You need to choose several keywords (or, "keyphrases") that will be sprinkled throughout your Web page’s text. (You also use keywords in your "meta keyword tags" and in bidding on paid-placement links – see "Revving Up" LIVE LINK HERE.)

There are several ways to go about choosing the keywords for the body text. Look at your Web usage logs to see what words people type in at search engines to get to your site. Look at what words your competitors are using. Ask customers what terms they would use. Services such as WordTracker (www.wordtracker.com), Google AdWords Suggestion Tool and the Overture Suggestion Tool allow marketers to search what keywords are most popular for different products and services.

In developing your list, you are translating your brand into keywords. Pick words people actually use when searching. Don’t use jargon words – people don’t type in "solutions" when they’re looking for software. If you’re a small local business, use geographic words ("verona new jersey dry cleaner" rather than just "dry cleaner" to avoid Californians looking to get rid of stains on their suits).

A page, especially the home page, should contain two to four keywords–repeated early (as in, the first paragraph) and often (at least three times each). Some search engine optimizers use a "keyword density ratio"—the total number of words in all the keyword mentions divided by the total number of words on the page. Generally, keywords should fall into 2% to 8% density.

"Density will tell you if you overuse a phrase, but if you read the copy and if it sounds bad you know it’s too dense," says Heather Lloyd-Martin, president of SuccessWorks, Bellingham, WA (www.searchenginewriting.com), who consults (and is writing a book) on the subject but who does not use a density ratio in her work.

The problem with repeating keywords in body copy is that it can make the copy sound stilted or too promotional ("You will like our newfangled widgits. We have the best newfangled widgits. Buy our newfangled widgets.").

Some search marketing experts suggest writing the copy first and then plugging in the keywords wherever you can (without ruining it).

Certain pure search engines, most notably Google, do not use descriptions from the site with its search returns but rather snippets of text from around the keywords on the site. That’s why it’s important for your site copy to be descriptive and chockful of keywords.

Just as with Web-site design, Web copywriting requires striking a balance between copy meant to make a sale and copy meant to rank the site high in search results. Read the text aloud to hear if it sounds natural. To successfully include all the keyword mentions, a page should have about 250 words--a lot for Web writing.

"There’s a big misconception that to be effective, writing on the Web has to be short, but it won’t work for search engine optimization writing," says Lloyd-Martin. It is important to use keywords in the text’s headings and subheadings--most search algorithms give those locations extra points. Text near (or better yet, in) a hyperlink also helps a site’s relevancy.

Lloyd-Martin advises injecting keywords into general "opportunity blurbs." For example, rather than writing "All products are shipped within 24 hours," write "All gift baskets are shipped within 24 hours."

She also points out that keywords don’t only count on your e-commerce pages. They also belong in FAQs, white papers, even press releases.