250 Words Is Just Too Much, Copy pushes products off page Options

[arlen]

I'm trying to optimize for keywords on my homepage, and rewrote my 60 word non-keyword-dense copy to a fun 250 word version per the suggestions in Jill's 10 steps article. I can see how it would do the job for teh bots really well, but it occupies WAY WAY too much real estate on my homepage. With the Interior pages, I don't think I'll have this problem, I've got product descriptions I can work with, but on the home page I need to WOW people with feature products, and not overwhelm them with self-promoting text. A service needs to describe their service, but as a retailer images are key to the sales pitch.

Is this a hard and fast rule? If I could condense it to about 100 words, I "think" I could live with it, but 60 - 80 would be better. If it keeps me from being picked up by the spiders, though, then I've defeated my SEO efforts.

I suppose I could write up product descriptions further down the page, but my intro paragraph needs to be fun, brief, and to the point. Would this be effective?

[SearchRank]

Is this a hard and fast rule? If I could condense it to about 100 words, I "think" I could live with it, but 60 - 80 would be better. If it keeps me from being picked up by the spiders, though, then I've defeated my SEO efforts.

In short - no. And only having 60-80 words as opposed to 250 will not keep you from being picked up by the spiders.

While in some cases, more content is better, do what is best for your users. As you said, your interior pages can contain the more descriptive text and greater quantity of words to describe products.

[Rob]

Hi arlen,

I'd guess horses for courses is the answer: write for your reader. There is absolutely no hard and fast rule, but the more relevant content that's there for your reader, the better. That said, there may be situations where this may not be viable. I'd love to make my company's internet homepage full of much more text, but it just isn't viable for a corporate homepage (or is it - maybe I should test my design skills a bit harder).

To summarize, put what's best for the (potential) reader up there, ignoring any 'rule'.

Product descriptions further down the page is a good idea by the way - put what you need to further up - make it exactly what it needs to be - not what you think it should be for SEO (IMG:http://www.highrankings.com/forum/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) (or maybe hire a copywriter?)

Cheers,

Rob

[nimlet]

One of our homepages is similar it needs to have products, ads and graphics on it and that leaves very little room for much text.

We decided it would be best to link to our most popular products from the homepage and wrote detailed descriptions for them and they are now working a treat. Good search engine results increased traffic and they convert well too!

[Rob]

We decided it would be best to link to our most popular products from the homepage and wrote detailed descriptions for them and they are now working a treat.

Hey nimlet,

Did the main page have those descriptions or just the linked-to pages.

I'm guessing the latter ... in which case did your increased traffic come via people arriving at the product pages, or arriving at your homepages?

Thanks!

Rob

[arlen]

Ok, good, this is what I think I'll do.

Two of my target key phrases for the home page are product specific, the other is very descriptive of what my site is about. I'll rewrite the intro to 60 words again, but this time make sure my key phrases are in it. The product key phrases also appear in my navigation, and the other in my site name / title. My description tag can easily accommodate all three. I'll then add short product descriptions to my feature products, making sure I always keep one of each of my targeted "keyword" products on the page at all times. Sound like a good strategy?

nimlet, I was going to ask the same question, Rob just beat me to the punch (and worded it much better anyway)

[nimlet]

When we first made the changes they came to the homepage but as the new pages with the descriptions got picked up they go straight there now.

[BrianR]

Arlen

That's the way I'd write the page too. Karon (copywriter) is not around or she would have chipped in too.

Depending on the size and structure of the site, it may also pay to link to a site map page, if you haven't already done so.

BrianR

[arlen]

The site map is a good idea Brian, I've got it on my to-do list, just haven't gotten to it yet. Adding short descriptions on the map might be a good idea.

[Scottie]

If Jill were here (she's off partying in Toronto) she'd tell you that 250 words thing is a guideline to shoot for in general, not a hard and fast rule for every page.

250 words of self-promoting text is definitely a bad thing- no one would buy from a page like that. Write as much as you can (helpful info) about the product itself and leave it there.

It may help to break the info into bulleted lists and short paragraphs and work it around the picture- add easily scannable headings so the reader can find the details they are looking for easily.

[Scottie]

Here's a great article Karon wrote on Sales copy that you might find interesting, Arlen!

<Register for her newsletter while you are there- always a useful read! (IMG:http://www.highrankings.com/forum/style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) >

[arlen]

Wow Scottie, that article really hits the mark!

Karon, I know you're away and busy, but thanks!

I'll register tonight, so much reading to do, but I'm learning tons.

[Rob]

Thanks for the article links Scottie - hadn't read that before - good info (IMG:http://www.highrankings.com/forum/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Rob

[lyn]

I haven't had any trouble getting in to the 200 word range since I decided the home page could give visitors a mini-tour of the whole site, not just a basic intro to the company.
I usually try to keep the intro paras solid and keyword rich, then break up the lower part of the page into a few topical sections that explain why the visitor might choose to click into one or another of the navigation options on the home page. This invariably creates good opportunities to repeat the keyword phrases as well as some secondary keywords that can be used as contextual links into the deeper pages. Sometimes. it's a lot like writing description tags for each of the main next-level pages.
If you can introduce the site in 80 words, then run 40 words on each three different content features in the site, you're up to 200 words.

L.

[lyn]

All the above being said, I know that Google routinely ranks a complete empty "MSN Groups" site in the top 6 for one of my keyword phrases. No content in it. Zero. Not a word. Dozens of sites with real info in them are ranked way below this blank shell.
Aaarrrghhh!

L.