A keyword phrase is a phrase or series of words which is used to determine the relevancy of a web page or document to a search query. It is a way of targeting users who may be interested in the page/document’s content, and is a major factor in the algorithms that search engines use to rank webpages.
When a user types a query into a search engine, the search engine’s algorithms scan the webpages indexed to find those which best match the query. When the search engine’s bots encounter a keyword phrase, they use the phrase to determine how relevant the page is. If a keyword phrase has been used appropriately, it can have a significant impact in increasing the relevance and rankings of a webpage.
When using keyword phrases for webpages, there are a few guidelines to keep in mind. Firstly, it is important to be specific. Keyword phrases should be targeted as much as possible; for example, if you’re a website about running shoes, you might use the phrase “running shoes for men”, as this is more specific than just using the word “running”. It’s also important to use variations: using multiple phrases such as “running shoes for men”, “men’s running shoes” and “running shoes” will help target a wider range of searches, as different people may search for different terms. It’s worth doing some research to find out which phrases would be most effective for your webpages.
When it comes to the best practice of using keyword phrases, it’s important to use them sparingly and naturally. Don’t just repeat the same phrase over and over; try to vary the phrases that you use to keep content sounding natural and engaging. Try not to exceed 3-5 keyword phrases per 400 words; any more than this can be considered stuffing and will negatively affect the relevancy of the page. Additionally, try to avoid using keyword phrases too early in the document, as this can also affect the relevancy of the content.
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To ensure that your keyword phrases get picked up by search engine algorithms, it’s important to use them in the appropriate locations within the content. They should be included in the title, meta-description and heading tags. Additionally, if your website is using tags or categories, it can be beneficial to use the keyword phrases there too.
It’s also worth considering page optimisation on a broader level. This can include optimising images to ensure that they’re as small as possible and use the keyword phrases in file names when possible. Additionally, try to minimise the number of external links on the page; search engine algorithms will judge the relevance of a page by the number of external links, and too many can have a negative effect on the ranking.
Using keyword phrases effectively is an important part of search engine optimisation, and with careful attention to the guidelines above can improve the relevance of your webpages. Remember to be specific with your keyword phrases and use them naturally, and to optimise the page both on a keyword level and a broader SEO level.