Keywords are the words that describe your website and its content, which you want to be listed by search engines.

What is a Keyword?

Keywords are the words users employ on search engines like Google and Bing when performing a search. Search engines match these user queries with websites in their directory and present them as results to their visitors. By using keywords on websites, it is indicated to search engines that the content related to these words exists. When search bots visit your site, it adds your site to its directory along with the keywords. When the search requests of their visitors match your site, your website appears in the results.

Where are Keywords Used?

As important as the choice of keywords you use on your website is how and where you use them. Selected keywords should be used in a controlled manner within the natural flow of the content. Excessively using irrelevant keywords throughout the content can do more harm than good.

Regarding where to use keywords, different areas of your website are ideal for implementing these keywords. URLs, titles, and meta descriptions are parts where you can use keywords.

URLs

The address of your web pages, i.e., URLs, is one of the places where you can include keywords. Besides having a simple URL structure, it is necessary to incorporate your keywords. This is often accomplished by including keywords in the page title.

Page Titles and Subheadings

Using keywords within the title tags of a web page greatly benefits you. You should carefully organize the title sections that draw users to your site in search engine results. Additionally, dividing the content on your page with H1, H2 tags into headings and subheadings and incorporating keywords in these titles is extremely beneficial for SEO.

Meta Description

When listed in search results, the meta description of your web page is displayed to users. You should prepare this description naturally to reflect your content and may choose to use keywords here as well. Also, organizing the first paragraph of your content in this manner will give both search engines and visitors an idea about the overall direction of your content.

Content

You should also use keywords in the content on your website. You must be careful to incorporate your targeted keywords without disrupting the natural flow of the content. Otherwise, this behavior could be perceived as manipulative by search engines and negatively impact your ranking. Instead, create original, engaging, and useful content incorporating your keywords.

Why is Keyword Usage Important?

Using keywords or key phrases is extremely important to drive organic traffic to your website. When the search terms used by users on search engines match the keywords used on your website, the search engine displays your site in the search results. This way, you can attract visitor traffic to your website.

Using keywords alone is not enough. Along with properly using these keywords on your website, you need to create websites that load quickly, offer a good level of user experience, and contain original content. Your website's placement in search results is determined by these factors and other criteria used by search engine algorithms. Keywords are one of the most important of these evaluation criteria.