Using Keywords Strategically for better search engine performance

Having good listing and session titles and descriptions is an important part of marketing your business online and on TeachStreet. To help your classes get placed higher in search results, use keywords strategically in your listing and session titles and descriptions.

To get started with keywords, go to Google Adcenter: Keyword Tool. This is a very handy tool that will generate keyword ideas based off a descriptive phrase or word. For example, if you teach a class in piano. When you go to the Google Adcenter: Keyword Tool, you can start your search with the simple term of “piano”.  The results below show the related keywords in order of search volume.  For teaching a Piano class, good keywords to take from this list would be: “play piano”, “free piano”, “piano lessons” and “learn piano”.

You can also use this tool to make decisions on whether to use “class” versus “lessons.” In the case of piano, the term “lessons” has a lot more search volume than the term “class.”

Once you have your set of keywords, you can now think about how you are going to title your listings and sessions. Still using the example of piano, take a look at the listing and sessions listed by Anita Manuel in the image below.  The title of her listing is “Piano Lessons Downtown – First Lesson Free.”

We know from the Keyword Tool that the some good keywords Anita should have in her titles are “free piano”, “piano lessons” and “learn piano”. Looking at her listings she does a good job of have the “Piano Lesson” and “Free lessons” in the title of her listing. When someone does a search on Google or TeachStreet.com, having those common keywords in her title will help Anita place higher in results.

One common mistake in creating a title for a listing and session is to forget about keywords, and  focus on making the title catchy and fun. Giving a catchy or witty title to your listings is great, but remember to add those keywords to help make your listing more easily found in search.

Examples of various Piano listing titles:

• Fun, witty title: “Flying fingers to jazz up your life”
• Keyword focused title: “Free piano lessons – learn piano today”
• Witty with keywords title: “Flying fingers – Free piano lessons”

Also, the listing description is a great place to use both keywords and witticism because it has more space and freedom plus you have the added benefit of being able to add tags to your listings.  This is just some of the quick ways you can use keywords in your listing and session titles to help your classes, events, or workshops place higher in search results.