Using keywords in your blog post for better search results
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By Beth Graddon-Hodgson
In last week’s post about writing headlines we touched a little bit upon keyword usage and the tools that are available to determine the right terms to incorporate. Relevant keywords must appear in your blog content as well as in your headlines in order to fare well with search engine results. To use them, you’ve got to learn how to determine what relevant keywords are with regards to your blog and each individual topic you choose to focus on. The term SEO tends to scare many new bloggers, but it’s not necessary to get all technical in order to get the right results.
- Use common sense – the best way to come up with your keywords for any blog post is to use common sense. Think about what you would be searching for if you were interested in reading about that subject yourself. People aren’t so complex; your readers are likely to have the same ideas that you do. For example, if you were looking for an article on adopting shelter dogs, keywords that come to mind may be “rescue animal adoption”, “dog rescue”, “shelter dogs”, and “animal rescues”.
- Check keywords against the trends – use the tools mentioned in last week’s post to see if your chosen keywords are likely to be effective. Google AdWords is a fast and efficient way to see how heavily searched a term or keyword combination is used.
- Check your stats – I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Use a more comprehensive statistics tool like Google Analytics that shows you what keywords people used to find your blog or a certain article. If it’s worked before, you know those keywords already have a captive audience, so when it’s relevant, don’t hesitate to reuse successful keywords again.
One thing that’s important to note about keyword usage within your blog posts, is that while keyword density is important, you don’t want to overdo it either. Keyword density refers to incorporating relevant terms frequently but make sure that you keep usage in context and ensure it doesn’t throw off the flow of each sentence.
Beth Graddon-Hodgson is a professional writer/blogger and the founder of WriteSourcing a professional blogging, writing and editing service. You can read her posts on blogging for business here at the Wax blog every Tuesday.
Tags: Beth Graddon-Hodgson, blogging for business, blogging for small business, professional blogging, social media, Writesourcing
May 25th, 2010 at 7:46 pm
well said… Google’s keyword tool has now been refurbished and has a new look…
May 26th, 2010 at 7:40 am
Excellent information. the most useful tool of all the three that you mentioned is google adwords, its pretty accurate when it comes to daily searchs, but it fails sometimes because it cant give enough information on low searched keywords (but probably are not even worth it).
May 26th, 2010 at 9:50 am
I often will search with the keyword tool in order to find topics for some of my blogs – they get found much easier.
May 26th, 2010 at 11:01 am
About keyword density: I think another important factor for Google is relevance. Use the keyword but also keyword variations and even synonyms.
Google Keyword Tool is awesome. Don’t rely on the numbers though they are just a rough estimation and shouldn’t be seen as truth.
Nice overview thanks!
May 26th, 2010 at 3:40 pm
As Alex said, numbers can be misleading and popular keywords can generate more traffic, but traffic doesn’t do much when the page isn’t actually what the user wanted to find.
May 27th, 2010 at 10:37 pm
Absolutely, Alex! Great point. I wouldn’t really hold a candle to the specific numbers. You’ll never see similar numbers, but can see it as a rating system for what’s hot!
CJD – of course, you don’t just want to select any keywords. The point is to make them relevant to your subject with consideration to the people you want to attract. That’s why the first step is to use common sense in establishing keywords first and foremost and then run through a few keywords and variations to see what’s best
May 28th, 2010 at 4:48 pm
thats right. common sense with good research will give the good keywords. that is required for most blogs but the blogs that have huge readership, they don’t need to worry about keyword stuff
May 29th, 2010 at 9:14 pm
sure you do, Faiz..you always want to bring in more readers even if there are already lots reading!
May 31st, 2010 at 2:43 am
Very informative & helpful article. Can you specify how many keywords to use in a given post so that the keyword density is just right.
June 2nd, 2010 at 3:23 pm
Very helpful. The more information out there abut SEO the better.
June 2nd, 2010 at 11:27 pm
Lucky Draws – Great question! honestly, no and here’s why..
I’m a strong believer that you need a good mix of keywords and style. It depends on the length of your post, the format you’re writing in, and the topic. I don’t want people to read things and go “great, another SEO article”. You want to ensure it remains readable. If overuse of keywords brings about a lot of redundancy, you’ve gone too far! I’d make a point to research maybe 3 keywords (or variations of the same one). For example, say you’re writing an article about senior health: some keywords may be senior, older adults, elderly. You’ll end up using a lot of those naturally anyways!
June 8th, 2010 at 9:48 am
I think your pretty much spot on with that brief summary. I’d add; don’t go above the 7% mark for any keyword to be safe (there are plenty of density checkers online that take into account overall keyword density – including page titles etc). Also, make sure it reads, if I come onto a page and I can tell its packed with keywords and it reads horrible then the majority of people will bounce right off it.
June 21st, 2010 at 8:20 pm
Definitely, Tom! I wrote an article elsewhere recently about copywriting and if it’s died because of SEO. Some think yes, because you’re right, style is lost when it’s just mass keyword useage. I believe that it just adds to the craft. Personally, I don’t like to look at the density percentage, I find it depends entirely on your topic area, the specific keywords you’re working with (and how you’re varying them) and a few other factors. If stylistically, more keywords work, even if the usage isn’t entirely intentional, then there’s no issue, but you’ve got to make sure it’s done right!
June 21st, 2011 at 3:33 am
Using keywords in your blog post for better search results