Be a Better Writer Blog

How To Solve The Multiple Keyword Dilemma

When you are a web content writer and have been asked to include multiple keywords in the content you are composing, you may think you face a dilemma. Incorporating multiple keywords may be a challenge, but it is not particularly difficult.

When you have a client who wishes to place more than one keyword into the text of an article or webpage, it is best to understand how to arrange these and half the problem will be solved. I say “half” because of course, the content itself must be informative and interesting.

Site Optimization and the Result

Of course, the whole idea here is to optimize the page for the search engines. You want to achieve a certain finesse with the copy, where it reads well and holds the attention of the person visiting the page as well as contains the keywords correctly placed so the person can find the page in the first place.

Searchers on the Internet have become smart in their forays across the World Wide Web to find information. When they see copy that is stuffed with keywords used unnaturally, they seem to recognize this and navigate away from the page. This is not the result you want. But there is more to the process than simply sticking in a bunch of keywords haphazardly and hoping for the best.

Finding the Right Keywords

Hopefully your client has done their research to let you know what keywords to include. Sometimes, however, that is up to you. If they say they want five or six keywords in the copy AND expect you to find those keywords, you can still show your expertise as a SEO copywriter.

You should compile a list of the top keywords for the subject matter you are writing about. Get this list by using tools on the Internet that will provide the top search results. A couple of these are: 

• Alternative search suggestions when typing in the topic on a search engine 
• MSN AdCenter 
• Traffic Estimator by Google AdWords

You may know of others, and it is a good idea to try as many as possible to come up with the best keywords to include.

Here is an example of five keywords you would use in an article about Liz Claiborne: 
 
1. Liz Claiborne 
2. Liz Claiborne outlet 
3. Liz Claiborne shoes 
4. Liz Claiborne handbags 
5. Liz Claiborne clothing

Where do the Keywords Go?

When targeting multiple terms on one page, you have key places where they should be placed. These are: 
 

• The title
• The H1 header
• The H2 subhead
• Throughout the text

The more keywords you can place into the title, the better. However, if this means going beyond the minimum 70 characters, you can still get away with it. You can create a longer title even when the search engine only shows the first 70 characters. Place the main keyword as close to the front of the title as possible. Then play with it until the title reads well and is understandable.

The H1 header tag should include the top keywords for a better ranking. It still must be very clear and readable.

You can use the H2 subhead to include the lower ranking keywords, and then use that subhead as the subject to write about. For instance, if you put Liz Claiborne handbags (the example above) in the H2 subhead, you can write a couple of paragraphs about these stylish handbags.

DON’T just put all keywords in a long string of meaningless gibberish into the title, hoping for this strategy to net results. It won’t.

Once you have accomplished the above, you can write the remaining text and sprinkle the remaining keywords naturally throughout the content. Use each word on your list of five keywords at least one time in the context of your writing. Never neglect to re-read everything when you are done to ensure human readers will find the information interesting and can absorb it easily.