Smart Keyword Tips for Better SEO
Simple Ways to Make Your Content More Searchable
Have you ever wondered how people find your website? Or why they don’t? It’s all about the keywords you use. And just like in my first article on SEO last week, you don’t have to be an expert in SEO to find keywords and learn how to use them in your content.
What Are Keywords (and Why Do They Matter)?
The simple definition: Keywords are the words and phrases people type into Google when looking for something. Google tracks words and phrases and ranks content with relevant popular words and phrases higher, making your content easier to find.
Why they’re important: The right keywords help search engines connect people to your site.
Why Keyword Stuffing is a Bad Idea
You may think, “Why not just load up my content with as many keywords as I can?” But that would be wrong.
Google also evaluates the content on its relevance, and if your writing is a word salad of keywords just crammed together, it will be obvious. And that would hurt your ranking. Plainly put: Google is hip to that, so don’t do it.
Example: If you read content that comes across as spam, Google sees it too. It looks for content that is readable by humans, and not just to satisfy SEO rules.
So you should approach using keywords the same way you would with anything else. Carefully. Write and edit your copy like you normally would. Use keywords where you can, if they naturally fit.
How to Find the Right Keywords (Super Simple Method)
Google autocomplete: An easy way to look for keywords is to type a phrase and see what comes up. Google will automatically extend the search term with suggested words. This is a quick way to see what words are trending for SEO.
Now think about your audience. What would they type into Google when searching for a topic?
Add more words to the phrase, followed by a space for more autocomplete suggestions.
Learning to integrate common popular keywords organically in your content can make this feature work to your advantage.
If you have the budget, several popular paid keyword search tools are available. Two of the most popular ones are Ahrefs and Semrush. Both require subscriptions, though they offer limited free options to try them out. I am not a subscriber to either, so I focused on free options for this article.
Where to Use Keywords Naturally
Now that we know how to find keywords, let's discuss where to add them for maximum effectiveness.
Titles & Headings: Helps Google understand what your page is about.
Body Text: Use keywords naturally within sentences—no forced stuffing.
URLs & Meta Descriptions: Small but important details that help with SEO.
Titles & Headings: Titles and headings are crucial for search engines and readers. When you incorporate relevant keywords here:
Front-load your most important keywords in H1 tags where possible
Create a hierarchy of headings (H2, H3, etc.) that incorporate secondary keywords
Ensure headings accurately reflect the content that follows
Consider using question-based headings that match common search queries
Avoid keyword repetition across multiple headings
Body Text: For SEO and readability, integrate keywords naturally into the body of your content:
Write for humans first, search engines second
Incorporate keywords in the first 100 words where appropriate
Use keywords in image alt text when relevant to the image
Include keywords in bulleted and numbered lists
URLs & Meta Descriptions: This is where I need to do a better job with keywords. Though they are small elements, they also provide considerable SEO value:
URLs
Keep URLs short, descriptive, and keyword-rich
Use hyphens to separate words (example.com/natural-keyword-integration)
Remove unnecessary words (articles, prepositions) from URLs
Maintain a consistent URL structure across your site
Consider including category keywords in the URL structure
Meta Descriptions
Write compelling descriptions within the 150-160 character limit
Include primary keywords naturally while encouraging clicks
Create unique meta descriptions for each page
Use active language and clear calls to action
Consider incorporating numbers or specific benefits
Incorporating keywords into your content should be an integral part of your process. Successful SEO involves the mindful use of keywords in content that is both readable and valuable to your audience.
Now that we know how to find and apply keywords to our content, let’s keep it going! In my next post, I’ll show you some simple ways to improve your website’s SEO—no tech skills required!
PS. This is the second post in my series on SEO. You can read the first one here. Send me a DM or drop a comment in the chat if you have a question. Thanks.
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