You Know Where You Can Stick Your Keywords?

Right out of college I took a job at a newspaper. I signed on with full anticipation of using my English writing degree and fine tuned writing skills to move to the editorial department. Instead, I moved into advertising. I immediately enjoyed creating ads for local businesses, and figuring out which section of the paper that specific company would fit into best.

I worked at the paper a little over a year, but decided it was time to move on. I was hired at Oneupweb in September, the opportunity to write and learn gleaming in my near future. Needless to say, the atmosphere, wealth of knowledge I have learned, and process of helping clients is a little different than I experienced at the newspaper. However, the more I learn and become involved, certain aspects of website optimization and advertising are not as different as I originally thought.

My first encounter with keywords was a whirlwind of research, specifications, and thousands of words at my disposal. These words at first glance, didn’t contain much meaning to me, but quickly became a force for the client’s site. That got me thinking about the newspaper. It had never occurred to me, before my month at Oneupweb that words, when strategically placed could positively affect a company’s success.

If I had the knowledge of targeted words then, that I do now, I am almost certain I could have become a genius advertiser, decorated for my sharp skills at targeted phrase placement. It makes very obvious sense to me now. Consumers are looking for certain things when they scan the ads in the Sunday newspaper. Whether it is groceries or events, there are things in an ad that jump out, and make them take a second look. At the paper, if I had known not only look at where to place an ad, but had also used the knowledge I have now to dig into the content, and find terms that consumers tend to gravitate toward, the effectiveness of the ad could have been hugely impacted.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I am in no way, shape, or form looking to return to the newspaper and make a huge advertising success of myself. My current position has me more than happy. It just goes to show you that an old job, one you thought maybe had no relevance to your current situation, can pop up and surprise you.