Introduction
Keyword research is one of the most important aspects of content writing for websites like WordPress. Keywords are the words or phrases that people search for online when looking for relevant information on your topic. As a content writer, choosing the right keywords to target in your articles is essential for driving traffic, improving SEO rankings, and achieving visibility and business goals. This article provides an in-depth look at keywords for content writing on WordPress, including how to research, select, optimize, and implement keywords effectively.
Keyword Research
The first step is to research keywords related to your niche or topic area. Here are some effective research methods to get started:
Google Keyword Planner: This free Google tool shows search volumes and competitiveness for keywords. Input your main keyword ideas and explore related terms with higher or lower search volumes.
Keyword Tools & Generators: Sites like Keyword Shout and Moz offer keyword research tools to plug in topics and get long-tail keyword ideas with auto-generated difficulty ratings.
Competitor Research: Analyze top-ranking blogs and websites in your niche on Google. Review their titles, meta descriptions, headings and content for keywords they’re targeting.
Keyword Density Tools: Use tools like Answer the Public or SEMrush to analyze density and frequency of keywords on top-ranking pages to learn opportunities.
Search Engine Autocomplete: Type keywords into Google and see autocomplete suggestions for related long-tail queries people are searching for.
Analyze Website Analytics: If you already have a WordPress site, check Google Analytics for popular search terms bringing traffic to see engagement with existing content.
Doing thorough keyword research upfront will provide the long list needed to strategically target topics across multiple pieces of content over time. Aim for 50-200 relevant keyword ideas to start building an optimized content plan around.
Keyword Selection
With your long list of potential keywords, filter and prioritize the best options based on a few factors:
Monthly Searches: Aim for keywords with at least 100 average monthly searches according to your research tools. Higher volume is preferable.
Competition: Check keyword difficulty ratings. Target mid-range competitiveness keywords you can realistically outrank over time with quality content.
Alignment: Select keywords that are highly relevant to your niche/business and the topics you want to cover. Ensure they fit naturally.
Intent: Determine if keywords indicate informational or commercial intent. Target informational keywords when first building credibility.
Long-Tail Variations: In addition to main head keywords, include related long-tail phrases with search volume as well.
Diversity: Choose a mix of keywords across different topics to build a varied content portfolio over months.
With careful selection, focus the bulk of your WordPress content creation on 15-25 top priority keywords to start optimizing for and driving traffic.
Keyword Optimization
Now that you have your targeted keywords, it’s important to optimize all elements of your content around them:
Page Titles: Include the main keyword at the beginning of the title, around 50-60 characters total.
Meta Descriptions: Mention keyword within the first 90-100 characters of auto-generated descriptions.
Header Tags: Use H2/H3 tags containing your keyword near the top of content before important sections.
Body Content: Naturally work keyword into first paragraph and distribute 2-3 additional times through text.
Internal Links: Link keyword-optimized pages together using targeted anchor text.
URLs: Include keyword in custom post permalink structure if relevant.
Image Alt Text: Add keyword to image alt text descriptions when possible.
Backlinks: Outreach to other relevant sites to link internally using keyword anchor text.
With thorough on-page optimization, search engines will easily recognize the focus topic and importance of each piece of content, boosting its discoverability and rankings over time.
Keyword Implementation
With quality, optimized content created around priority keywords, focus on consistent implementation tactics to generate traction:
Publish to Blog: Schedule timely publication of new keyword-focused articles on your self-hosted WordPress blog.
Social Sharing: Promote new content across relevant social profiles and groups to garner engagement and backlinks.
Email Updates: Promote latest articles through email newsletters to nurtured subscriber lists.
Guest Posting: Pitch optimized pieces to be shared on other authoritative websites in your niche.
Resource Pages: group keyword content into topical “resource hub” or category archive pages.
Internal Linking: Crosslink new posts to related existing content for greater on-page signaling.
Off-Site SEO: Get other high DA websites to link internally using targeted anchor text to pass authority.
Video Content: Consider creating videos explaining or expanding upon text content.
Being diligent about implementing optimized posts helps propel keywords up search results over the long run through link building and repeated updates reinforcing relevancy.
Conclusion
Proper keyword research, selection, optimization, and implementation form the foundation for effective WordPress content writing that improves SEO visibility and drives qualified traffic. With methodical focus on relevant, high-intent keywords and diligent optimization of all content elements, content creators can steadily build authority and expertise in their niche over time. Follow this process to develop an informative, user-centered blog that ranks for valuable searches.
Andrew Stroud