How Many Keywords Should I Use for SEO? (Updated for 2024)
As an SEO writer and consultant, one of the most common questions I get is, “How many keywords should I use for SEO?” In this article, I’ll answer this and discuss how and where to use your keywords.
Almost 70% of searches start with a search engine. People search for a term, and Google shows information to answer their query. Using SEO keywords appropriately is how your website lands on the SERPs (search engine results pages) so you can reach more people.
SEO Keywords: A Quick Introduction
SEO keywords are specific phrases that users enter into search engines like Google. When you use popular (high-traffic) keywords in your content, you show Google to take those users to your website.
Appropriate keyword usage lets you:
reach your target market
boost organic traffic to your website
increase conversions
Most important SEO rule: focus on your audience
How Many Keywords Should I Use For SEO?
One primary keyword per page on your website is good for SEO. You should also include a few supporting keywords.
For example, your homepage might target a specific keyword and incorporate secondary keywords, while each blog article focuses on different keywords.
Targeting different keywords on various pages on your website lets you reach a wider audience.
You should use one primary keyword per page. But you can also incorporate a variety of that phrase into your content. For example, if you’re writing a blog with “best places to travel” as your primary keyword, you can include supporting keywords like “budget-friendly travel” or “best travel destinations on a budget.” This allows you to potentially rank for various keywords with similar search intents.
If you use Keysearch (my all-time favorite keyword research tool!), you get access to thousands of keyword options. You can also use the Content Assistant feature for recommendations on secondary keywords.
Tip: Keysearch is an affordable, user-friendly tool I always recommend to any website newbie or pro. Use code KSDISC for 20% off!
Keysearch’s Content Assistant feature
How to Use SEO Keywords
Although keywords are essential for SEO, don’t keyword stuff. Use them naturally throughout your content while focusing on meeting user intent.
Include your primary keyword in your:
Meta title
Meta description
Headers (some of them)
Alt text for images (some of them)
Introduction paragraph
Closing
You can also include it naturally in the core of your content.
Keyword Density
Although this is a highly debated topic, I’ve been writing SEO content almost daily for years and find that 1-2% keyword density is ideal. For a 1,000-word blog article, you’d use your primary keyword about 10-20 times. I usually stick to the lower end of that range.
Keyword density includes your content, alt texts, meta title, etc.
For help deciding how many times to use your primary keyword, you can Google the keyword phrase you’re targeting. Then, click on the first few ranking pages for the keyword. Use the search function (Command + F for Apple) to see how often the keyword was used. This gives a good idea of what Google wants to see for your keyword density.
How Many Keywords Should I Use for SEO? Other FAQs
To help you get a better grasp of SEO keywords, I’ll answer a few common questions.
What are the best keyword research tools?
I find Keysearch and Semrush to be the best keyword research tools. Keyword and Semrush are user-friendly and affordable and offer promising results.
Keysearch is my go-to keyword research tool, and I use it almost daily. It has so many helpful features, including secondary keyword suggestions, suggested word count, and questions to answer in your content. With so many useful tools, it’s easier to write SEO-friendly content.
If you decide to try Keysearch out, use code KDISC for 20% off.
Semrush is another top keyword research tool. Its free version, Keyword Magic Tool, is good for beginners. However, the paid version offers more keywords and in-depth information.
Keysearch: for finding and using SEO keywords
Is too many keywords bad for SEO?
Too many keywords aren’t bad for SEO if you only target a primary keyword on one or two pages and keep your keyword density to 1-2% per page.
The more keywords you target across your entire website, the more pages you can rank for. This allows you to reach a larger audience, which is what you want.
However, overusing your primary keyword can be bad for SEO. When you use your primary keyword too much on one page, it looks spammy to Google and readers.
If you target the same primary keyword across multiple pages, this is known as cannibalization. This can also harm SEO because Google doesn’t know which page to rank higher for that specific keyword.
What are the 4 types of keywords?
The most common keywords are commercial, transactional, informational, and navigational. Different kinds of keywords are used for specific goals when someone searches the internet.
Here’s a breakdown of each type of keyword and why someone might search it:
commercial: to learn about a specific brand or products
transactional: to buy something specific
informational: to find information on a topic
navigational: to go to a specific website
Keyword types (commercial, transactional, informational, & navigational) depend on the user’s intent
When choosing your target keywords, you need to understand what kind it is to meet user intent. When you know how you meet user intent, you can write content your audience hopes to find. This is what leads to conversions.
What are the benefits of using keywords?
Benefits of using SEO keywords include ranking on Google, reaching the right audience, and getting more organic search traffic.
When you use the right keywords, you tell Google who to show your content to. Attracting a targeted audience lets you reach people who are more likely to stay on your website and buy from you.
For example, my target market is people who want to improve their website SEO. Using relevant keywords lets me attract people interested in my offers, which is how I make sales.
Should I always target a specific keyword?
While you should usually write with a keyword in mind, you don’t always have to. Targeting a specific keyword helps you stay on topic, rank higher on Google, and get more traffic.
But sometimes, it makes sense for you to write content on topics with low search traffic. For example, you want to write about a new product or service people don’t know to search for.
If you already have an audience or market your content through other platforms like Pinterest or email newsletter, you can still get traffic even if you don’t target a specific keyword.
How Many Keywords Should I Use for SEO? Final Thoughts
Most pages on your website should target one primary keyword and include supporting keywords.
You might have some pages on your website that don’t have a suitable high-traffic keyword. In this case, you can write blog articles linking to those pages.
While keywords are critical for SEO, it’s most important to write valuable, reader-friendly website content.
To learn more about optimizing your website for SEO, check out my Website Consultation, where I answer your questions and offer actionable steps for improving your website traffic and conversion.
