Keywords and key phrases are the words that your audience types into the search engines to find your content, information, and products.
If you already know your keywords and phrases, then it’s really important to use them when you create your content, and to create content around them. You’ll improve your results in the search engines and bring in vital traffic to your site.
If you’re new to keyword research, then here’s a brilliant article from Moz to help you get started: https://moz.com/blog/30-minute-keyword-research.
Keyword Density
Today, keyword density isn’t as important as it used to be in the past. In fact, software like Yoast suggests no more than 2 percent keyword density. The important thing is that the words you use are relevant, unique and help you provide value to your audience.
You should also use related keywords and key phrases to help the search engines understand what your article is about.
Here’s an example:
If you’re writing about Apple tech, like computers and iPhones, if you just mention Apple on its own, with no related terms, the search engines could seriously wonder if you’re writing about fruit.
If, on the other hand, you include the keywords and phrases: iPad, Apple computers, smart phones, laptops, iMac, Macbook, etc, then it’s really obvious to the search engines what your topic is and how relevant it is.
The thing to remember when writing to include keywords and key phrases is just write naturally. If you’ve done it well, it shouldn’t be really obvious to your audience what your keywords are. From their point of view, they should just be reading natural, informative, entertaining content.
Know Where to Use Your Keywords
When you’ve picked your keywords, it really matters where you place them within your content.
Use them in your URL, your H1 tags, the title, in subheadings, in the first paragraph of you content, within image file names and “alt” text on images, as well as in the meta description of your content.
When you link internally to other content on your website, you can also use your keywords and key phrases in the text description that you apply your link to.
Make Your Content Unique
Before you publish, check your content for duplicate issues by using Copyscape. Even if you don’t mean to, it’s possible that you might create content that’s a little too close to what someone else has written.
By checking, you ensure your content is unique, which is important when you’re trying to get ranked for your keywords and key phrases.
Know the Buying Stage of Your Readers
Before you write any content, decide who you are creating it for and where they are in your buying cycle. It’ll make all the difference to what you write, how you write it, and more importantly, to the results you get.
Has your reader already made the decision to buy, are they still learning to like and trust you, or are they at the research stage?
Brainstorm
Once you have a list of keywords and key phrases that you want to develop content around, take each keyword or phrase and spend some time coming up with any ideas for it.
If you focus just on that one keyword for a while, you should be able to come up with tons of great ideas!
One thing that might help with this is to use a mindmap. What you do is put your keyword in the middle of a piece of paper, and then write down around it anything you can think of related to that keyword.
Don’t edit as you go. At this stage, there are no silly ideas. Just get down everything you can think of, and then decide what works later.
Mindmapping is also an excellent way to come up with content ideas.
If you prefer software to pen and paper, FreeMind is an excellent free mindmapping software.
Create an Outline
Creating an outline of your blog post or ebook before you start can make it much easier to write. List all the points you want to make, any stats you want to use, where you’ll put your images, and build the shape of your content up.
While you’re doing that, think about your chosen keywords and key phrases. Decide where you are going to put them, along with related keywords to establish context for the search engines.
All you have to do then is write a quick first draft by filling in the blanks, then go over your content again to smooth it out, make sure it flows and give it a good proofread.
Writing your content around keywords and phrases isn’t just a great idea for your SEO, but it can make it far easier and quicker to come up with ideas and get them written.
Action Point!
Look at possible keywords and key phrases for your content and do some mindmapping or brainstorming to come up with more content ideas.
If you already have existing content, make a plan to go back over each piece and see where you can improve how you’ve included your keywords and key phrases.
Any problems? Anything not clear? Let me know in the comments below!
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That’s it for Day 19, and tomorrow, we’re going on to one of the most important things to get your content read – your headlines!
Don’t want to wait? Prefer to get all of the 30-Day Content Marketing Challenge posts in one place, so you can work through at your own pace? Here’s a link to all of the challenge lessons: https://creativeblueberry.com/30-day-content-marketing-challenge-catch-up/
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