With ever-evolving search engine algorithms, the world of SEO is continually changing, leading to more and more SEO questions. Even for professionals, keeping up with the latest trends and best practices requires dedication and constant learning. So let’s say you’ve compiled an SEO keywords list for your website. What next?
How do you implement your SEO keywords list and ensure you give yourself the best shot at landing on that crucial first page of search results?
It doesn’t help that so much disinformation exists out there. Conflicting and confusing tips and tricks make navigating the world of SEO frustrating. Maybe you’ve bumped into dead ends or plot holes you need filled. Well, here are some of those nagging SEO questions answered for you.
1. Can I Use the Same Keyword on Two Pages?
Although covering topics in-depth with multiple pieces of content helps to build authority, using the same keyword twice for two similar articles isn’t recommended.
The main drawback is that you will be competing with yourself in search results. You’re instructing Google that both pieces are suitable for searchers using that keyword and that you want both pieces to appear in search results. While some websites have achieved this search ranking achievement, you’ll find it very hard to accomplish.
2. What If I Already Have Two Pages Targeting the Same Keyword?
This is one of the most common SEO questions we receive. You can help search engines to determine which piece of content is more important by executing a solid internal linking structure. Identify which post is more important to you, and link to that page from your less important content. Search engines follow the links to figure out which page you want to prioritize in search results.
Another option is to combine your two pieces into a single comprehensive piece of content that covers the topic in-depth and delete the less valuable piece. Don’t just click delete! Set up a redirect of your deleted page to your new combined content page.
This will also help your ranking as search engines love in-depth quality pillar content – the average length of a page one piece of content is 1,900 words.
3. Can I Write Content Without a Target Keyword?
As search engine algorithms have become more sophisticated, keyword stuffing isn’t as effective a strategy as it used to be. However, that’s not to say that you should abandon your SEO keywords list altogether. The real SEO question you should be asking is, is this content helpful and relevant to my audience?
Your content should be focused on your audience, and keyword research can reveal the search terms and keywords that your audience are using to find out about your products and services. Use those terms when you can.
4. Will My SEO Suffer If I Make Up a Relevant Keyword?
You won’t be penalized for writing content without a target keyword, but you will be missing out on the benefits of a well-researched SEO keyword list.
Keyword research into search volume, search intent, and popularity can help you identify the questions your audience wants to know and inform your content marketing.
Rather than an exact keyword match with a person’s search query, search intent is the most critical factor in search ranking. Google wants to show results that answer the intent behind a user’s search. So the answer to this SEO question is that SEO is less about matching the exact keyword and more about writing content that is relevant to their query.
High-quality content that provides a comprehensive answer to a search query will rank higher than a low-quality piece of content that exactly matches the keywords used.
5. What Happens When I Run Out of Keywords?
If you think you have run out of keywords, you’re wrong. You just need to dig a little deeper into your niche and buyer personas. If you’re struggling for ideas, you can start with competitor analysis to identify the keywords your rivals are targeting. If you’ve already scoped out your competition, there are plenty of tools that can help you to build your SEO keywords list.
Whichever tool you use, enter your seed keywords, and experiment with different settings and filters until you find something relevant and interesting to your audience. Or, hire a digital marketing consultant specializing in SEO to create a custom, targeted list for you.
6. What If I Have A Great Blog That Doesn’t Fit My SEO Keywords List?
You should always write your content with your audience in mind. Search intent is crucial, so cramming in keywords that are irrelevant to the rest of your article isn’t going to help your search ranking.
If a user lands on your page expecting specific information, they’re likely to bounce when they realize that your content does not match their search intent. A high bounce rate is an indication to search engines that your content isn’t relevant to the query and could be of questionable quality. A simple solution is to rework your content around one of your target keywords.
However, if you have a quality piece of content that you don’t want to change, you can use it as part of your link building strategy. Build authority in your niche by submitting the content as a guest post on a high ranking authority website – quality backlinks are a key factor in search ranking. You can also create a post not optimized for a hot keyword and then link it back to a relevant pillar post of yours.
Every piece of content is useful for SEO, so long as it enriches your reader. There is still room for just being interesting and helpful. SEO tips and tricks should come second.
Hopefully, this answered most of your SEO questions. If we left something out, feel free to leave a comment or get in touch for help with your specific situation.
