The Search Doesnt End at Your Homepage > NetSparsh

Home
>
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
>
The Search Doesnt End at Your Homepage

The Search Doesnt End at Your Homepage

In a recent report for a new client, I wrote:

"Remember, a visitor's search doesn't end when they leave Google. Their search and the phrases associated with it continue right through to the completion of the task they have in mind."

Many of us pay attention to the keywords and phrases being used by our visitors when they arrive via a search engine. It makes sense not only because it gets you higher rankings, but also because the use of the right search terms signals to your reader that your page is relevant to them. In other words, your heading and intros are directly relevant to their search.

But all too often, once those key phrases are in place, we think the job is done. Not so.

There are other key points on your homepage where getting the phrase right can make a big difference.

Here's what I mean.

Let's say you are working on two pages; the homepage and a second level page. Working with your site logs and a tool like WordTracker, you optimize the homepage with the best keywords and phrases you can find. And that's great. You now have text that is relevant to your visitor's search.

But here's something else you can do...

Use the same process to identify the best words for the links from your homepage to the second level page.

Simply go through the same process with that second page. Use your logs and a keyword tool to find the most relevant terms for that page.

And then use one of those terms in the link from your homepage.

Do you get the idea? The core of this process is to recognize that your visitor hasn't completed their 'search' when they arrive at your homepage. The search is just the beginning. Part of your task is to understand how best to write the links that take people deeper into your site. And one way of maximizing that clickthrough is to use terms that are directly relevant to the visitor's continuing search.

SEO helps us focus on writing in ways that are directly relevant to the task our visitors have in mind. My point is, don't consider the job completed when you have optimized the homepage or any particular landing page. Use the same approach, the same way of writing, to help that visitor all the way through to the moment when they complete their task, whatever that may be.

Nick Usborne is a copywriter, author, speaker and advocat of good writing. You can access all his archived newsletter articles on copywriting and writing for the web at his Excess Voice site. You'll find more articles and resources on how to make money as a freelance writer at his Freelance Writing Success site.

In The News:

Co-Citation & Co-Occurrence: How Important Are They for SEO Today? Search Engine JournalSEO: Search Console Is an Untapped Source of Keyword Data Practical EcommerceTop 3 SEO Trend to Look Out for Marketing Tech OutlookHow To Make Your SEO Strategy Successful Whilst Working From Home BBN TimesOverlooked Digital Marketing Strategies that Add Value Business 2 CommunityView Full coverage on Google News

Top 25 SEO Writing Tools to Earn More Traffic From Google Search Engine Journal

Bing Webmaster Tools new Site Scan feature finds SEO issues Search Engine Land

SEO How-to, Part 1: Why Use It? Practical Ecommerce

"SEO technology is the answer to the challenges that agile organizations face" JAXenter

SEO Tools Aren't Enough for Success Search Engine Journal

Why SEO is important now more than ever? YourStory

Seven More SEO Myths To Let Go Of Forbes

Legal SEO & Content Tips, Unlearning Bad Habits & More with Alex Valencia [PODCAST] Search Engine Journal

Shopify SEO Guide: How to increase organic traffic to your store Search Engine Land

Paving the Path Forward with SEO: Preparing for New Normalities Search Engine Journal