As stated in the preceding page, search engines like lots of keyword rich html text. But marketing departments will tell you that your visitors want less. Actually, what humans want is to be able to read the text easily. Try using:

• Headline - Readers want to know what the page is about before going any further.
• Sub-headlines - Multiple, specific sub-headlines let the reader know what is coming next, keep their interest and let them skip parts of the page instead of the entire page.
• Short paragraphs - You may have lots of them but keep them short and to the point, don't use any words you don't have to. Break up long paragraphs with sub-headers and bullet points.
• Fonts - Choose one that is easy to read and use a large enough font size.
• Colour scheme - Make sure the text colour sits well on the background and is easy on the eyes.

The amount of text you use on your site will depend on the purpose of your site and your target audience. But even if you feel it's best to use short, snappy online sales copy you can still make it keyword rich. If you need to use short pages with sales copy and do not want every page to contain 200-500 of keyword rich text then make sure you also create product info sheets and FAQ pages for those visitors that do want more information. Ideally you should have one keyword rich page per product or service.

Eyetracking Study of Web Readers

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