Incorporating Keywords within Site Components

Finalize your Keyword List

Take into account relevance, authority, and volume. You want to generate a final list of highly searched keywords that you can reasonably compete for based on the keyword’s difficulty ranking and your ability to produce content that exceeds the quality of what’s currently ranking. You can also avoid incorporating keywords into your strategy that you are already ranking number one for. There is no need to put in the work for a top spot you already have!  

Elements on your Site that Should Include Keywords:

Title Tag:

A short description of a web page that appears in the browser’s title bar and in search engine results pages (SERPs).

Meta Description:

A short summary of a web page’s content that appears in search engine results.

Headings:

Defined as H1, H2, H3, and so on, you can use headings on your site’s pages to organize content. H1 is the primary heading and title for the page. H2 is a subheading and supporting point. H3 is a subsection or list item under an H2, and so on for H4, H5, H6, etc.

Note: Different heading levels should not be used as a way to simply change text font or size. Search engines use headings to understand the content of a page and connect it to relevant search queries.

Intro Paragraphs:

A short, prominent message that informs site visitors about the page’s purpose and sets the stage for the rest of the page.

Naturally Incorporate Keywords into these Elements

Google punishes sites that engage in keyword stuffing, so limit the number of primary keywords you use on a page or throughout your site. Instead, use secondary keywords, long-tail keywords, and synonyms instead of repeatedly using the same keyword.

Using our Ann Arbor restaurant example, let’s say you’ve determined “restaurants in downtown ann arbor” should be your primary keyword. It has the most search volume, or highest number of searches each month, so this is surely a phrase we want to go after! Rather than repetitively using that exact phrase throughout your site’s copy, you can try secondary keywords or variations like: one of the best places to eat in downtown ann arbor, restaurant and bar in ann arbor michigan, casual dining, and so on.

This is why it’s important to generate a thorough list of keywords – so you have options!

You want to incorporate as many variations of key search terms as you can into all elements of your site, but use your common sense! Make sure it sounds natural, and consistent with your brand’s voice!