Keywords
The keyword, or focus keyword, is the search term you’d like your article to rank for with Google searches. For an example of this in action, you can go to Google Trends at https://trends.google.com/trending?geo=US. Choosing the right keywords can mean the difference between an article no one sees and one that goes viral. Let’s go in-depth so you can choose the best possible keywords for your articles.
How Total Apex Media Handles Keywords
At Total Apex Media, it is the journalist’s responsibility to research and select the most effective keyword or keywords for their article. We do this because it gives you the opportunity to choose the focus keyword that best suits your work and empowers you to take responsibility for how your work performs.
Researching Keywords
There are two types of keywords: short and long-tail. Short keywords are search terms like “music” or exercise bikes.” Someone might be searching for these, but there will be significant competition for those keywords. If you choose a more specific keyword or use multiple keywords, the potentional for ranking improves.
Free keyword search tools can help you choose the right keyword. Some examples are:
- Google Trends: https://trends.google.com/trending?geo=US
- Ahrefs Keyword Generator: https://ahrefs.com/keyword-generator
- Ubersuggest: https://neilpatel.com/ubersuggest/
- LLMs like Copilot, ChatGPT, or Gemini
Google Trends Example:
In this Google Trends example, we’ll assume that we’re writing an article about Terrance Gore. We can see his name trending alongside other search terms. You might choose “Terrance Gore” as your focus keyword with “cause of death” as a secondary keyword (assuming that’s your article’s topic).
Using the Keyword in the Article
There are several places where the focus keyword must appear.
- Near the beginning of the title.
- Near the beginning of the first paragraph.
- In at least one H2.
- In the text.
You’ll notice that RankMath looks for the keyword to be used a certain number of times, which is related to the length of the article. It’s important to do this while avoiding “keyword stuffing.” That’s why it’s important to use a second or, in some cases, a third keyword. Those additional keywords will help the RankMath score and allow you to write naturally.
The focus keyword can also appear in the article’s image captions, and those count as well. And, using your keyword too many times will negatively impact the score. Please check your RankMath checklist to ensure the keyword checks are green!
When in doubt, reach out!