While there are many views on how keywords should be examined and utilized, I want to give you an essential yet quick step-by-step guide on how to properly and safely use keywords in any type of article that you write.
How Many Keywords Should You Use On A Page?
When discussing how many keywords to concentrate on in a page, the answer relies a lot on the keywords you want to use, how linked they are to each other, and if they aid push the message of the content advance. With the correct keyword research. However, it doesn’t have to be overly difficult to line up with a list of 5-10 keywords. That being stated, it doesn’t mean you have to focus on all 10!
Let’s first talk about the rules of the keyword scale. There are 3 basic types of keywords:
- Primary Keyword
- Secondary Keywords
- Additional Keywords
The primary keyword is the basic focus of the whole article. So, the title and content itself should show that. You cannot write a good article about two totally different topics. So, only one primary keyword should be used.
Secondary keywords are the keywords that complete the primary keyword, yet with just a slight difference. Commonly, the major topic will contain 3-5 basic discussing points. So, using some of those secondary keywords makes sense.
Additional keywords are just any other linked keywords that are written or spelled in a different way than the first two yet still mean the same thing. This is a catch-all net to try and get differences of your main keywords in there to attempt and rank for them all.
So Again, How Many Keywords for SEO?
In many cases, it would be 3-8 whole, based on how long is the content. This breaks down into 1 primary keyword, 1-3 secondary keywords, and 1-4 extra keywords. This gives you a competitive chance to begin ranking for one of them. Then, you can also re-optimize your article based on what it’s presently ranking for.
Using more than eight keywords (regarding that you don’t have an extremely long or short article) can fail as spam content. It’s very difficult to create natural writing for a content writer but it’s necessary. You will find that related keywords will by the default line up when writing articles is based on some great keywords. More than doing this will definitely weaken the readability.
Where To Use Keywords in Your Content Writing
It’s simple to just say “you need to add keywords for SEO”. However, investigating it is totally different problem. There are proven rules and best-practices for including keywords to a website.
You must insert keywords into your article writing using the steps below:
1. Use Keywords in Your Meta Description
This is one of the most essential ways to include keywords for SEO, but it’s usually forgotten. The meta description is a small outline that describes what the article is talking about. So, putting the keyword in the meta description supports your results being better. It’s a strong way to get one or two of your main keywords linked to a part of your page.
A Meta Description is a 160 character description of what your content is talking about. This description is what appears to beneath the name and the URL when readers search for a keyword on search engines. Here is a model of a Meta Description as it shows up on the Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs).
How to Use Keywords for SEO in a Meta Description
First of all the most important thing is to have the relevant tools. E.g. if you’re using WordPress, try to download Yoast SEO Plugin. This plugin will help you to optimize your content faster for the readability and SEO. It also gives you boxes to write your meta description and SEO title tag.
Then, when you are using SEO keywords in the meta description, always be sure that you’re using the keyword one time at least. However, don’t use it more than twice. Make sure to put first the description over the keyword stuffing. This is the first thing anyone will read when they first open the website.
SEO Professional Tip: If you can put a secondary keyword in your meta right with one example of your primary one, you’re damaging it when it hits using keywords for SEO.
2. Insert Keywords in Your SEO Title Tag
Remember, we said SEO title, not your article’s main title. You will manage to optimize that in a minute. Know your priorities, let’s get some useful keyword information in your SEO title tag (AKA, meta title tag). This title tag is like the meta description in that it’s the name of the page that readers will view on search engine results pages (SERPs) when they search for a keyword. This title has to be clickable from the SERPs and will make the reader directly to your page. For example:
How to Write Keywords for SEO in a Meta Title Tag
Just like meta description, you just have some characters (50-60) to use when writing the SEO title tag. Therefore, you normally want to limit the title tag to just the primary keyword, e.g. the company name. This is the most summarized, reader-friendly, and SEO-friendly way to make it.
3. Use Keywords in Your Article Title
As much as you can, place the keyword in the title of your article. Since Google match, this title with the meta description to draw an image of what your article is talking about, having the keyword in the title is so important providing that it can be used naturally.
