When you write a page based on the keywords your research has identified for your website, it is important to remember that moderation is the key, even more than the key words (get it?).

Using keywords too frequently in the space allowed is known as keyword stuffing.  This is essentially where SEO writers (and I’m using the term “writers” very loosely) use certain keywords as many times as they can possibly fit them into the text, even if the copy doesn’t read well at all when they are done.

Sometimes, keyword stuffing also refers to the even more despicable practice of listing keywords over and over again, often in a color of text that closely matches the background.  The idea is that the search engines will see the high percentage of keywords and think, “Oh, this page has got to be rich with information!”  Sounds like a great way to get a higher search engine ranking, right?

Uh, WRONG.  Search engine designers are smarter than this.  They quickly caught on to any scams to try to cheat at the game, and in fact keyword stuffing can actually damage your search engine ranking.

So what do you do?  Well, write naturally with your keywords in mind, and the rest should come on its own.  For instance, if your targeted keyword is maternity trousers, you’ll probably get a fine keyword density just by writing an article on how to fit said trousers.  As long as your copy is about pregnancy and maternity clothes, chances are they’ll pick up related searches just fine!

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