Choosing search terms to target

Yes, yet another SEO question from the Queeen of SEO Consfusion! I'm working hard to write strong content to fit my ideal target market, but I find myself trying to "cover all my bases" because I'm afraid of limiting my success by missing out on good search terms. I'm working on 2 different sites:

The first is a coupon site (search term "coupon" very risky because so much competition) yet if I don't know how to hone in on specific coupon types because the various coupon categories are listed, but no pages are specifically built around a specific type of coupon.

The second (totally non-related to the first) is a website offering a low-cost gag gift. It is not a gift that anyone would think of or specifically search, so gearing it toward the specific product is not an option. The next question is do I focus on "gag gift?" or the much larger category of "gift" (since this is a unique, tasteful, funny, low-cost impulse gift that could feasibly be purchased by someone not specifically looking for a spoof.) Maybe I should pick one category of gift (like "birthday gift") which would be larger than "gag gift" but not as far-reaching as "gift."

How do I focus? I'm driving myself nuts!! :confused:

BTW, the first site is much bigger, with many more internal pages pointing to the home page. The second is a little site just for fun (and maybe a little profit). -RainMaker

Build a short [300-500 word] page optimized for each search term [large and small] and walk away. ;) -Jeff Blackwell

Ahh, ok. I was thinking it was important to have many pages optimizing in synch to better weigh the effect.

That's interesting because I decided to try something new, tonight. Of course the coupon site is geared toward the consumer, but of course, I need to reach small businesses to subscribe (and offer their coupons). That is where I make my money. I built a page specifically geared toward search terms I thought might reach small businesses, but wasn't sure if I was wasting my time when entire websites that are devoted to those search terms have many optimized pages. Does a little page really have a shot?:o -RainMaker

Many of my top ranking pages are 300-500 words. ;) -Jeff Blackwell

The article on the front page of SalesPractice is only 357 words yet that page ranks number one (1) in Google for Sales Training Forum. -Jeff Blackwell

Yes, true (and very inspiring, I might add...), but don't all the pages on your forum link to your homepage and doesn't that give it added weight? -RainMaker

Currently Yes and No!

"Yes" there is a link but "No" it isn't spidered. I've included the "nofollow" tag on those links. -Jeff Blackwell

So your home page stands (from a SEO prospective) entirely on it own?? That is some content writing!

I had a working theory going recently, but haven't drawn any definitive conclusions. Let me tell you a little marketing story. We used to own a chain of auto insurance agencies. Every year, there was this mad race to get your full page ad first (or as close to the front as possible) in the yellow pages of the phone book (there were about 18 full-page ads--most consumers would start at the begining and run out of steam (calling for auto insurance quotes) long before page 18. Some companies had crazy names like a aachen aardvark auto (because the ads were alphabetical.) Ad placement could make or break an agency.

One year Bell South announced "no more stampeding for the 1st slot year after year. Whatever your placement is THIS year is your PERMANENT PLACE. All new-comers after this year would go to the end of the line.

Well, we (my husband and I) were paying $10,000/month for full page ads in every book for 2 counties! The heat was on!!! My husband (utter obsessive genius) was obsesed with getting the top spot. After weeks of stewing, it hit him: When alphabetizing, NOTHING comes BEFORE SOMETHING. So instead of trying to come up with 15 more crazy "A" words to put into our name, we dropped all the crazy "A" words except A Aachen ("Aachen" counts as a word because it is a city in Germany). Guess what? We landed first in EVERY book!

I questioned you previously about not seeing many "keywords" in your coding, and your reply was "EXACTLY!" So my working theory (relating to this story) was that possibly LESS was more. Don't dilute the keywords with a bunch of spamming keyword babble. Do you think there is any merit to my theory? -RainMaker

Yes and No!

The home page has both internal links pointing to it and this is definately a factor. However, there is much more to getting a page to rank well than simply internal linking structure.


I would agree. :) -Jeff Blackwell

Getting back to your previous post... if you want to compete with the bigger sites it's going to take "links" in addition to "content" and "on-page" SEO.

Here's an idea I like to use... write a small, 300-500 word, article optimized for a specific keyword. Submit the article to various article distribution sites and allow reprint rights contingent upon an "Attribution" being displayed.

With this idea you create content for your site "and" you build "one-way" backlinks! ;) -Jeff Blackwell

Where do I put these pages? Obviously, they will link to my home page (and act as as a sort of doorway), but in order to be spidered, there have to be pages linked TO them. They have to be located somewhere logically within my website. Any suggestions? :confused: -RainMaker

Exactly!

Sure. Have an "Articles" section on your website. -Jeff Blackwell

Can you give me an example of what you mean? (maybe link me up with one that you have done in this fashion--if you have done this in the past). -RainMaker

Here is how you could do it:

• Create a new folder (directory) within your website. Name it "articles" or whatever is most appropriate.

• Every time you write an article simply place the page (file) in that folder.

• Have the index page of the directory act like a "site map" to your articles by listing all of your current articles.

• Include a link to the "articles" directory index page in your navigation and site map and you're off and running.

As an example... I have just configured an Articles directory on SalesPractice.

This set up takes it one step further by adding RSS into the mix. I have configured it so that every time I write an article an RSS feed is generated and the feed is "automatically" submitted to RSS sites for pinging and added to the Google XML site map for SalesPractice.:cool: -Jeff Blackwell

Whoah! :eek: You are very :cool: !

Actually, I was looking for a writing sample. I have no idea how to transform 300-500 words of website keyword text into an "article" that would look like anything except a 300-500 word promo. :( Also, is there a resource of such directories that would want such an "article" somewhere on SP? -Rainmaker

It doesn't have to be fancy. I'm on my way out of town for a few days but when I get back maybe we can revisit the topic. ;)

Sure. Here is a list of sites that are accepting Article Submissions. -Jeff Blackwell

Here is some example keywords that you should be using for the gift project. Gag gift, gag gifts,gag gift ideas,funny gifts,funny gift, joke gift. This is within the (medium)spectrum of low to high hanging fruit ie "gift" being extremely high.

Referencing Mr. Blackwells article submission........this is killer. This is one of the best seo tool's out there. One important note here. Optimize each page on your web site, rather than just one. what do I mean ie http://gaggift.com .... .......http://gaggift.com/funnygifts/html

One last note on article submissions....bing articles is gaining in popularity as well.....though your articles will be a little longer than the 300-500 word format. -DIAMONDSTAR