If you aren't sure what a keyword is, it's simply a word or phrase someone would enter into Google's (or any other search engine) search box. For example, if you are in the travel industry, your main keywords would revolve around travel, destinations, airlines, cruises, etc.

To go back a step, high rankings in the search engine results pages (SERPs) are the end product of what is known as an algorithm. It's simply a mathematical formula, that varies from search engine to search engine. The algorithm focuses heavily on your incoming links, your blog title and description, and your on page written content. While there are a lot more factors than that (Google says over 100), we are looking today at keywords in your written content.

Search engines love content. Period. The more content in your blog, the better the search engine spiders will like it, when they come a-crawlin'. To make your content even tastier for the spiders, you need to use your targeted keywords fairly liberally on the page. In other words, sprinkle your content with the terms people might be searching for, and they will find you!

You can go keyword overboard and keyword all over by keyword plastering your keyword page, but that keyword idea is a bit of keyword overkill.

It also might backfire as keyword "stuffing" is frowned upon by the search engines, and you might be penalized. A penalty is never a good thing. Being sent to the back of the search results, or banned entirely, is not something you want to happen!

Use some logic and common sense in your approach to using keywords.

It's thought by some experts that about 3% of your words, should be your various keywords, for good search engine optimization. That is simply a guideline, and you don't have to strictly follow that rule. What you do need, however, is to optimize your search terms throughout your page content.

If possible, fit your chosen search terms into your blog title, blog description and blog URL. After that, place them in the headlines of your regular posts whenever you are able. If you can put them in bold lettering, that emphasises their importance to the search engines as well.

When you write your posts, be sure to use your keyword(s) in your post. In longer entries, you can slip them in as phrases two or three times. The search engine will calculate them to be important search terms for your business blog. As a result, your blog will rank much higher for those words.

The higher on the page the important words appear, the better. Don't neglect placing them throughout the page text, to multiply their effect.

For really competitive keywords, where the search results return over a million entries, I would recommend optimizing for only one keyword. Don't spread your page too thinly in highly competitive searches. Focus your efforts!

Use your chosen search keywords often.

Your business blog will rise higher in the various search engines.

About the Author: Wayne Hurlbert writes about SEO, blogs, marketing and public relations at Blog Business World.

Article Source: http://www.bloggertalk.net