Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam....

By Susanne Svette, IdeaStar Search Engine Specialist

The word Spam has several meanings. One is the product name for that famous canned mystery meat which my mother used to keep on a shelf "just in case." The original can may even still be there….

Another meaning for spam is un-requested and unwanted e-mail. We all receive enough of that.

Today, let's consider another meaning for spam - keyword spam that is. Keywords are designated words and terms for which you want your Web site to be found. If written correctly, your content will include a smattering of those words intricately woven into the copy, well enough for the search engine spiders to notice, but not the reader.

If written incorrectly, it seems every other word is a keyword, repeated over and over. That might be good for the search engines, but terrible for the reader.

Would you really expect your Web site visitors - say for pickled beets - to wade through something like, “Our pickled beets are the best pickled beets which anybody looking for pickled beets would find in the pickled beets isle. So when you are looking for pickled beets, consider our pickled beets. They are the best pickled beets in town.”

The search engines will definitely understand your site is about pickled beets, but anybody visiting the site will probably move on before they find out about your pickled beets. And, there is also a good chance the search engines will drop the site for keyword spamming, defeating the whole point. So when writing your Web copy, include your keywords, but include a little common sense on how and in how often they are used.

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