Earning high search rankings for your website requires the use of search engine optimization (SEO) keywords. Also known as target keywords, they are the words and phrases that you want to rank for. Search engines typically won’t rank your website for irrelevant SEO keywords. However, by including them in the right place, you can show search engines that your website’s SEO keywords are relevant.
1) URLs
You should include SEO keywords in your website’s URLs. URLs consist of a domain followed by a slug-based path featuring directory folders and the page’s filename. While you can’t change the domain in your website’s URLs, you can change the slug-based paths.
If you want to rank a page for an SEO keyword, include that SEO keyword in the page’s filename. Pages are Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) files that, like most files, can be renamed. If the page is located in a folder, you can also include the same SEO keyword or a similar SEO keyword in the name of the folder. The name of the folder will be displayed in the page’s URL.
2) Title Attributes
Including SEO keywords in your website’s title attributes can help it rank for them. Title attributes are HTML tags that convey page titles. They are required for valid HTML. Each page must have a title attribute. Web browsers will display title attributes in open tabs, whereas search engines may display them in organic listings.
You can include SEO keywords in title attributes. When optimizing a page for an SEO keyword, try to include it in the page’s title attribute. According to Moz, the title attribute is the second-most important factor for on-page SEO. The only factor that’s more important for on-page SEO is content.
Title attributes must be formatted for search engines to display them correctly. In addition to using the correct syntax with an opening and closing title tag, you should use no more than 60 characters. Search engines generally won’t display title attributes longer than this length. They’ll only show the first 60 characters. Search engines will truncate any additional characters.
3) Description Attributes
Along with title attributes, description attributes should feature SEO keywords. Search engines often use them to generate listings, and while they won’t display a page’s description attribute, they may show it in listings. A typical organic listing will contain the title attribute at the top and the description attribute at the bottom.
Including SEO keywords in description attributes signifies relevance. When search engines notice an SEO keyword in a page’s description attribute, they’ll view the page as relevant. Therefore, description attributes should feature SEO keywords.
4) Alt Text Attributes
Assuming your website has images, you should include SEO keywords in its alt text attributes. Alt text attributes are HTML tags that describe images using plain text. Images don’t contain an alt text attribute by default. Instead, you must create them. When creating these HTML tags, try to include SEO keywords so that search engines deem your website as being relevant to them.
Keep in mind that alt text attributes should accurately describe the images with which they are used. Don’t force an SEO keyword into an alt text attribute unless it makes sense. If an SEO keyword is irrelevant to an image, add it to the alt text attribute of a different and more relevant picture.
5) Heading Elements
Heading elements should feature SEO keywords. Heading elements are used to denote headings and subheadings for content structuring purposes. With heading elements, you can define the hierarchy of a page’s content. There are six types of heading elements, each of which conveys a different level of hierarchy.
Each page should have at least an H1 heading element. H1 is the highest level of hierarchy. You can typically use title attributes as H1 heading elements. Just remember to include SEO keywords in H1 heading elements. If you use other heading elements, such as H2, you can incorporate SEO keywords in them as well.
6) Body Text
Body text – meaning a page’s main section of content – should absolutely feature SEO keywords. HTML pages typically have a head section and a body section. While not as common, some of them may also have a footer section. The body section is the HTML container for a page’s content.
When creating content, include SEO keywords at or near the beginning of the body text. The opening paragraph, for instance, should feature an SEO keyword. SEO keywords at the beginning of the body text are considered more relevant than those at the bottom of the body text.
7) Internal Links
You should include SEO keywords in internal links. Internal links are hyperlinks that redirect to another of your website’s pages. In other words, they connect two pages on your website together. As you build internal links, you can create anchor text that includes SEO keywords.
Anchor text is the text that’s displayed in a link. Visitors use it to determine whether or not to click links, whereas search engines use it to determine which SEO keywords are relevant to linked pages. If you’re building an internal link to a page, create anchor text that includes one of the page’s SEO keywords.
There’s no need to include SEO keywords in outbound links. On the contrary, outbound links should use an alternative type of anchor text that doesn’t feature SEO keywords. Internal links redirect to pages on your website. Conversely, outbound links redirect to pages on other websites. Including an SEO keyword in an outbound link’s anchor text may help another website rank for it.
Choosing the right SEO keywords isn’t enough to earn high search rankings. You must include those SEO keywords on your website. The best places to incorporate SEO keywords are URLs, title attributes, description attributes, alt text attributes, heading elements, body text, and internal links.
Did You Know Your Choice of Web Host Can Dramatically Impact SEO
In the last few years, Google has placed higher importance on speed, uptime, and security when it comes to ranking websites. While there are many things you can do as a professional website designer or developer to optimize WordPress sites, choosing the right WordPress hosting partner is one of the most important.
Pressable offers managed WordPress hosting solutions optimized for WordPress Hosting Plans and WooCommerce Hosting Solutions. You’ll enjoy overall better WordPress site performance, as well as 100% network uptime and industry-leading security powered by Jetpack Security Daily. Not only will a faster and more reliable website mean better SEO, but it also provides a better user experience for more leads and conversions.
Want to learn about how Pressable can help your website enjoy better SEO? Schedule a demo today and learn more. And, in the meantime, check out these other articles to learn more about SEO optimizing your WordPress websites.
Can IFrames Harm Your WordPress Website’s SEO?
Website Hosting and SEO: What’s the Connection (and Why It’s Important)
How to Use Keyword Mapping to Improve SEO
10 WooCommerce SEO Tips to Boost Your Rankings
How to Optimize a Website for Voice Search: An in-Depth Guide (2021)
Amanda Nadhir
Amanda serves as the Head of Sales and Enablement for Pressable. She's worked in the tech space for well over a decade and has spent the majority of that time building/training/leading teams. She loves travel and adventure and when she's not working, you can find her spending time with her family, lounging pool/beach-side, playing tennis, working out, and meeting people/making friends all along the way!
