Keywords

How many keywords should I use per blog post or per page? Can I use the same keyword for all? Does the keyword have to be 1 word or 2 words? Can I use keywords with low & medium competition as a start?

 

This will be hard to explain because it is general keyword question.

Don't overstress this, but don't also ignore it.

Keyword research is not something you should spend few hours on... except on very beginning... first few searches will be longer... but as time passes by you'll make it quicker and quicker.

I like to keep keyword density to as low as 1% for 2,000+ words content (and 0.7% for smaller content). It means that if you have 1,000 words long post then you will use one word KW less than 7 times. Since over 75% of google searches happens to be a log tail keywords (2+ words as a keyword), there is no need to put one word keyword.

Example:
Plumber (no one searches that anymore... why?)
Plumber in New York (this is something people search).

So use in text 5, 6 keywords, but not identical, and not in one place - use variations of the keyword (best plumber in new york or cheapest plumber in new york) and spread it everywhere throughout text. Use semantics like broken pipe, fixing leakage and so on...

You can use whatever competition you want... it depends how much you know and want to put money in.

This is as simplest as I can make it... some advanced members might want to discuss some of the things I mentioned, but there's no easier way to explain this and put you to action... let me know if You need something more

 

you can use 3 to 4 keywords on the blog post but keep the link only one.

 

Keyword density should be about 2% or less for better optimization. When you write a new post, you should add your main keyword in first and last paragraph. Post titles are the top most places to add your targeted keywords. You should add your keywords to permalink and labels, too.

 

Google is too smart... semantic search wins today with low kw density. Google is too smart to value you better just because you have KW's on first and last paragraph. Labels (if you mean by that tags) should be avoided... too much kw stuffing... slugs are best to have semantic or close related term to free some space for text... Don't think that slugs are not in that density %

 

You need to think like your possible clients? What they are going to search and what they EXPECT to see!! This is important and most people forgot doing it.. Only this way you can do a proper keyword research... And just then start writing the articles!

 

Thanks for your well-detailed tips! Most pages and blog posts are less than 2000 words (between 300-1000 words). So are you saying I will need to use 'one word' KW less than 7 times.

Is there a tool to calculate the keyword density in the already written content?

Is “Plumber in New York” considered a main keyword? And you just use variations of these in the text? Can you use these identical keywords in other posts/pages?

 

How many words can you put in a keyword? Is there a maximum? Can you use comma,.i.e., if you're specifying a city and state?

 

Would deleting tags in a blog hurt SEO? I think there are too many tags at the moment. How many tags per post should I keep? I understand tags cannot be the same as the category names, correct?

 

Well, keywords are important and more important is the use of them, don't try to put much keywords, here you ll get lots of answer like keywords density should be 2 to 3% & use same keyword 4 to 6 time in each article (which may be correct, in google guidlines)... But the best thing is when you write article, content etc then try to think your visitors point of view... when they want, what they are searching and want read in your website. Look if your visitors found everything which they are searching then your goal is achieve....

Write normal and informative post on your website if there is need to write that keyword (Plumber in New York) 3,4 or 5 time then use it otherwise don't force to add again n again for complete your keyword density.

 

What I said in my last post is a loose guidelines that I have in my head when creating a new post or campaign.
Though I usually don't believe a word that matt cutts say, he said something that put me into spot with KW's.

He said something like: "if word appear once, we watch for it, if it appear twice, we take a note about it, when it appears 3rd time, then google say... this post must be about that" - I believe this is the perfect explanation.

Of course, there's no rule: if you have 300 words than you need to use 3 kw's... it is how we create rules for ourselves by testing. That's why many times you see here different opinions and numbers.
Aryans said 2-3%... I like to keep it as low as possible (1%). In past it was 5%, then google reduced... so I don't want to be hitted with next update that will target density.

Probably there is... I use pen and paper

Main Keyword can be whatever you choose. It can be "Plumber" it can be "Plumber New York", it can be "Best Plumber New York" or even "Best Plumber In New York That Comes To My House With Short Pants". Over 75% of google searches are long tails, so one word KW would be pretty stupid, but also the last one is too specific for anyone to find it. So find some middle spot, check audience, check competition from first 5-10 places on google and go for it!

 

The thing with tags is complicated. You have to choose if google should index your tags or categories (you can easily choose one of them thru all in one seo plugin for wp under general settings). If you choose to index both, google will treat that as duplicate content. If You choose to index categories, then I don't know what's the point of tags... they only pollute your kw density. And to be honest I don't see why would someone index tags...

This is just my opinion based on testing I did and experience I gathered throughout years!
Please, if someone have opinion other than mine, please share it!

What I would do is delete tags, and put only categories!