Text reads: K is for Keywords

What are Keywords?

In search engine optimisation (SEO), keywords are words or phrases that provide an overview of the content of a web page. They help search engines match your web page to the search term that someone has entered. They are typically made up of two or three words but can be longer phrases. Longer terms are referred to as long-tail keywords. Long-tail keywords are more specific.

Why are keywords important?

Using keywords can make it easier for potential customers to find your pages. When they enter their search query, search engines crawl websites to find the closest match. If your web page includes these keywords then search engines use that as an indicator that your page is relevant.

The more relevant search engines decide your page is, the higher it will rank on the search results page. The higher you are on the results page, the more visitors you are likely to get.

Your page will rank organically for terms if it is deemed relevant to the search. This is the desired result for businesses; ranking organically means you don’t have to pay for ads and the pages that rank on the first page of search results get the most clicks.

How to choose keywords

Think about the type of language your target audience would use rather than using the technical terminology used within your industry.

There are a number of free and paid tools available to help you select the right keywords. Check out these useful articles to find out more about keyword research:

Beginner’s guide to SEO keyword research (Moz)

How to choose the right keywords (Search Engine Journal)

The 9 best keyword research tools (Hubspot)

How to choose SEO keywords for your business (True North Social)

Including keywords in your blog

It’s important not to stuff your blog post full of keywords but there are some places where you can include them to optimise your content for search engines. These include the headline, first paragraph and a subheading. You should also use keywords in your Alt Tags if relevant.

Although keywords are important, you should write for the reader first. If you choose the right topics then keywords will naturally fit into the copy without you having to force them in. This makes your blog more reader-friendly. If readers feel like you are writing for them and not just the search engines, they are more likely to subscribe.

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