Every young SEO tamer knows the value of keywords. Basically, they are the magic clues to the countless internet rooms. They are powerful traffic sources, and depending on how well they were set up and selected, the influx of customers will be rising or falling.
The good news is that SEO is not magic, and there are plenty of keyword combinations linked with each other to serve you, but we will come back to this later. In every beginner’s mind, the logical question is how many keywords should I use for SEO, and how many keywords is too many? You are welcome. This article is for you.
Search engines vs keywords
Firstly, to find an answer to how many SEO keywords per page query, we have to dive into the nature of relations between the keywords and search engines. The great attitude of modern search engines is that they can understand and analyze the context of phrases. That means that Google will identify similar keywords, and they will relate the content to each other. This way, search engines open many possibilities to build and renovate our keywords according to our needs.
Let’s take a little example to make it more clear. You want to target the ‘leather belts’ keyphrase. Accordingly to what we have mentioned before, Google will show you results not only for a specific keyword but for all the phrases like ‘women’s leather belts’ or ‘men’s leather belts’. Still, this doesn’t mean Google treats both of them equally. These keywords refer to each other but don’t have identical meanings. And here, we come close to how exactly to choose keywords and how many keywords per web page should be used. Essentially, all of the keywords are variations of one or two main words.
Knowing all of that, we are coming to some logical conclusions and tips about how many keywords to use for SEO:
Identify your main keyword
How many keywords per page do you have to use? Start from a single. Actually, it is the one and the most effective strategy. Sure, you can and have to target some additional keywords, but focusing on one main keyword for a page should be your priority, to avoid scattering, which can lead to the fact that it will be more difficult for Google to identify the data. Consequently, this will entail a decrease in traffic and customers. That is why your second mission is to define supplementary keywords and utilize them for content optimization to handle ‘how many keywords for SEO’ problems.
Pay attention to the competitiveness and level of search for a keyword
The second tip in our ‘how many SEO keywords should I use?’ guide will be metrics analyzing and keeping a balance between them. Before targeting a keyword, check how high the search volume is and how competitive the keyword is. Of course, the search volume will be specific for different branches, so you will have to find yours, and, logically, the more people search for a word, the higher demand is on it. At the same time, try to choose less competitive keywords, as it will be much easier to work with them.
Don’t be afraid of long-tail keywords
Even after identifying your primary keyword, we understand that it is impossible to rank for one word. So, the second and a bit contradictory answer to the ‘how many keywords use in SEO?’ question, there will be many! Or simply, don’t be afraid of targeting compound keyphrases. The first attitude is that long-term keywords have a higher search volume and are more broad and specific. Extended terms cover more of the same extended terms, and we receive more traffic. Just remember to stay focused on a particular long-tail keyword.
Juxtapose keywords with sections on the website
And the last one ‘how many keywords per page SEO should be utilized’ tip. Take into account that your goal is unique and comprehensive pages - not the website. We mean that words should fit a particular page. Also, make sure that your additional keywords create headings and subheadings for the website sections. Thus information will be better structured and received by Google. And if you want to optimize your website for SEO and get more conversions, contact Wiserbrand SEO services.
Eugene Koplyk
Head of Marketing department
As a Digital Strategist, I help companies grow their business online.
Here share my expertise, ideas, and best practices on Ecommerce marketing initiatives, branding, SEO, conversion and many more.
If you want to stay connected, follow me on LinkedIn.