In his new Media Equations column, David Carr writes in The New York Times about a practice well-known to most modernized newsrooms: Headlines that position stories well for search engine results.
These days search engine optimization might be more valuable than the newsroom stylebook on spelling.
A generation ago journalists were taught that a clever first paragraph attracted the audience and editors were taught that a clever headline attracted the audience to the attractive lede.
These days the clever headline and paragraph are loaded with keywords to generate PageRank on Google and be among the first results on any personal search for topics or names. Thus, you'll see full names not surnames online, among other things, to work within the algorithm.
Carr finds some major Web operators demurring about the ruthless traffic-chasing with keywords, but it's clear every successful operation knows how to optimize content to succeed in that climate. His column simply states what we know to be true.
These days search engine optimization might be more valuable than the newsroom stylebook on spelling.
A generation ago journalists were taught that a clever first paragraph attracted the audience and editors were taught that a clever headline attracted the audience to the attractive lede.
These days the clever headline and paragraph are loaded with keywords to generate PageRank on Google and be among the first results on any personal search for topics or names. Thus, you'll see full names not surnames online, among other things, to work within the algorithm.
Carr finds some major Web operators demurring about the ruthless traffic-chasing with keywords, but it's clear every successful operation knows how to optimize content to succeed in that climate. His column simply states what we know to be true.
