I was reading a post over at copyblogger today that really drove an important point home. When it comes to writing posts, far too many people try to write in a very unnatural way, driving up their keyword count. Evidently, some writers think that keyword density is really more important than quality writing. Now, I don’t claim to be a professional writer, but I do have what I think is my own natural style. I try to write in “my style”, and then, secondarily, worry about keyword density.

Matthew, over at coppyblogger had this to say:

But in the wake of SEO-ing, SMO-ing, and all other types of O-ing we face the danger of falling into a trap. We must always remember that the quality of the content is paramount and be vigilant not to sacrifice that quality upon the altar of optimization.

I love that last line. Don’t sacrifice your quality of writing for search engine optimization. I have read some blogs where you don’t have to wonder what words the author is trying to rank high for…the phrase is used every other line, whether it fits in or not. Writing like that can certainly turn off readers. Instead, authors should write more naturally about a subject that interests them, and the key words will take care of themselves! Of course, you can go back through what you have written, and try identify places where you can reword to put in a couple more keywords, but make sure that the changes do not make your post sound choppy, or forced.

I have read other blogs that have great keyword density, but you don’t even notice because the flow of the article is so well done. They can produce a post with a great keyword density, but you don’t even realize what their targeted word or phrase is, because the writing is so well formulated

Developing a readership is one of the most important aspects of writing a successful blog. If your writing style is a turn-off, then you won’t get very many repeat readers. You need to have valuable information, but you also must write it in a way that is readable. Again, I don’t claim to be an expert in this area, and I am trying to learn how to do a better job. But, when you are using your keywords, make sure that they fit in with the flow of your writing.

So, remember that SEO is important for gaining search engine traffic, but a good writing style is important to maintain a readership. Write good articles, and you will be more successful with your blog.