In the recent years, SEO has become a powerful technique used by web developers to increase website traffic. SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is the act of fine-tuning your website’s content in order that it may receive higher priority on any search engine. At the heart of this revolution in cyber-marketing is the “keyword rich article”. A keyword rich article, as its name implies, is a group of text (usually more than 200 words) that pertain to a particular subject and is rich in one or two key terms commonly searched for by internet users seeking such information. They are highly effective in boosting website traffic.

If your website suffers from a lack of visitors, ask yourself if the following situation rings familiar.

You decide on a whim to start up an internet company that sells fly fishing equipment. After all, if novelty companies like starregistry.com can make thousands of dollars online providing products with no real substance, who is to say you can’t make an honest buck selling a few rods and hooks? You design your own website and order your inventory from wholesalers who normally wouldn’t give a cent when it comes to discounts, but with your swaying charm, you get them to skim a few hundred off the top. Now that you’re all set, you make yourself a cup of tea and sit in front of the computer, waiting anxiously for your first big order. You wait for a few days and nothing happens. In fact, so much time has passed without business that you begin to wonder if something has gone amiss in the fly fishing market. You e-mail the owner of www.flyfishing.com only to find out that his business is more profitable than ever.

So why is no one buying your fly fishing equipment? The answer, as you may have guessed, is because no one knows your company exists. The simple act of creating a website in no way guarantees that people will see it. The internet is like the Pacific Ocean while your website may be any one of a thousand deserted islands. When you hear “white sandy beaches, tropical island volcanoes, and hula skirts” your immediate impression is naturally that of Hawaii. Just like our 50th state, your website needs to promote its most prominent features.

Keyword rich articles allow for websites to more effectively convey their content to search engines. For example, when a consumer is researching information to purchase a new set golf clubs, terms often searched for may include: best golf clubs, top golf clubs, cheap golf clubs, etc. The more articles on your site that include these keywords, the higher your ranking will be on any particular search engine. In addition to increasing initial traffic, quality informational articles may also generate an influx of return visitors to your site. If you are looking to improve your game of ultimate frisbee and www.ultimatefrisbee.com is the only site to feature a list of “Top 10 Tips for Better Frisbee Handling”, chances are you will frequent that site in your endeavor to become a better player.

In short, like a good book, keyword articles have the ability to hook the user with the inclusion of popular search terms while maintaining their interest with quality informative writing.

by Peter Koon, writer for KeywordCafe