By Courtney Mills
Expert Author
Article Date: 2011-06-28
It's well known that your home page is the most important page on your website. It's your visitors "first impression" of your whole website and also the main page listed in the search engine results, so it had better be good.
One thing to consider on your home page is the number of words it contains. What is the optimal number of words I hear you ask? Good question! Google's Matt Cutts vaguely answered this question recently with the following statement:
If you have more content on your home page, there's more text for Googlebot to find.
Not a very helpful answer is it. So I went searching for more expert help and came across a video from copywriting expert Heather Lloyd - Martin. I have included the view here so you can watch it. It's only a quick one (5 minutes), so it won't take up too much of your time.
Heather actually suggests that there isn't a particular word count you should stick to. Instead you should look at your home page content from your visitor's perspective. Concentrate on the messaging your visitors need to read in order to take further action on your website.
The key to good content on your home page is to have 2 types - content that is written for readers and also content that is written for the search engines. Ensure that the content you include is a value-add for both your visitors and the search engines.
If it's time to give your home page an overhaul, then check out this article I wrote earlier this year: Dos and Don'ts of Creating a First-Class Home Page. It will provide some tips on what you should and shouldn't include on your home page. Good luck!
Check out ineedhits for more articles by Courtney Mills. About the Author: Courtney is an online marketing specialist at ineedhits - a leading search engine marketing firm with over 11 years experience. Courtney has been living and breathing marketing for over 2 years and specializes in web and permission email marketing and providing news and opinion to online marketing communities.
