The Best Place to Put SEO Copy on Your Web Page
by Karon Thackston

It seems like a funny question to me, but it gets asked a lot.
"Where should the SEO copy go on my Web page?"  That question
gets asked so much because there are several pieces of
out-of-date information, rumors and myths with regard to text
placement, when writing SEO copy.

For instance, many absolutely swear that the copy has to be as
high up on the page as possible for the search engines to find
it.  Not true.  The spiders will find the text regardless of
where it is on your page.  Others say all your text has to be in
one block.  Also not true.  The spiders will find the text
regardless of where it is on your page.

Other statements I've heard regarding text placement include:

·     Your headline must appear at the very top of the page.
·     Copy placed inside tables throws the search engines off.
·     Copy must be positioned above the fold to be found by the
spiders.

None of these are true.  The spiders will find the text
regardless of where it is on your page.  (Or did I already say
that. twice?)  This is true in 99.9% of the cases, with only
some very rare exceptions.

So where is the best place to put SEO copy on your Web page?
Wherever it makes sense to the site visitor!

Spiders will find your text regardless of where it falls on the
page.  Want proof?  Here's a test.  Go to Google and type in any
working URL.  When the result comes up for that site, click on:
"Show Google's Cache of."  In the box that appears at the top of
the next page, click on this option: "This cached page may
reference images which are no longer available. Click here for
the cached text only."  What do you see?

You see exactly what the search engine sees.  If the text
appears in this text-only cache, that means Google's spider can
read it and index it.

Put Copy Where It Is Most Beneficial to Your Visitors

Since the engines will find your text regardless of where it
falls on the page, your focus should be placed on the site
visitor.  This is where your focus should always be.  The people
who have the money come first; the search engines come second.
:)

If it makes sense for your visitors to see your headline as the
first thing on the page, then put it first.  If a graphic design
element makes more sense, then put that first.  If you use
photos or other images, include captions so your visitors
understand what these photos mean and how they relate to the
sales message.

If you have an ecommerce site, create pages for each category of
products you offer in order to help guide the visitors' steps.
Then add short copy segments that quickly describe what is
offered for each specific product.  Even though the copy is
scattered all about the page, the engines WILL find it.

When it comes to copy placement on your Web pages, don't agonize
over what the engines want you to do.  Give 100% of your
consideration to what would be most useful for your visitors and
place your copy in those areas.  The spiders will find it with
no trouble at all.

Karon Thackston is author of "The Step by Step Copywriting
Course" at http://www.copywritingcourse.com and "How To Increase
Keyword Saturation (Without Destroying the Flow of Your Copy)."
Discover the secrets to creating SEO copy with a perfect balance
between keywords and natural language.
http://www.copywritingcourse.com/keyword