SEO back to the Basics - Internet Marketing Podcast - Number 85

If both versions resolve without a redirect, Google treats them as separate pages with duplicate content. Links pointing to different versions split link juice across multiple pages. A 301 redirect consolidates all versions into one, combining all inbound links into a single page with full link authority.

The hosts recommend targeting between 1% and 3% keyword density. They caution that content writers can get overzealous at 3%, so they often say 1%. The goal is keyword-rich content that reads naturally, not stuffed repetition that sounds awkward and signals spam to Google.

Google cannot read images, so alt tags tell search engines what an image contains and are a valid place for keywords. Naming the image file itself, for example Houston-Plumber.jpg instead of image84962.jpg, adds another relevant signal Google uses when indexing images in search results.

For service-based businesses like plumbers or doctors, a decreasing time on site paired with rising conversions means visitors are finding the call to action quickly and contacting the business. The hosts say this is the desired outcome, though informational or video-heavy sites still benefit from longer visits.