Some SEO folks used to believe that you could gain some small amount of relevancy by placing your keyword in a BOLD tag rather than using it in a STRONG tag.

In actuality, Google’s Matt Cutts says he was shown the piece of code in Google’s  algorithm that says <b> and <strong> are viewed as the same in the algorithm.  The same goes for italics <i> and emphasis <em>.   See for yourself at the 50 second mark in this video:

Of course it’s important to keep in mind that this video is 4 years old!

My opinion is that since <strong> is the newer tag, you should use it over <b> within any new content you may be developing.  I don’t think either is better from an SEO ranking perspective but in the future if a decision is made to change, it makes sense that the newer tag would be favored over the older tag.

I often say to students, clients, and prospects that a web designer is a lot like an interior decorator. The interior decorator will make your home look great and help you pick out beautiful furniture, create a color palette to paint your walls, and select all the accessories to make your house a home. In much the same way, a web designer can develop your website so it looks great and includes all the bells and whistles.

However, you would never talk to an interior decorator before you spoke with an architect or a contractor, would you? A Search Marketer is the “architect” you need to speak with before you design your website. They can help you not only design your site correctly but also help you develop your online strategy and build your brand.

Remember, it’s not that the web designer is doing anything wrong or trying to hurt your chances at getting found. It’s just that most web designers and programmers do not have the knowledge or the level of understanding regarding many critical SEO aspects and can inadvertently cause your site to do poorly in the Search Engines.

So here’s a small bit of advice… don’t make the same mistake so many others do when it comes to their website. Talk to a reputable SEO company or get yourself educated before you decide to design or redesign a website for your business.

Steve Scott
Owner and Head Trainer
Tampa SEO Training Academy