The Marriage of Labels and Keywords

By Laurie Epps


What's a label? What's a keyword? Today we're going to talk about not only what they are, but how they are connected. Both label and keyword form a marriage that increases your SEO = Search Engine Optimization. Let Edie and I teach you how.

Still, we are working with Edie's book, Connections: Social Media and Networking Techniques for Writers. This is a step by step guide to teach you the in's and out's of how to create a successful presence on the Internet.

So you want to tag your blog, how do you do that? Well, if you're using a template service like WordPress or Blogger it's quite easy. It's important for you to know the important words though, for starters: 
Tagging = Labels in your template margin. These two words mean the same thing when creating your blog.

Here's the basics of successful tagging:

1. Your title should contain your main keywords.
2. Make sure you repeat your keywords throughout your blog post.
3. Re-use your title in the first couple of lines (or words thereof).
4. Tag with an entire phrase, not just with words.

Note: This may sound like a lot of work, but often I spend as much time on keywords as I do writing the blog itself.

Would you like to see a sample of an effective blog post? Check out pp. 50-51 of Edie's Connections book.

What labeling mistakes have you made? What types of labels have worked? Where do you get your labeling ideas from? Please share with us below.

Connect Activity: Do you use your labels function on your blog? If not, you should start. My best advice would be to start with your current blog post, and then work backwards through your posts.

Next week, we'll talk about hyperlinks. Can't get enough about social media? Check out Edie's Social Media Mondays at: http://thewriteconversation.blogspot.com

Laurie Epps is a senior at Anderson University majoring in Creative Writing. Already Laurie is most published as a feature article writer, essayist, and poet. A seeker of beauty and world traveler, Laurie hopes to grow into a career in travel writing illuminating the many stories that make us human despite our differences. Currently, Laurie also has a Thoughtful Thursday column dedicated to the fine art of poetry.