There is one basic difference between journalism and content writing on the Internet. When you are writing for the print media, you are not bothered about a particular set of words that must be repeated several times in an article. But in a web article, the keyword is one of the most important aspects ? indeed some website developers consider the keyword to be more important than the content matter of the article itself.

If you are into article writing for websites, then you must already be aware of the almighty significance of the keyword. For the uninitiated, the keyword is a string of words that brings about results on search engines. For example, if you type in ?student loan debt consolidation? in the search box of Google, then that becomes your keyword. All articles that feature this phrase prominently will show in the search results. The better the keyword is used, the higher the chances of showing up in the first few pages of the search results. Thus, a clever use of the keyword is highly useful if you want your article to be placed highly by search engines.

Employers stress their writers to use the keyword about four to five times in a 400-word article. In fact a very good article could be rejected just because it does not feature the keyword prominently, while an article with baloney in it could skirt through because it chants the keyword a dozen times like a mantra. This kind of writing today is popularly called as SEO, Search Engine Optimization. SEO writers are not bothered about what they write; the emphasis is on how they write.

But one thing is certain. Your article with ample use of keywords in it could come on the first page of Google or Ask. The reader might also click on your article generating traffic. However what is the guarantee that the reader will do what you intend them to do? You may be selling a product and the article may be only a draw. But if your article is shabby, who will be interested in the product? Hence, the thing of utmost importance is to have a good informative article, which piques the readers? interest.

The following are some tips and guidelines for budding SEO writers (and even for those who employ them and ?edit? their articles). These pointers will help you make your articles more palatable to the public:-

(1) Don't harp on the keyword incessantly ? Really, this can become very grating to the reader! Just how many times can you read an article with ?the right way to uncork a champagne bottle? in it? Use your keyword the specified number of times, but camouflage it well within your text. At no place should the keyword jut out like a sore thumb. Content writers think that the keyword should be used as it is every time. But that is not necessary. Our search engines are smart enough. They can pick out keywords even if they are split in a sentence. For example, if you want to use the keyword ?finding condos in Memphis?, you could write your sentence as: ?In the state of Memphis, finding luxury condos is becoming ever so difficult.? This will also figure in the search results.

(2) Be grammatically correct ? There are so many articles on the net where writers have disregarded both grammar and spelling just in order to fit in their keyword. This is a very boorish thing to do. Employers sometimes insist wrong spellings to be used just because the lists of keywords they have show the wrong spelling. Well, one Internet user might have typed the keyword wrong, but do you think everyone around the world will be typing in the wrong keyword? By deliberating using a wrong spelling in your article you are alienating millions of people who would type in the keyword correctly.

Also, the sentence must be grammatically correct after using the keyword. As said before, you can splice the keyword to fit properly. Sentences with wrong grammar seriously put off your readers.

(3) Use some personal observation ? Nobody is going to think about your article after they close the window, unless you have something new to tell them. Article writing does not mean just reading other stuff on the net and then rearranging the words in your own language. To be a good article writer, you need to put some inputs and observations of your own without distorting the facts. Here's a great tip: If you have something special to say, say it in the sentence where you use the keyword. This way it will show in the search results itself. This will certainly raise the curiosity of the reader and they will click on your article. For example, if you need to write on the keyword ?Keira Knightley?, you could write ?Keira Knightley has had six movies opening at number one in the US, an unbeaten record!? as your opening line.

Certainly there are several more things you can do in order to make your article better read over the Internet. One of the most important things is experience. You need to live in this field and learn the ropes.