What is SEO?
SEO involves different strategies that help your website rank better on search engine results pages. These strategies include (but are not limited to) on-page SEO like targeted keywords and technical efforts as well as off-page SEO like backlink building.
SEO includes many different tactics, but we’re here today to talk about creating content and how to choose focus keywords to optimize content.
Maybe you’d prefer to focus on other business instead of content writing since it can be a lengthy process. In that case, SEO copywriting services can be a great solution. Have an expert writer do the work for you!
Keep reading, and we’ll tell you exactly how to choose the best keywords to increase your organic traffic. More traffic means higher brand awareness and more potential customers!
What Are Focus Keywords?
A focus keyword is a search term relevant to your target search audience that you should incorporate when you create content. It’s not typically just one keyword; it’s common to target multiple keywords.
Choosing the perfect focus keyword can make all the difference in the world for bringing in the most traffic. An SEO focus keyword should be relevant to your content and overall brand.
There are also long-tail keywords. Long-tail keywords are generally more specific search queries. Someone searching a long-tail keyword is likely further down the sales funnel. This means they’re probably going to convert to a buyer when they visit your web page.
While long-tail keywords usually have a lower monthly search volume than a shorter focus keyword or focus keyphrase, they’re still great to target.
Focus Keyword Examples
Now that you’re more familiar with what a focus keyword is, let’s look at some examples. Let’s imagine a company that sells vintage jewelry. Here are some keywords that someone potentially interested in the products would search:
- “Antique rings”
- “1920s vintage jewelry”
- “Retro jewelry online”
Notice that there are synonyms for “vintage.” You may refer to your product as “vintage jewelry,” but you’ll want to rank for similar terms, especially if they have a high search volume.
And here are some long-tail keywords for the same company:
- “Where to buy vintage necklaces”
- “How much does vintage jewelry cost”
- “Online antique jewelry international shipping”
With the first focus keyword list, the searchers may just be looking to browse. On the other hand, the longer focus keyphrase list shows a higher intent to buy. Both are important to target since you can build brand awareness, increase your email subscribers, and make sales.
Why SEO and Relevant Keywords Matter
Even after reading this far, you may still be wondering why SEO is important for your online success.
You could have a fantastic site, but what’s the point if no one visits? Research shows that less than 1% of Google searchers click on the second page, so most websites go unnoticed.
An effective SEO keyword strategy ensures that your site gets seen. Choosing an SEO focus keyword tells Google exactly what your site page is about. When a Google crawler scans your website, it’ll pick up on focus keywords and index your page where it belongs in search results.
If your site appears on the first page of Google and receives a lot of clicks, your site will have high domain authority. A high domain authority indicates that your brand is relevant in a particular industry or area.
Additionally, other brands will see your content and link to you. This will also boost your domain authority and establish your brand as an industry leader.
Google Trends and SEO
Google trends fluctuate often. Search terms that had a high search volume one month may not be as popular now. This just means you may need to adjust your focus keyword to match what’s currently trending.
At the end of the day, it’s about appealing to Google and searchers so that you can rank higher for keywords and get more traffic.
How to Do Effective Keyword Research
The golden question is: how do you find the right focus keyword? Lucky for you, there are lots of ways to determine the right keyword to attract more traffic!
Keyword research is typically a multi-step process, but it can bring about a lot of success if done right.
Get To Know Your Target Audience
The first step is to get inside the head of your target audience. This goes for any marketing campaign–whether traditional or digital marketing.
One way to figure out what SEO focus keyword someone would use is to create personas. These are hypothetical people who may be interested in your offerings. Where are they located? What’s their age? Gender? Profession?
Once you’re knowledgeable about your target audience and their search behavior, you can cater to them. Choose a focus keyword or keyphrase that they would type into their search bar.
Check Out Other Websites That Rank
Competitor analysis is a really useful way to learn what strategies your competitors in the same niche as you are using to rank.
Identify their SEO focus keyword and consider if it would be beneficial to go after the same or a similar focus keyword. Review their in-depth content and note what topics they’re covering. Are they missing anything so that you could fill in that gap?
Utilize Keyword Research Tools
This step is essential for shedding light on what people are searching for. Using an online keyword tool, you may find keywords you hadn’t even thought of. A great tool will offer relevant keyword suggestions that could reveal content opportunities.
