If you don’t understand how to use keywords for search engine optimization (SEO), you’re missing out on potential business opportunities. SEO helps you rank on the first page of the search results where people can find you. Page 2 only attracts 5% of search traffic, whereas Page 1 gets 95%. Without a doubt, you want to be on the front page.
Keyword-rich content is the most effective way to increase your rankings. This is because Google crawls through your web pages and adds them to their index. When people search for something, Google delivers the best results based on the search terms.
There are many ways you can find the best keywords to use, including doing your own research or working with an SEO company. Once you have the best keywords to use, it’s time to optimize your content. But where should the keywords go? Here are the best places to use keywords for SEO.
Page Titles
Writing good page titles is an essential SEO skill. Your page title tells users what your content is about. By including SEO keywords in the title, you can rank for a keyword and entice users to click on your link.
Meta Descriptions
The meta description is what shows up underneath the page title. It goes into a little more detail about what users can expect from the content. Even though meta descriptions are not direct ranking factors, they help Google determine how relevant your content is to the user’s search.
Subheadings
Subheadings help make your content scannable so that readers can pick up the main points and focus on the sections that are most relevant to them. You don’t need to include keywords in all of your subheadings, but you should optimize a couple of them. Again, it’s another way to reinforce what your content is about.
Main Content
Content is one of the top SEO ranking factors. While you shouldn’t stuff your content with keywords, it’s important to use these words and phrases naturally throughout your material. Always write for humans first and the search engines second. Also, use the main keyword in the first couple of sentences, as well as variations of the keyword throughout your content. This keeps things more organic.
Images
Images are indexed, too, as they offer another way for people to find your content. And because Google can’t “see” your images, the keywords tell them what the image is about. Use keywords in the alt text, image titles and file name. Also, only choose images that are relevant to your content.
URLs
The best URLs give users and Google a clue as to what your page is about. Make them descriptive and include no more than one or two of your SEO keywords. It’s also ideal to keep the URLs short so that they’re clean, user-friendly and easy to track.
Link Anchor Text
Another place to add SEO keywords is in the link anchor text. Links are one of the top ranking factors, so they must be optimized. That said, vary your anchor text so that Google doesn’t penalize you for spammy practices.
SEO keywords remain important because they increase your odds of showing up in relevant searches. As you get more traffic to your site, you can improve placement, authority and click-through rate.
