Is Keyword Density Important for an SEO Content Writer?

Keyword density is a term that gets bandied about a lot in SEO circles. Some say it's the key, others that it's bunk. So, what's the truth? Is it important for an SEO content writer?

Wait... what's keyword density, and why should an SEO content writer care?

First, let's be clear about what it means. Keyword density refers to the ratio of a given keyword to the total amount of text in its article. For example, if the keyword phrase "Victorian architecture" appeared four times in a one-hundred word article, the ratio would be 4:100, or 4%. That's its density.

There was a time when putting the same keyword a zillion times on a page would send the page straight to the top of the search engines. But that hasn't been the case since the dinosaur days. Search engines have gotten smart, and nowadays they are sure to penalize you for doing that. It's called "keyword stuffing", and you should absolutely avoid it.

Those who say keyword density is important generally recommend a density of around 4-8%. Some say as much as 20%. You can find tools online that will analyze your density for you and make recommendations.

However...

Many veteran SEO professionals ignore keyword density completely.

Why do they disavow density? Well, they either believe it's not a very important metric used by search engines anymore, or that it was a myth from the start. The only thing it has going for it is that it's a pretty straightforward concept, which means your non-expert clients can easily wrap their heads around it.

So if keyword density isn't important, than what is?

In place of density, think in terms of the following three concepts: keyword presence, keyword placement, and term weight.

Keyword presence

First, does the keyword actually appear somewhere in the article? That's all keyword presence means. It may seem like a no-brainer, but you'd be surprised how easily you can write your masterpiece and completely miss your keyword. It does have to be in there somewhere.

Keyword placement

Second, where does the keyword show up? Keyword placement refers to the locations of the keyword. Search engines scan your article starting at the top of its structure: the title. It also looks at section headers, and body text starting from the beginning. The earlier the keyword appears in that process, the better. So definitely, definitely, definitely put the keyword in the title. Put it in your section headers too, and put it in your body text - the earlier the better.

Term weight

Finally, is the keyword common or uncommon? Term weight indicates how common the term is. The less common it is, the heavier the weight, and the easier your article will rise to the top of the search engine results. Why? Because there's less competition for an uncommon term.

As an SEO content writer, you probably won't be choosing your keywords; rather, your client will give them to you. So there's not much you can do in your article to affect term weight. However, it will dictate how strategic you'll have to be in order to get the same results. The lower the term weight, the more clever you'll have to be.

So... important or not?

So, is keyword density important? Maybe. Maybe not. You'd do best to concentrate instead on keyword presence, keyword placement, and term weight. With these three, your writing will get the upper hand.

B. T. Newberg is an author, editor, and freelance SEO content writer. Learn more SEO secrets at BTNewberg.com.

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How Does a SEO Content Writer Use Article Directories to Build Linkbacks?

Last time we talked about linkbacks, which are hyperlinks that point back to the client's website from other sites. The best way to build linkbacks is probably to establish mutually-beneficial relationships with other sites that will want to promote you. That takes time and investment, though. So how do you build a bunch of linkbacks quickly and easily?

That's where article directories come in.

What's an article directory, and why should an SEO content writer care?

One way to quickly and easily build quality linkbacks is by submitting your writing to article directories. These are sites that publish writing in order to archive it or distribute it to other sites. For example, EzineArticles is popular.

Unlike getting published in a magazine or newspaper, article directories generally offer minimal rejection and quick publication. As long as your article conforms to their guidelines, your article has a very good chance of being published. Some do get rejected, but relatively few compared to magazines or newspapers. Publication is also often quick, generally within two weeks, and sometimes even same-day.

The best part is that good article directories have a PR around six or seven, which isn't bad. That means the linkback in your article will carry weight.

Where to place the linkback: in the resource box

A crucial virtue of article directories is that they provide a resource box at the end where you can link back to your client's site. The resource box is usually the place where you put an author bio or further resources for the reader to check out.

For reasons of etiquette, the linkback is best placed in the resource box, rather than in the body of the article. Putting it in the body undermines the objectivity of the article, and threatens to make the whole thing look like an advertisement. It is more acceptable to put it at the end in the resource box. Some article directories have specific rules about this, so read their guidelines carefully.

Whatever you do, be sure the article directories gives you that resource box and that it appears with the article on the same page as a live link. Without that linkback, your work is all for naught. You should also make sure you can use the article's keyword as anchor text, which is the topic of the next article.

