I'm new to SEO but I'd like to figure out how to most effectively use the two edit options: Edit Header and Edit Keywords and Description.

In which case do I use each? I've just completed my site: www.gatewayelectricinc.com. I've added keywords and a description of the site and applied it to all pages.

Should I instead have different keywords for different pages? Additionally should I include a different description for each page?

How should I utilize the Edit Header option. I've read through http://www.w3schools.com/tags/tag_meta.asp but not sure how it differs from the keywords. Can someone clear this up for me?

Thanks everyone.

http://static.googleusercontent.com/ext … -guide.pdf

Thanks Spinny. Lots of good information there.

My question more specifically is. If I use this code in the header:

<meta name="description" content="Philadelphia Electrician" />

Is that the same as using the Edit Keywords and Description button, and simply writing Philadelphia Electrician for description?

I'm an HTML newbie and I've used VSD because it's easy. I suppose I would like to advance my site design by including SEO and am finding it confusing with VSD. Should I graduate to HTML Editor?

In description you don't separate items with comma's. Instead you can put a sentence or two. Keywords are separated by comma (and you can have two words that = one key word) Remember your 23 word limit. Description is what is placed below the title of your page on google. google something and you will see what I am referring to. The keywords are matched against keywords within the body of your document and are indexed as such.

Hope this clarified.

From the 'tone' and content of your posts, I get the impression that you would probably enjoy - and benefit from - starting to use the HTML Editor!
(I'm deliberately not using the terms "graduate to the HTML Editor", since I think VSD is an excellent tool in its own right, and certainly not just a beginner's tool!)

On the topic of SEO, you should definitely tailor descriptions and key words to the individual pages. Using the same for all pages would be perceived as the SE equivalent of spam!

That is interesting Eric. I wasn't aware of the 23 word limit. I went back into VSD to look at how many keywords I had entered. Underneath it says:
You may enter as many keywords as you want.
Also I'm still trying to determine how to use the Edit Header function apart from the Edit Keywords and Description.

Can someone explain how to use the Edit Header function?

Thanks.

Thanks Per.

I am about to DL the trial to get a feel for it first.

Where does this limit come from?

This limit is placed on keywords because anything larger goes beyond what google can display. Try it once by googling something and count up the words listed in the description or the keywords listed. They never exceed 23. SEO experts always tell you 23 keywords no more, because you have no more time - it does not do you any good. So you can have fifty, but only the first 23 will count.

Thank you Eric. Interesting!

I am still wondering if "the number of words Google displays" really means that any key words beyond that number are simply truncated and ignored...