If the keyword can not be applied naturally in the title, use a variation that is still relevant to the article by hitting some of the major words from your keyword. A small is better than nothing!
4. Use Keyword Within the First 200 Words
Many professionals approve that Google gives more importance to the first 200 words in your article. The reason why is because generally, the first 100-200 words of an article are where the author puts the introduction of what will be talked about. As users only keep in an article, if the introduction is perfect, it stands to reason that it could be a ranking element too.
Where to Use Keywords in an Article Introduction
Knowing that Google examines the first 200 words of an article, it is so important to be sure that you place your primary keyword along with the first paragraph if absolutely possible without giving up the quality of the article. Likely, try to use one secondary keyword at least in the first 200 words too (yet not in the first paragraph).
Remember that Google is trying to get a total picture of what the content is talking about. You should be very precise to command Google to what you want, and for it to not get confused when it optimizes content for keywords. Therefore, your primary keyword has to be in all the most significant places. Then, your secondary keywords come next. finally, any other keywords come after. Think of it as a pyramid of use, along with primary keywords at the top.
The focus of the article (especially the introduction) will be the priority of the primary, loaded in by secondary, and eventually extra keywords to fix an entire keyword frame for that piece.
5. Insert Keywords Naturally Throughout the Article
In an apparently SEO-focused digital globe, usually, you forget that the user is your priority. You never have to compromise your reader’s ability to relate, be informed, and educated by your article on account of poor keyword position. But, believe me, it happens all the time. Here is one resolution to support you write your keywords more naturally in your content.
Use Stop Words in Awkward Keyword Phrases
One way to help you write keywords more is to use “Stop Words” in your keyword writing. These are words that can be added within keywords to support them read more congenitally without lessening their ranking value.
For example, if you had a keyword you were targeting that examine “plumbing Salt Lake City”, you can’t put it into your content exactly the same without looking like a typo or a sharp keyword placement. To add SEO keywords in a better way is to put a stop word in that keyword phrase. Try this out, e.g. the stop word “in”, would now have it read “plumbing in Salt Lake City”, which can much more readable and natural writing.
You can find a list of frequently used stop words easily. You can use them when including keywords to your website.
How Many Keywords Should You Put in Your Content?
This is an important question that’s usually asked and discussed between SEOs. The only correct answer is that it totally depends on the sorts of keywords you have and the length of your article.
However, in general, the rule is that you have to try to add your primary keyword one time every 100-150 words. Therefore, if your article includes 1000 words, insert the primary keyword almost 7-10 times. Also, remember that you want to distribute these fairly in all over the article. Don’t press them in one place and leave the rest of the article without the primary keyword.
Secondary and Additional keywords, though, don’t have to be in the content more than the primary one. Whatever your main point is for utilizing your primary keyword in your content, it decreases by around 25% for secondary and another 25% for additional keywords. Then, you should keep a proper keyword structure that Google crawlers can follow easily.
6. Use Keywords in the Last 200 Words
Just like the importance of the article’s introduction, it sets the structure for the content. The closing summary could be debated is just as significant if not even more. Therefore, try to add your primary keyword close to the last or before the last paragraph and add a secondary keyword if you can.
For blog posts, it’s often considered something good to add a Call-To-Action in the last paragraph. So, if you can put the primary keyword there, it’s great! If not, put it before the last paragraph as we talked about before.
7. Use Keywords in Headers or Headings (H1s, H2s, H3s, etc)
Heading AKA headers is a tool that many editors provide to let you aid separate your text. From a visual point of view, they’re very important to have. Big paragraphs content without an end in sight are not good and readers usually totally skip. Using headers to separate content helps you to move the reader along to the most significant points, or the most interesting ones.
From an SEO perspective, headers maybe even more essential. The HTML tags used to recognize H1s, H2s, H3s, etc are ranking signals for Google as well, in order to know what’s most essential in the article. Putting keywords to headers in the content may be the only way to try and rank for several keywords. The more words you write, the more headers you have to add – so longer article often ranks better than shorter content.
