Keyword usage is a central component of SEO. Here’s how to use them effectively.
While SEO includes many components, both technical and editorial, keyword usage is undoubtedly one of the most important. It determines the search queries for which an article will rank, as well as its level of optimization. In this article, we offer some tips for choosing and placing your keywords.
Research relevant keywords for SEO
SEO: How to find keywords
The keywords used in your texts should be aligned with your audience’s needs. Finding relevant keywords will depend in part on the tools at your disposal and, therefore, your budget. Intuitive research is not without value. Methods such as analyzing competitors, Google search results pages (SERPs), or related keywords, which appear under certain queries, are a good starting point.
Some free platforms, like Google Keyword Planner, can also help you identify keywords related to your preferred topic and that match your audience’s expectations. Designed primarily for Google Ads, Keyword Planner provides valuable data such as search volume, competition, and keyword trends.
If SEO is a key component of your project, it’s recommended to opt for a paid SEO tool, such as SEMrush. You’ll get more accurate search volume estimates than Google Keyword Planner, as well as competitive targeting tools and keyword analysis for your own articles.
Once you’ve targeted your primary keyword, you can also turn to SEO writing tools. These will indicate additional keywords to add to your articles based on their importance to the topic at hand.
Search intent: a central criterion for choosing keywords
Search volume, which refers to the number of times a keyword or phrase is searched for on a search engine over a given period, is generally the first criterion considered when choosing a keyword. It is a relevant indicator of its popularity. However, another element must be integrated: search intent. As its name suggests, this refers to the reason why the keyword is generally searched for.
There are four types of search intent:
- Navigational: The user seeks to access a specific site or page, often by typing the name of the brand or service directly into the search engine (for example: “YouTube”, “Connect to Facebook”).
- Transactional: The user has an intention to purchase or engage with a product or service and is ready to take a concrete action (e.g., “download Adobe Photoshop”).
- Commercial: the user compares different products or services with a view to a potential purchase, but is not yet ready to take action (for example: “best running shoes”, “smartphone comparison 2024”).
- Informational: the user wants to obtain information or deepen their knowledge on a subject without a direct intention of purchase (for example: “how to plant tomatoes”, “history of Impressionism”).
If you primarily publish non-commercial blog posts, you should primarily target keywords with informational search intent. One advantage of SEO platforms is that they indicate the search intent associated with keywords.
Short Tail vs. Long Tail SEO: Which is the Best Strategy?
There are two possible approaches to your keyword strategy: short tail and long tail. Short tail keywords are short, one- or two-word queries that are typically very popular and frequently searched. While these keywords generate high search volume, they are also highly competitive, which can make ranking difficult for emerging sites.
Conversely, long-tail keywords are more specific phrases, often consisting of three or more words, and have a lower search volume. However, their specificity attracts a more targeted and qualified audience, often closer to the act of purchasing or engaging with the content.
For example, the keyword “gardening” (short tail) has a high search volume, but it will be particularly difficult to rank for it, while “gardening tips for beginners” (long tail), although having a lower search volume, will reach a more specific audience, made up of people looking for practical information to get started with gardening. Generally speaking, it is considered that the best approach is to combine short tail and long tail.
Where to place your keywords in an article?
Keyword placement within an article also impacts SEO. Strategic placement allows search engines to better understand the content and improves the article’s visibility. Here are the key areas to insert your primary and secondary keywords, along with some tips for maximizing their impact.
- Title tag: Including the main keyword in the title tag is essential. It’s often one of the first elements analyzed by search engines to assess the relevance of the page. A relevant title containing the main keyword can also increase the click-through rate, an indicator that indirectly influences SEO.
- H1 Heading: Placing the main keyword in the H1 heading helps signal the main topic of the page. It contributes to the overall understanding of the article structure for search engines.
- H2 and H3 subheadings: Incorporating secondary keywords and variations into subheadings promotes good organization and improves readability, elements that search engines take into account when evaluating user experience. Furthermore, Google may, for certain queries, highlight a specific part of an article, when the subheading meets the user’s need.
- Body text: Proper use of keywords within the content is essential. The natural distribution and variation of keywords, as well as the use of synonyms, allow search engines to accurately identify the topic of the article.
- Image ALT tags: ALT tags help search engines understand the visual content of images. This practice is particularly useful for image ranking in Google Images, although it has limited impact on overall SEO.
While certain placements, such as the meta description and URL, are often perceived as essential to SEO, their direct impact is actually marginal. The meta description, for example, doesn’t play a direct role in SEO ranking, although it can influence clicks. Similarly, including keywords in the URL is more of a readability best practice than a ranking factor.
SEO keywords: practices to avoid
Using keywords in an article is a delicate art, and certain mistakes, some of which are black hat SEO, can hurt your content’s ranking. Here are some common practices to avoid to get the most out of your keywords:
- Keyword stuffing: Excessive repetition of the main keyword, a technique known as keyword stuffing, makes content appear artificial and difficult to read. This practice is penalized by search engines, which favor texts with natural, pleasant language. Therefore, prioritize seamless integration and use synonyms to enrich the lexical field.
- Ignoring search intent: Using keywords without considering the audience’s search intent can lead to a high bounce rate, as the content may not meet readers’ expectations. Tailor your keywords based on what users are actually looking for (information, purchase, navigation to a specific site, etc.) for greater relevance.
- Keyword cannibalization: Targeting the same primary keyword across multiple pages of your site dilutes the effectiveness of your SEO strategy because it divides the weight of your content in the eyes of search engines. To avoid this cannibalization, each page should ideally target a single primary keyword and address a specific topic.
- Using misleading keywords: Using popular but irrelevant keywords to attract traffic is counterproductive. Users may quickly leave the page, which sends a negative signal to search engines. Make sure each keyword used accurately reflects the content of the page.
