Keywords- Why are They Important

/ Sheila McIntrye Good, Author

Day 11:  

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:images-15

  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 | @
  3. Shout Me Loud: The Importance of Keywords in SEO: A Beginner’s Guide by 
  4. Moz: Is Optimizing Photos More Important Than You Think?

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

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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

 

31 thoughts on “Keywords- Why are They Important”

  5. I use keywords, but the only research I’ve done has been on Twitter when I start typing the hashtag and it tells me how many posts have that hashtag. I then use those same keywords on my blog assuming that they will work there as well. I should try to limit them a bit more though. Great post!

    Julianne
    Ink & Stitches – http://blog.jhwinter.com

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  6. I’ve never understood SEO and keywords still baffle me. Once upon a blogging time in a land far far away, I actually made an effort to learn and understand all of this. I followed the rules I was taught about keywords. Back then it was keyword stuffing. Then I leaned that was a big no no. Then the next big thing someone told me to do became the next big no no, so I just gave up and kept writing and let the words fall where they fell and if they happened to land with a key next to them then I guess I get an extra Google point for the day, LOL. Seriously. I just don’t get it and it seems like the rules keep changing. Or maybe I learned it wrong, but I did bookmark your page so I can come back in May when I’m not so busy and give it one more try. So far you’ve given me A+ advice and you haven’t steered me wrong nor have you tried to give us shoddy, short cuts like some of the people I mistakenly listened to in the past. Your advice is above board, above reproach and intended to help up earn good rankings and followers the steady and ethical way. I admire your tips and I respect you as an expert in your field.
    Melissa Sugar
    http://melissasugarwrites.com

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Wow Melissa what a complement. Thank you so much for your kind words. It means a lot. As blogging goes I pretty new to it and still learning. Keywords & SEO are still like a foreign language but I’m trying. I figure if I’m confused so are others. So I share what I’m learning on this journey. I glad you’re coming along for the ride. We can help each other.

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      Reply

  10. I write for Textbroker USA and learned the importance of keywords through writing content articles for them. However, even I forgot to put names on my pictures in this Challenge. From now on that will not happen.
    Thanks again for a timely post that came just at the right time.

    Shalom,
    Patricia @ EverythingMustChange

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  13. I read your post before getting out of bed this morning because I am always at a loss about what to do with keywords. Thank you for the information; I am bookmarking this post for future reference. Have a wonderful day!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

      • While the A to Z challenge is certainly living up to its name, I am grateful that I chose to participate. Not only am I learning so much about blogging and about myself, I am meeting so many wonderful and talented people through this journey. These are the important things we miss out on if we do not put/push ourselves out there by participating in challenges like this. I am happy to have met you!

        Liked by 1 person

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