Key points

So, to sum up, the key things to remember are these:
article directories provide a quick and easy way to build linkbacksput your linkback in the resource box at the end

In the next article, I'll explain how to use anchor text to your advantage in link building.

B. T. Newberg is an author, editor, and freelance SEO content writer. Learn more SEO secrets at BTNewberg.com.

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How Much Money Can an SEO Content Writer Make?

Make no mistake -you're not going to strike it rich as an SEO content writer. But you can make a living that enables a phenomenal lifestyle.

Many get discouraged right away when they hear about SEO content writers getting paid two dollars per article. There's no way you can live on that. You could work yourself to the bone and still have to go through the line at the soup kitchen.

How can you eat on two dollars per article? You can't. But there's a secret.

What's the secret?

First of all, the people working for two dollars per article probably don't live in America. Or Britain or Australia or New Zealand. Most likely, they live in the Philippines, India, or some other country with a very low cost of living and a favorable exchange rate. That's what makes it worth their while.

So, how can you compete with writers in developing countries willing to work for peanuts?

Your SEO content writer advantage

Never fear - you've got an enormous advantage. If you're a native English speaker with even a modicum of writing talent, your work will blow theirs out of the water.

Clients don't want writing that sounds foreign, or that uses improper grammar. Every time they contract someone in the Philippines for two dollars, they have to take extra time to edit that work into native-sounding English. They may even have to hire a professional editor. That means two dollars isn't two dollars - it's an escalating price tag and a headache.

That's where you come in. Once clients see you can write decent, natural-sounding English - or better yet, hear it by talking to you on the phone - they'll pay much higher rates. You are the doctor that cures their headache, and that's how you'll sell yourself. They'll pay more than $30 for an article if they're convinced you're good.

Enough to live the lifestyle you want

Thirty dollars for a four-hundred word article isn't bad. You can write at least two articles per hour, four or more if you're fast. That calculates to $60-120 per hour!

Of course, you probably won't be able to keep that up for eight hours a day. But the cash is enough that the other hours of the day can be spent living the lifestyle of your dreams.

Want to spend more time with your spouse or children? Devote yourself to artistic pursuits? Travel? All these become possible with the income of an SEO content writer.

Article first published as How Much Money Can You Make as an SEO Content Writer? on Blogcritics.

B. T. Newberg is an author, editor, and freelance SEO content writer. Learn more SEO secrets at BTNewberg.com.

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How Does an SEO Content Writer Use Linkbacks?

One of the most important tools of an SEO content writer is the linkback. Through judicious use of this technique, a few well-placed articles can rocket a site to the top of search results.

What's a linkback, and why should an SEO content writer care?

A linkback is a link that points back to the client's website. When other websites link to a site, search engines take that as a sign that the site is important and relevant.

This is one of the major metrics used by search engines. Some SEO experts even suggest it may be the most important one, because it is the most difficult to control and thus manipulate to one's advantage. However, we know how to work this angle.

Linkback... "back" from where?

"Back" from other websites. The more important those websites, the better. All links are good, but some are better than others. Sites with high authority are best. Authority is the ability of a site to rank well in search engines. That depends on many factors, of course, but a simple way to get a rough idea is by its Page Rank, or PR. You can determine a site's PR for free by going to Googe Page Rank Checker.

In the SEO game, you want to build links from sites with a high PR. If search engines see that important sites link to your client's site, they assume the client's site must be important too.

How to use linkbacks

By now it should be fairly obvious that the way to use linkbacks is by incorporating them into content published on sites with a high PR. That's the gist of it. There are special techniques to do that, though, and in ensuing articles we'll talk about how to use anchor text and article directories to create effective linkbacks.

Here's a quick preview of what's coming up:

The anchor text is the word or phrase that is displayed on the page. It's also what the user clicks on to activate the link. The words you choose to use as anchor text are crucial for the effectiveness of your linkback. Therefore, you should choose your anchor text wisely.

Article directories are sites that publish writing in order to archive it or distribute it to other sites. They're a way to quickly and easily build quality linkbacks. Since article directories often have high Page Rank, they produce more effective linkbacks than other sites. By submitting your writing to article directories, and including a linkback with well-chosen anchor text, you can better optimize your client's website.

Key points

For now, the key points to remember are:
linkbacks point back to the client's websitethe higher the PR of the linking site, the better

B. T. Newberg is an author, editor, and freelance SEO content writer. Learn more SEO secrets at BTNewberg.com.

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