Newspapers search for Web headline magic
CNET reports on how news organizations have been training journalists to rewrite print headlines in order to make them work better on the web and show up higher in search results.
"Pithy, witty and provocative headlines--the pride of many an editor--are often useless and even counterproductive in getting the Web page ranked high in search engines. A low ranking means limited exposure and fewer readers."
Stephan Spencer, founder and president of SEO firm Netconcepts, recommends that Web sites not only use keywords in the headline but that they also include a more descriptive, keyword-rich version of the headline in the title tag, which appears in the blue bar at the very top of the browser window when looking at a Web page. He also suggests that Web sites use keywords in the anchor text, which is the underlined text in a hyperlink. A keyword carries more weight in search engines if it is located at the beginning of a headline, he said.
Other SEO tricks include frequently and consistently interlinking between related stories and items on a Web site, and tagging the content accurately across the Web page, including changing headers and tabs on pages to mundane, rather than cleverly named, terms.
"We have Web 'heds.' We go into the newspaper (production) system to create a more literal Web headline," said David Beard, editor of Boston.com and former assistant managing editor of its New York Times Co.-owned print sibling.. "We've had training sessions with copy editors and the night desk for the newspaper. It's been a big education initiative."
Journalists can see how popular specific keywords are and get suggested alternatives by using Google's AdWords Keyword Tool.
Feb 10, 2007 | E-MAIL | SAVE | PRINT | PERMALINK | DISCUSS(0)
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