Using the right keywords the right way can be the difference between gaining customers and losing business. 95% of search engine traffic stays on page one of Google search results. And, even though ranking on page one is a huge accomplishment, research goes on to show that while the first result gets about one-third of the clicks, the seventh listing only receives 3.5% of searcher’s clicks. Using keywords correctly is a large part of good SEO. The right keyword usage means an increase in organic traffic, that is people finding your website when searching for services or products you offer.
Now that you know how to find the right keywords, it’s time to learn about what to do with them to help your webpage rank higher with Google and attract customer clicks.
But first a quick refresher. Keywords are the words and phrases that describe what your business has to offer. Google uses that information to decide if your content matches up with someone’s search and what rank it will be displayed at. It is where the keywords are used that counts with Google; they need to be used in content and links, which we covered briefly in the last article.
Using Keywords in SEO
So, now that you’ve done your keyword research, it’s time to plan your content (i.e., blog posts, guides, social media posts) around those keywords. The most effective way to do this is one piece of content per keyword or phrase. Also important to note, is that if you use the same keyword or phrase twice for different pieces of content, you could wind up competing against yourself for a better ranking.
Now what? It’s time to start adding keywords to your website. If you’d like more support, there are some helpful SEO plugins from:
- All in One SEO for WordPress
- SEMrush
- Google Search Console
- Yoast SEO
- Google Keyword planner
- Ahrefs
- SEOPress
- Rank Math
- Schema Pro
- KeywordTool.io
- Redirection
- SEOquake
But we can get started without a plug-in. Here is where to focus your editing efforts on your website.
1. First, look at your page titles.
Using your keywords in your page titles is an effective way for Google’s web crawlers to take notice. Make sure you keep your page titles functional and that they explain the content on the given page. This is also helpful to human visitors to your site.
2. Meta descriptions are the next important area to use keywords.
Meta descriptions are the second thing search engines look for, after page titles. Meta descriptions are the 1-2 sentences that show up after each search result. You add meta descriptions in the <head> section of your site’s HTML. It should look like this:
<head>
<meta name=”description” content=”Here is a precise description of my awesome webpage.”>
</head>
If this seems too complicated, this is where SEO plugins like Yoast come in handy. Your meta description should read like an advertisement for your website, contain keywords and match the content of the page it’s describing. According to SEMrush, you should aim for
– 1-2 sentences
-Include your target keyword
-Target an emotion
-Add a call-to-action to entice users into opening the link
-Avoid duplicate meta descriptions
-Make it meaningful and descriptive, matching your content.
Then you should double-check how it looks with a SERP view generator.
3. Next, use your keywords in your subheadings.
Subheadings may appear as part of a featured snippet, or in the answer box of a Google search. It’s customary to have a few keywords in your subheadings.
4. Now let’s look at using keywords in your content.
Use keywords if not sparingly, but naturally. They should not affect the readability of a page. If you try to use too many keywords in your content, that could flag your post as being “keyword stuffed” which will hurt your rankings. Do use your keywords in the first couple of sentences or at least in the first paragraph, then use variations of the keyword throughout the rest of your content in a readable fashion.
5. Use your keywords in your image titles.
These are the little pieces of text that pop up when a cursor, or mouse, is hovered over the image.
6. Try to use your keywords in your URLs.
This gives Google and visitors a good idea of what to expect when they click on the link.
7. Use keywords as links.
When you create links to other sites within your content, try to use your keywords as the link. These text links are called Anchor Links.
8. Use keywords in your social media.
The next place to use your keywords is in your social media posts. Make sure they are immediately visible.
9. Use keywords in external business listings.
If you are setting up an external business listing, such as with Google or Yelp, use your keywords in your business description.
Cadence SEO Knows How to Use Keywords
Do you want to find the right keywords and phrases to drive traffic to your site? CadenceSEO and its team of SEO experts and consultants can help. Their keyword experts will help find the keywords your business is ranking for, and what keywords would be good to target next. Their team can help you implement a keyword plan to drive business your way and your site up in Google rankings.
Do you want expert help with how to use your keywords effectively and profitably? Reach out to CadenceSEO for a keyword consultation today!
