Being very smart with keywords everywhere online.
- 17 September 2019
This is copied straight from Contented - because what they say is so good!
Use keywords in headlines (often called headings). That’s a basic rule of writing for the Web - and all other business writing.
Here’s why.
What do readers want to know in advance, before they decide to read a web page or other business document? They want to know its topic or purpose or key message.
- Headlines are easy to spot and to read, provided the design is logical and readable.
- Keywords are words that identify the topic or purpose of a document.
- People usually (never mind the stats) skim-read headlines on the Web to get a sense of the page’s topic or purpose or key message.
- Search engines give extra weight to the text in headlines.
Examples of headlines with no keywords
These headlines are generic, forgettable, and non-informative:
- Experience, enthusiasm and results
- What next for our team?
- Procurement
- Public awareness
Examples of headlines with keywords
These headlines catch the eye and answer a question in the reader’s mind:
- International marketing drive for Sunny Specs in 2013
- Procurement for government agencies, Jamaica
- Volunteers wanted for Turtle Time conservation programme, Ascension Island
“Use keywords” is another way of saying “Don’t go blah blah blah.”
Oh, and use keywords also in titles, alt-text, link-text, captions, summaries and tweets. Use them wherever communicating key information is crucial