While content writing for your website, there is a pool of elements that you must keep in mind to ensure the best results for your page. One of these important elements are keywords! You must be aware that search engines utilise keywords as a starting point for filtering results, this is why it’s critical to understand how to use keywords appropriately in your content so that it’s found, indexed, and rated.
While there are many different perspectives on how to use keywords for SEO, in this article you will discover a basic and quick step-by-step instruction on how to utilise keywords appropriately and securely in any form of SEO material you write/post.
How many keywords should one use on a page?
When it comes to how many keywords to focus on on a page, the answer is hugely dependent on the keywords you wish to utilize, how linked they are to one another, and whether or not they help push the content’s message forward. It shouldn’t be that difficult to come up with a list of, give or take, 5-10 keywords with the correct keyword research. However, this does not imply that you should concentrate on all ten!
There are three main types of SEO keywords that you must know of:
- Primary Keywords- The headline and subsequent content should represent your major keyword, which should be the main focus of the entire piece. Because it’s impossible to compose a strong piece of content about two different themes, only one primary keyword should be used to propel the content forward.
- Secondary Keywords- Secondary keywords are more or less the synonyms for the principal keyword, but with minor differences. Since a core issue usually has 3-5 main talking points, employing a few secondary keywords makes sense.
- Additional Keywords- Additional keywords are any other similar keywords that are expressed or spelled differently but indicate the same thing as the first two. This is a catch-all net where you can throw in multiple permutations of your core keywords in the hopes of ranking for one (or all) of them. Long-tail keywords are typically included in this category.
How many keywords for SEO then?
Now that you are familiar with different types of keywords and their importance, the main question that pops is “How many keywords should I use for SEO?”. Well, in most cases including 3-8 keywords, depending on the length of your content, can be quite sufficient. Here, a breakdown of 1 primary keyword, 1-3 secondary keywords, and 1-4 additional keywords can really get the ball rolling for you!
Going beyond the limit mentioned above can come off as spammy and will be hard to include naturally as well.
Where should I use keywords for SEO in content writing?
While adding keywords into your content might seem like a cake walk, the truth is that it is easier said than done! There are certain rules that you must practice to make your SEO efforts more efficient. Here is a step-by-step guide for you:
1. Keywords in Meta Description
Although often overlooked, keywords in the meta-description is the most basic way to get the most of it in SEO! Since meta description serves as a brief overview of the content, using the keyword in this summary aids Google in better filtering your results. It’s a great method to have one or two of your most critical keywords attached to the area of your page that search engines see first.
Pro-tip: Make sure to use the keyword at least once, but no more than twice only. Do not forget to prioritise and use a helpful keyword.
2. Use keywords in your SEO title tag
Here, it is important to keep in mind that the SEO title tag is very much different from the title of your main article. Firstly add some keyword info to your SEO title tag (also known as a meta title tag). This title tag is similar to the meta description in that it is the name of the page that readers will see when they search a keyword phrase on search engine results pages (SERPs). This title will be clickable from the SERPs, directing the user to your page.
3. Use keywords in the title of your article
It is recommended that you should put the term in the title of your material because since Google uses this title header in conjunction with your meta description to construct a picture of what your content is about, including a keyword in the title can be quite beneficial if it can be used naturally.
In case the keyword can’t be used naturally in the title, use a variation that still gets the point of the article across while hitting some of the main words from your keyword phrase. A little is better than nothing!
4. Insert keywords within the first 200 words
It is the belief of various experts that the first 200 words of your article are coincidentally very important to Google! The reason for this is that the first 100-200 words of an article are usually where a content writer establishes the context for what will be covered. Since most readers tend to read the rest of the entire article only if the start is strong, it stands to reason that it could also be a ranking factor. Here, it is highly recommended that you must use your primary keyword in the first sentence of your content for better reach.
5. Use keywords naturally throughout the article
While writing content, it is often easy to forget that the article is meant for the reader. It is important to remember that you should never compromise the reader’s ability to be informed, engaged, and enlightened due to bad keyword placement. You might want to keep the following two points to ace the keyword game:
- Utilize stop words in between awkward keyword phases.
- Once every 100-150 words, attempt to add your primary keyword and make sure your secondary and additional keywords do not appear more than your primary keyword.
6. Insert keywords in the last 200 words
It may be argued that the conclusion (or last 200 words) is just as significant, if not more important, than the start of an article in terms of keyword rankings because it establishes the framework for the content. As a result, attempt to repeat your core keyword near the end or second-to-last paragraph, and if possible, incorporate a secondary keyword.
7. Keywords in headings are a must!
While keywords are indeed very important from the perspective of a formatting tool, they happen to be much more essential in terms of SEO. H1s, H2s, H3s, and other HTML elements are also ranking signals for Google, letting it know what’s most significant in the content. Adding keywords to text headings may be the most effective strategy to rank for several keywords.
When a keyword is used in a heading, the significance and importance of the keyword is highlighted. This informs search engines about the relevance of certain keywords to your content.
8. Use keywords in anchor text links
Fond of killing two birds with one stone? This is what keywords in anchor text links might help you with. In your posts, using keywords as anchor text links can aid other pages on your site. This is also known as building an internal link structure that shows Google which articles are the most important for specific keyword phrases. You can employ anchor text links of some keyword phrases to drive the authority of other “pi” keywords if you design your content correctly.
9. Keywords in image-Alt tags
First and foremost, if you aren’t employing graphics in your content writing, you should! I can’t stress enough how many opportunities you’re passing up if you’re not using a visual cue to educate, engage, and inform your readers and potential clients. When it comes to user engagement, images and content writing (and videos, for that matter) are a wonderful match.
10. Keywords in URL
There has long been debate among SEOs and content marketers about whether or not it is important to include your core keyword in the URL of your page and whether or not this has an impact on rankings. According to a study, with 60 posts over a period of 6 months, posts with a keyword as part of the page URL ranked overwhelmingly for that specific keyword, whereas posts without the targeted phrase in the URL did not.
