scan for info they are interested in.
  • Visit the Style Guide for more tips on page titles.
  • The examples below show SEO-optimized page titles from the nav bars of wikiFido and Secrets of the Da Vinci Code, where almost every page is named using an important keyword:

Keyword navigation examples

2. Label Every Page with Keyword Tags

  • Keyword tags help your users--and search engine crawlers--find what is discussed or conveyed on a particular page. Tags (which are always clickable) are found in two places:

1. the shaded bar at the bottom of each page (from wikifido):

Top 5 Ways to SEO Your Wiki - moderatorlounge

2. in the "tag cloud" (from wikifido):

Keyword tag cloud

  • Use tags for each page that relate to keywords you have identified for the content on that page. (See SEO Tools for free online resources that can help identify which tags are most appropriate for your Wetpaint site.)
  • Too many tags at the top of your pages can be distracting to visitors. Try to keep tag lines to two lines maximum, or between 5 and 10 tags total, per page.


3. Use Keywords in Headings

  • Headers and subheads are the two main headline styles you can use on a Wetpaint Site, and are used to organize your content into main topics and secondary topics.
  • Headers and subheads containing keywords are more meaningful to search engine crawlers and can help increase your ranking. (In terms of hierarchy, keywords in headers have slightly higher importance than keywords in subheads.)
  • Clear, direct headers and subheads are meaningful to users: See the section on Headlines & Subheads in the Style Guide.
  • See example in #4, below.


4. Use Keywords in Body Text

  • Body text is the main block of text on each page. Most page edits and contributions take place here.
  • Search engine crawlers look for keywords in body text, so keep the body text keyword-rich. Keywords toward the top of the page are more important to crawlers than those found lower on the page.
  • Aim for 1 to 3 instances of a 2-word keyword phrase every 100 words.
  • Use discretion: While it is good to reiterate terms that are related to the content on a specific page, if you use too many it will be hard to read. Also, crawlers could pick up that you're trying to "work the system" and this could affect your ranking.
  • To find the best keyword tags for your site, visit SEO Tools.

Example of a page rich with keywords in both headlines, tags, and body text:
An example of good keyword usage
5. Develop Unique Content – a.k.a. “Linkbait”Unique content encourages others to link to your site from their site, blog, social network, news article, eZine, etc.Try to develop content in the form of lists, which can be meaningful and helpful resources for your users. The more information users can find on your site, the more likely they are to: 1) stay on your site longer 2) come back to your site 3) contribute on your site and 4) refer others to your site with a linkback. Examples:Top “10” ListsTop 10 Trendiest Handbags for FallTop 10 Tips to beat “X” game on Xbox 360Top 10 Baby Names of 2006 Top Fertility Clinics in the MidwestExtensive Resource ListsPregnancy AccupuncturistsDog Walkers in New YorkAll Nascar DriversBest Oncologists in New York10 Easy Tips for “XYZ” Top 10 Pregnancy Exercise Tips, Top 10 Dog Training Tips, etc.Top 10 Myths/Truths related to “X” Top 10 Cancer Myths