Focus Keywords

WordPress SEO plugins let you pick a focus keyword that you want your website’s web pages to rank for on Google.

Plugins like Yoast SEO and All In One SEO, have sections where you enter the focus keyword. 

Then, these WordPress SEO plugins check if search engines will know your web page’s content is optimised to be about this focus keyword.

In this article, we will learn:

• What a focus keyword is
• Why use a focus keyword
• How to pick the right focus keyword

Let’s get stuck in.

What is a focus keyword?

The main search term you want your web page to rank for is called the focus keyword.

So, your web page is in the SERPs when people search using that keyword.

SEO plugins scan your web page’s content and give actionable tips on improving your search rankings based on your focus keyword.

If you can’t find the options for your SEO plugin, do the following:

• Look to the right of your post editor, which includes your focus keyword options
• Click on the plugin icon at the top right of your screen
• Scroll to the bottom of the editor, includes your focus keyword input field

Also, at the bottom of the editor you will find an SEO tab for actionable tips to improve your content so search engines know what your web page is about.

Why use a focus keyword?

A good SEO strategy involves adding content to your website on a regular basis, not adding content randomly.

Search engines see your website as active when you add new information and increase the amount of content.

A good SEO strategy should include:

• A keyword strategy
• high-quality content your audience is looking for

Remember to optimise your content for the keywords you want to rank for.

How to choose a focus keyword

The three metrics to decide on the keywords you should use to optimise your content include:

• Finding searched for keywords
• Find the volume of searches for the keywords
• Google the keyword to figure out the searchers intent

Keep reading for more details on these three steps:

Find searched for focus keyword

Your keyword strategy helps give you a clue to what to write your content about.

So, If you haven’t created a keyword strategy, do it now.

Long-tail keywords

Using long-tail keywords helps your web page increase its chances of ranking.

Key features of long-tail keywords include:

• having more words but
• Being less searched for compared to “head keywords”
• Have less competition
• More chances of ranking

Tools to help find long-tail and related keywords

After your keyword research is done and you know what you want to write about.

Next, use Google or keyword research tools to find variations of long-tail keywords or related keywords.

A few ways you can do keyword research include:

• Check Google’s auto-complete suggestions by typing in query in the search field
• Scrolling down to the bottom of your Google results to see related searches
• Look at the “People Also Searched For” section for your Google search
• Use a keyword tool

Check keyword search volume

After finding a long-tail keyword, look up the search volume of your keyword.

To look up the search volume for your keyword, you can use:

• Google Adwords
• Google Trends
• SEO tools

With these tools you can get information on:

• Related or long-tail keywords
• The number of searches in a specified time period
• keyword popularity and how it’s changed over time

After getting this information, you can compare related keywords and pick the one to focus on.

Add more than one keyword

The advantage of using more than one keyword in your content includes:

• helping Google understand what your content is about
• improve your content quality

Using SEO plugins can help optimise your blog posts for related keywords faster by detailing how many of each keyword to add.

Check your currently ranking posts

Comparing the main keywords of your older post to new keywords you plan to write about using Google Trends, can give you a clue about potential traffic.

Just remember when comparing older posts to the ones you want to write, pick ones that are similar to each other.

So, pick older posts with long-tail keywords if you want to write a post based on a long-tail keyword.

And if traffic to older posts with similar keywords is good, then you know the similar keyword you’re writing content for is worth optimising.

Keyword research tools help this process by providing details about the volume of other search terms compared to others.

Helping you pick the long-tail keywords most used in search.

Google your main keyword

Search intent gives you an idea of why people are searching on Google.

By knowing this, you can create content that answers the questions people are asking when searching.

The best way to find out users’ search intent is by Googling your keywords.

Check the search engine result pages

Google your keyword and check the results and see the type of search results.

Now, write a blog post for your main keyword that’s the same type as the top ranking articles on the SERPs.

The type of content on the search results influences the type of content to create

The type of content could be a:

• Product pages
• Blog posts
• Videos
• Images

If there is a certain type of content that is repeated in the search results then Google thinks this type of content is what people are looking for.

Remember to stand out, make content that fulfils users search intent better than the others.

Results page content

Check the content on the result pages for ideas on how to write an outline for your own post.

One piece of content may include information that another does not and vice versa, so make sure your content includes all the information searches would need.

Make potential readers click and share your content by making it stand out.

Content ideas on social media and forums

Look up your keyword topic on social media and forums like Reddit for answers to questions asked that you can include in your content.

Reading social media comments and reddit posts can give you an idea of the problems your potential readers might have.

This method also allows you to see the type of keywords your potential readers use, so you can also use the same keywords to better target your audience.

Repeat your research after awhile

Search suggestions change and can be influenced by terms you have searched for before.

So, keep monitoring your keywords now and then so you can update your content to answer new searcher questions.

When doing keyword research, to now let your search history influence search results, simply switch to incognito mode in your Google search browser.

To learn out more about keyword research, methods and tools you can use:

Read This Keyword Research Article.

Should every page include a focus keyword?

Not every web page on your website needs to include a focus keyword.

Examples of web pages on your website that dont need focus keywords include:

• Your contact page
• Temporary announcement posts

Basically, a rule of thumb is to ask yourself which blog post you want to rank in the long term.

Conclusion

There is no such thing as the perfect focus keyword.

Just remember when picking a focus keyword you should pick keywords that are:

• Used by searcher
• High in volume
• Suited to your audience’s wording

Now it’s over to you.

Tell me if there is anything else you take into account when picking a focus keyword.

Let me know in the comment section below.