You can also note Google trends by adjusting the time period to see how keywords search volume changes. Is there a shift in language or heightened interest in a particular product or service over time?
Even more than its ability to find focus keywords, a good keyword tool can show you your site’s domain authority. If you input your site URL, the tool can examine a variety of factors to assess your site’s strength.
There are a ton of keyword research tools out there with different advantages. Some keyword tools are free, and some require a subscription. Whichever tool you choose depends on your needs.
Writing SEO Content for Search Engines
You’ve done the keyword research. You’ve determined the best focus keywords. Now what?
It’s time to write some great keyword content! You may also be interested in outsourcing content writing. In that case, you’d tell the content writer what your focus keyword or keywords are.
When writing SEO content, there are some general guidelines you should follow.
Choose a Descriptive Page Title
Your page title is a searcher’s first impression. It should be enticing and give them an idea of what they’re about to read. Maybe it’s a long-tail keyword like the ones mentioned above that answers a certain question.
A good SEO title will include your focus keyword. This indicates the importance of the keyword and its relevance to your page or post.
Install SEO Plugins
We recommend installing an SEO plugin to analyze your content. A plugin evaluates how well you’re targeting your focus keyword while you write. It will recommend additional keywords and how long your content should be for it to be most effective.
There are a variety of different SEO plugins. Yoast SEO plugin is a great option. The Yoast SEO plugin is best suited for WordPress SEO and can be integrated directly into the platform.
A WordPress SEO plugin will help you optimize your content without even leaving your WordPress site. If you buy the Yoast SEO plugin, you gain access to many features that Yoast SEO has to offer, including Yoast SEO training courses and easy-to-use tools.
Integrate Those Keywords!
When you integrate your SEO focus keyword and long-tail keyword phrases, it needs to sound as natural as possible. No one wants to read content that sounds robotic or clunky.
It’s also necessary to avoid keyword stuffing. This refers to the process of shoving that focus keywords into the content as many times as you can. Not only is it awkward to read, but it has a negative effect on ranking when Google crawls your site.
There’s a sweet spot when it comes to keyword density. You’ll want to include the focus keyword a significant amount but not overdo it. The number of times you mention your keyword should depend on the length of your content.
It’s also smart to include your focus keyword in headers. Headers create a logical flow for your content and make it easier to read. They also make that focus keyphrase pop out to Google crawlers.
Include Internal Links
Internal links are links from one page on your site to another. If you mention something that you’ve written a blog post about, link to that blog post. Not only does this guide readers to look at multiple pages, but it also helps Google discover more of your content.
Another good internal linking strategy is to link to your contact page. If you mention something related to a service you offer, suggest that the reader contacts you about pricing or to learn more. This is a call to action (CTA) that can lead to conversions.
Optimize Your Meta Description
Just like choosing a good title, it’s also important to optimize your meta description. This is the short blurb underneath the title tag on the search results page.
Include your focus keyword for SEO purposes and make the description sound enticing enough for someone to want to read the whole content piece.
Promote Your Content
Once the content is published, you should promote it! Add it into your email marketing so that your contact list knows there’s a new post. You should also promote it on social media, so your followers see it.
Promoting also serves as an opportunity for others to share, giving your content a wider reach. Your site’s domain authority will increase if more people are engaging.
Analyzing Content Performance
After you’ve published, you’ll want to analyze how your content performs. How many visitors did it generate? How long did people stay on the page? What source pointed them to the page?
Google Analytics and Google search console are great for SEO analysis. You’ll gain insight into a variety of metrics, including impressions and click-through rates over a specific time period.
With this knowledge, you’ll be able to do some rank math to determine how your traffic changed based on your focus keyword ranking.
Final Thoughts
Choosing the right focus keyword is essential for boosting your site’s visibility and is the primary method for how to get your site on Google first page.
When doing keyword research, you should use a keyword tool that will reveal keyword opportunities.
When writing keyword-focused content, we recommend installing a plugin like Yoast SEO. The Yoast Plugin will evaluate your SEO writing and tell you how many times you should incorporate your keyword for maximum effectiveness.
Framing your content around frequently search keywords gets your site in front of your target audience. Keywords are not an option; they’re a must!
Did you find this post helpful? How do you determine your focus keyword or keywords?
Leave a comment about how you use keywords and what your keyword process looks like. We’d love it if you shared this article on social media for others to join in on the conversation!
