Keywords- Why are They Important

Day 11:  #atozchallenge

All Bloggers are, theoretically, familiar with the term keywords. If you’re like me, understanding what they are and what they do for our blogs is still a mystery. I’ll admit, this is one area of blogging, I haven’t gotten a complete grasp on, yet.
Keywords are words or phrases used in search engines to find the information we’re seeking. For example, place any word or phrase (best is 3-5 words) into Google, Bing, or Yahoo and a list of content reflecting your topic will appear. Keywords are either short tail (one word) or long tail (a phrase). Every article or blog content can be reduced to a few key topics. The trick is to choose your keywords carefully. Common keywords will receive thousands of clicks per day, others a few. As a blogger, you want the find and use the keywords that increase traffic to your site.

How to Find the Right Keywords:

1. Research keywords.
2. Keep track of your keywords in a spreadsheet – include the number of clicks per day.
3. Don’t spam – using keywords arbitrarily.
4. Write great content that people want to read.
5. Once you find relevant keywords, place them where they’ll give you the biggest bang.

4 Keyword Mistakes:

1. Too many keywords – best for search engines to use one per post.
2. Using exact phrases – Google understands related words and phrases. Don’t be so rigid.
3. Not using keywords in photos – photo optimization is essential.
4. You don’t research keywords

Resources for Finding Trending Keywords:

• Hubspot – Download your SEO template to organize keywords
• Google Adwords Keyword Tool
• SEMrush.com & Market samurai – find out what keywords are competitive.
• Keyword Finder

Where to place the keywords:

1. Title.
2. Heading and subheadings.
3. Introduction sentences.
4.  Concluding paragraphs and meta descriptions.
5.  Title tag.
6. In the text, you hyperlink to other pages.
7. When you use photos, include keywords in the file name
8. When you reference other links.

Want more information on keywords? Check out these articles:

1. Blogtyrant : How to Easily Find the Best Keywords to Write About (and How to Activate Them).
2. Hubspot: How to Do Keyword Research for SEO: A Beginner’s Guide by  Rachel Sprung | @rsprung
3. Shout Me Loud: The Importance of Keywords in SEO: A Beginner’s Guide by Harsh Agrawal
4. Moz: Is Optimizing Photos More Important Than You Think?

So, what about you? Do you have a grasp on keywords?

I’d love to hear your comments. Talk to me. Tell me your story and look for me on Facebook at SheilaMGood,  Pinterest,  Bloglovin, Twitter@sheilagood, and Contently

 

Filed under: A-Z Blogging Challenge, SEO, Tips and Resources for Writers Tagged: #amwriting, #AtoZChallenge, Blogging 101, Content marketing, Google, HubSpot, Search engine optimization, Writing

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