Getting your site set up properly isn’t really that tough, once you have chosen the right topic and domain name.
I know that setting up a site properly is intimidating when you’re a beginner. The overall process is sometimes hard to visualize. To help with this, I went out of my way to create a simple example site that will help you to see the process of setting up a site properly and with that, let me introduce you to PlaceYourKeywordHere.com. Place Your Keyword Here is a special little site that you can use as an example – a template for how you should be setting up your niche sites. It has the main keyword (place your keyword here) in all the right places, so all you have to do is look for it and duplicate it. There are articles on the site that explain why the keyword is placed where it is, and step-by-steps for how to implement everything.
I can tell you that if you will follow the very simple steps that are outlined on that site, you will have better onsite search engine optimization that 99% of your competitors. The honest truth is that most people don’t do a super good job with this and if you can follow basic instructions you can be better than just about anyone.
For those of you that have never set up a site before, I have a short series of videos that can help you to get the technical stuff out of the way:
How To Register A Domain Name
How To Buy Hosting on Host Gator
Pointing Your Domain At Your Hosting Account
Finalizing Hosting And Installing WordPress
How To Install A New WordPress Theme
As soon as you have your site set up, you can use PlaceYourKeywordHere.com to get the right words in the right places. Please let me know if you have any questions about using the site – I think it should be fairly straightforward but familiarity blindness could have made me miss something that needs to be explained better. I want to make it as useful as possible so seriously, hit me up with your questions.
Tags: niche websites
Does “Placing Your Keywords Here” count as well?
I’m a little confused with the URL, though. I already have a category called chosen-keywords and is part of the permalink, although not the post slug. Still, the title of my post contains Chosen Keywords. Will that rank as well as just the post slug?
Lorna the site could easily rank for ‘placing your keywords here’ as well, however the main keyword for the site in this case is obviously ‘place your keyword here’.
If you want a page to rank well Lorna your keyword ideally should be in the post title and the post slug. No, it will not rank as well if it isn’t there.
Court and Mark,
Thanks for this great series, it is reminding me of how simple this whole process is, and really should be.
A couple of questions.
Is it ok to use variations of your keyword in post titles, slugs and in the anchor text in posts themselves? I am working on a site and wasn’t sure if I should strictly focus on my one keyword, or if variations of it are ok.
Also, with Adsense, do you add it right away or wait awhile? I know this is an issue of contention depending upon who you talk to. I am using the “Who sees ads” plugin, but only have it set to show if people are coming from a search engine. Is this good or is there a better setting?
Thanks again!
Hey Elliot! I wouldn’t really use variations on a single URL. I would be consistent between the post title, HTML title, and slug. In the text of the post itself and in the anchors of inbound links is where you can use more variation. For example:
Post title: This Is Your Keyword
HTML title: This Is Your Keyword | Keyword Variation
Slug: this-is-your-keyword
Text: Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah this is your keyword Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah this is your keyword variation Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah this is another keyword variation Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah and yet another keyword variation Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah
Cool, that’s what I have been doing on the posts themselves, and have been using variation of my main keyword on inbound links that still have the main keyword, just other stuff with it sometimes too.
Court, from the example site, I’m guessing your using host gator and uaw as examples of monetizing. I was hoping to see how you would set up adsense, or if you would even take that approach at all
That’s exactly right Mark. Adsense definitely won’t work on that site, but hey i’ll work on an Adsense mimicking image to place over there – great idea.
Thanks to you guys I have started my first site.
Nice Matt!! Happy to hear that you now have the ball rolling.
Court,
Great resource, thanks! I have been busy doing keyword research the way you outlined in the book and found a couple niches to try soon.
I also got a website up and running for something totally unrelated to all this IM stuff and your videos were indispensable. I don’t know much about FTP, but your videos made it easy to get through that process.
Hey Medic I’m happy to hear it!! Man I’m happy that people are starting to get some sites going.
Thanks for this series, it has really helped me a lot! I had a blog that I just didn’t feel passionate about anymore. I didn’t want to keep on forcing myself to publish posts regularly, but I didn’t want to give up the domain either. I used your recommendations to start converting it into a more static website. I’m not finished yet, but I was able to accomplish most of what you recommended in just a few hours.
Nice Fern – that sounds like a super smart idea!
Court — My site was just indexed by Google, and I think I am already the third result for one of my search terms (I made sure to log out of my Google account)! Granted, it’s not exactly the world’s most competitive term, but still, I’m very excited, many thanks!
Awesome! I love it when that happens.
Court,
I read the “place your keyword here” site and didn’t see the answer for this so I have a question. Lorna referred to a post slug. What in the world is a post slug and what do we do with it?
Court, what is the theme you’re using for this demo site? Secondly when you’re creating these small niche websites do you use different themes or always the same theme with different header pictures?
Thanks,
Mikael
Court, lovin’ every bit of this. I have one question. You use wordpress on a hostgator domain. I have three personal, non-monetizing sites set up the same way. I’m doing some niche sites and thinking it’s gonna get expensive buying domain space for each one right.
So, I’m wondering. Do you buy domain space for each niche site you do or do you put multiple domains on one hosting account? Seems like this could affect indexing no?
Anyway, I’m thinking of going the Griz route and using blogger for ‘multi-niching’
– downfalls to this in your opinion?
Thanks so much.
@Josh, I know I’m not Court
but there is absolutely no problem in having several domains on the same Hostgator hosting solution. You won’t get as much benefit of linking them together as they’ll be on the same C-class IP but that is about it.
I too have been following Griz’s approach and the only bad thing I can see is that you don’t own the domain and data. Google would be able to eliminate your entire income in a split second. I know that since Adsense is their product as well you could argue that they can do that anyway but by owning your own domain you would at least be able to pick another way to monetize your traffic.
Thanks Mikael. I hadn’t thought about Goog banning the site, ruining all the hard work.
I definitely want to avoid buying a lot of hosting accounts, especially if some niche sites don’t pan out. any other advise Court?
Josh you’re honestly WAY over thinking here. Get one account that has unlimited domains for now and add a second when you have the income to pay for it.
Thanks Court. I tend to do that. Like if I mess up on the specifics the results won’t be as good. anyway, I’m off doing the 5 sites in 5 days. keywords picked, hosting set up, domains ready to go. time for content.
I’ve read that, when using Wordpress, having your last post appear in full on the front page of the blog creates duplicate content issues. Any thoughts?
Is this the exact theme you used on your recent UAW trial?
Yes Court, love all the information here. I actually setup my adsense sites just like you say, it is nice seeing someone else’s views validating my own. I like the super-simple theme for your placeyourkeywordhere.com site. Could you tell us how to get it? Thanks!
Thomas C. Gajdjis
Great post on the requirements of creating a new blog. Place your keywords is great place visit and learn few things. I am impressed with the quality of the material. Eventhough by now I am more than 3 years in this field I have learned a few things and I am happy I have visited this place.