When a keyword is put in headings, it makes the meaning makes sense more and gives more importance to the keywords. This makes the search engines know how accurate those keywords are to your article. For example:
How to Add Keywords to Heading 1s (H1s)
Heading 1 AKA H1 is usually used just for the title of the article itself. If you used the H2 more than once, you’re confusing Google. Therefore, just put one H1 which is the title, and don’t forget to add the primary keyword there.
How to Use Keywords in Heading 2s (H2s)
Heading 2 AKA H2 is the header that separates your big content and breaks it up into small titled paragraphs. Usually, you better put around 200 words after each H2. So, a 1000 word article will include from 3 to 5 H2s. Put here the primary keyword again in one of them and keep the rest for secondary keywords.
How to Insert Keywords to Heading 3s (H3s)
Heading 3 AKA H3 is used to help separate and list particular points in the main parts. You may see H3s in the shape of numbered lists or explaining part of an H2. This is also a good place for an example of the primary, yet maybe a better place for secondary keywords and the additional keywords you have.
8. Use Keywords in Anchor Text Links
When you use a keyword as an anchor text to connect your article’s points, it suggests that there is a spot to discover more information regarding that word. This is including the significance of the keyword and the importance it has to the article. So how does that apply to the content you’re as of now writing?
Therefore, it doesn’t exactly. Using keywords as anchor text links in your content can help OTHER pages on your website. This is also called making an internal link form showing Google where the most significant articles are for specific keyword phrases. If you can plan your content. You also can use anchor text links of certain keywords to drive the authority of other “pillar” pieces.
I won’t get too much into the information of link framework in this content, however, if you’re interested then take a look om what Neil Patel has to say.
9. Use Keywords in Image Alt-tags
Most importantly, if you are not using pictures in your articles, you better do. You are missing a lot of chances of optimizing your content. This kind of visuals helps you get more engagement from your readers and costumers. Images/videos and content writing are perfect solutions when it comes to reader engagement.
How to Use SEO Keywords in Alt Tags
Regarding keyword usage, adding your keywords in an image alt-tag can make it more able to be shown in the image search. This helps users to be driven to your article in a different way.
Images are not just important because it gives the article color and separates the paragraphs, but it also can be a big chance for you to add your keywords. Put images in your article and take advantage of this by manipulating your alt-text as you want.
10. Use Keywords in URL
Finally, another way to add your keywords to your website is by putting them in the main page’s URL of the article that you wrote. If you did all the steps we mentioned above and put the keyword in the title, it should be put automatically in the URL before publishing it. However, if your title is like the main keyword yet doesn’t contain it, you should twist your page URL to include it. For example:
There has usually been talking between SEOs and content writers of whether or not it’s essential to add your primary keyword into the URL and if it impacts rankings. The posts we had with a keyword as a part of the page URL were increasingly ranking for this keyword. That’s proof for me that it IS efficient to add the keyword in the page URL.
WARNING: Avoid Keyword Stuffing
Too much of everything is not good, even in good things! So, you have to put your keywords properly, not too much.
Overusing keywords is not a good idea. Google is so much smarter than years ago, it can easily identify the keyword stuffing for SEO aims. If you are using keywords properly this will help your users have readable content with relevant information that answers their questions.
If Google supposes you are using keywords for SEO, it will penalize you. Commonly, this means that your article won’t be indexed, rank, etc. Overusing keywords is not worth it, just don’t waste your time.
Track, Refine and Use Different Keywords If Necessary
Finally, remember, you can always go to your posts and re-optimize them in a few months once it’s settled. Give your article a few months before making real changes. Then, go and search for what keywords it is ranking for and what’s had traction and start optimizing from there. If your article is ranking more for the secondary or the additional keyword, change it to the primary keyword.
Also, always be careful about making huge changes because sometimes it may reach to drown the boat. Optimize with small changes first, then, see what are the results. If they are proper, Repeat it again until you change all that you want.
This is everything you need to know about how to use keywords!