Is It Necessary to Use Exact Keywords for SEO?
If you mention search engine optimization to someone, they immediately think about keywords. Indeed, using keywords in your content should be one element of your SEO strategy. But, the most important thing is that you are using those keywords correctly.
Beginners to SEO often have one particular question they want to be answered. Namely, do you have to use the exact keywords you find from your research, or do you have some freedom? Let’s take a closer look and find out what the answer is.
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Do You Need an Exact Match for Ranking?
Let’s think about the question; do you have to use exact keywords? Well, we all want to make sure that our hard work is not wasted when it comes to SEO.
Essentially, Google has algorithms that are going to recognize your hard work even if you are not using the exact match for the keyword. So, it is going to know what you are meaning most of the time and this can give you some freedom in how you are using keywords and phrases. Google is going to recognize if a word or phrase is relevant.
But, this is not to say that you should not use the exact match when it comes to a keyword. If you believe that it is going to suit your content, make sure that you include it. This is going to help your ranking on Google. Carrying out research is going to be the most important thing you do.
You can find the right keywords that have low competition and that is going to help your ranking. This link is for tips on searching for keywords.
Joshua George walks you through some of the elements you need to think about when you are looking for the best keywords for your site. This includes considering the relevancy, search volume, and keyword difficulty.
Note that you have to remember keywords are not going to change your ranking overnight. Yes, they are going to help but they can take a while to work.
What’s more, they have to be combined with other elements of SEO. So, always remain realistic and work on a complete SEO strategy. It can take several months to years to see good results. Remain consistent and monitor your progress. Make changes if you have to.
Tips to Use Keywords Correctly
There is a lot of thought that goes into using keywords. You have to ensure that you are using them correctly to rank well on Google, as well as to keep your audience happy. So, here are some tips that can help you do that.
Limit their Use
Remember that keyword stuffing is not something that is going to get you results. In fact, it is a practice that is going to do the opposite. You need to stay in the good books of Google and this means limiting how often you are using keywords.
Make time for research and find the best ones then use them sparingly in your content. This is still going to have the desired effect on your ranking. Just a few keywords can do a lot when it comes to ranking.
Always Be Natural
It can be easy to get too focused on using keywords. In other words, your content becomes boring, unhelpful, and even confusing for a reader. This is clearly not what you want and you have to concentrate on creating content people want to read. Google wants quality content and this is going to be what helps you rank.
You have to be careful with keywords. Not only do you have to watch how often you use them, you also have to ensure that they are incorporated naturally into the content.
Always ask yourself whether they are going to make sense and add value to what you are writing. If you feel like you are forcing phrases or particular words into the content or they do not flow naturally in what you have written, remove them. Prioritize the quality of your content first.
Use exact keywords for SEO: Shape Content with Them
Of course, you want to use keywords in the new content you are creating. But, you also want to make sure that Google knows they are related and rank you for the right searches.
First of all, choose keywords and create content around them. This is going to help you create new interesting topics, as well as make sure that the keywords are being used in the best ways for readers.
