Did you know on average, a user reads only about 20% of the text written on paper. So, most likely, only about one-fifth of an article you write will be read.
Why?
Because we’ve developed a reflex that allows us only to read the essential bits and to skim through the rest of the article. How do we decide what the significant bits in an article are?
Keywords! Keywords, spread throughout a piece of content (like diamonds in a coal mine) can get a reader to go through most of your article. If they are clumped together in one place, the reader might just read that part and bounce. And if your writing is chock-full of keywords, it would make for a very irritating, unnatural read. This would give your reader a headache and cause the ranking algorithms to place you lower for those keywords.
This is why keyword placement in articles is so essential. Placement, along with the strategic on page linking, will help you achieve results.
When is it right to focus on keyword placement in articles
The goal is for your article to read as naturally as possible. That means placing keywords where the sentence indeed demands it. But that doesn’t mean that you should write sentences to accommodate a keyword. That wouldn’t just make the keyword feel out of place, but the sentence as well.
It’s easy to place small keywords more naturally throughout your article. The longer the keyword phrases are, the fewer instances you will find place them naturally. It is a good idea to start a paragraph with such keywords so that the following sentences can justify it.
The best way to go about keyword placement is to kick the algorithm out of your mind when writing your article and think only of the reader. Your article should answer the questions the reader might have. It should be easy to read and should flow smoothly. THEN you focus on placing your keywords strategically throughout the article, but only when it makes sense.
When NOT to Place Keyword
Keyword placement and SEO have a close relationship. You should know when placing a keyword is in your favor and when it isn’t. Avoid placing keywords:
- Whenever it’s affecting the readability of the sentence
- When it’s affecting the readability the article in general
- Whenever it feels out of place.
You shouldn’t place keywords when they are becoming repetitive. Learning how to put keywords in an article involves creating natural variations of the keyword phrase.
Keep in mind, keyword density is significantly less important than your article’s readability. It’s a good idea to avoid overboard with keyword placement. So you shouldn’t place keywords when it’s going beyond the suggested density.
Linking
Linking, be it internal or external, is a powerful SEO strategy. However, if not executed properly, things can go wrong.
To “Link” or Not To “Link,” That is The Question
To link, definitely, but there are instances when you shouldn’t link your keywords.
You should link when:
- The link redirects the reader to a helpful resource.
- It’s relevant to the keyword/topics.
- The keyword phrase is right “anchor-text” material (partial or full match to the linked source, brand, etc.)
- Linking helps your article become part of the one-big comprehensive resource by connecting to the similar and helpful article (on-site or off-site).
You shouldn’t link when:
- For internal linking, you shouldn’t link too many keywords to the same article or page (especially the home page). Make sure internal linking is balanced out, with very few links taking the reader back to the homepage.
- Don’t link if it’s not helpful to the user, or take them off-topic.
How to Link
Just like keyword placement, keyword linking is essential for content quality. And you should understand the difference between internal link building, linking to helpful external resources, and creating backlinks. Internal link building aims to make it easy to crawlers to comprehend your content and navigate your site. When choosing external resources to link, think reader-centric. Choose links that add value to your reader.