Are keywords still important for SEO in 2020

When it comes to content and digital marketing, keywords are thought to be essential. From blog posts and articles, to website pages and even video content, keywords can be used to enhance all aspect of your website, and Search Engine Optimization (SEO). But with such big changes for the digital marketing world, from Google updates, to the rise of voice search and the decline of traditional social media marketing, are keywords still important for SEO in 2020? Well, here at Pumpkin Web Design, we are Preston’s leading web design and web marketing professionals. We provide valuable web design, SEO, and marketing solutions to a range of clients, across the North West, including Southport and Wigan, as well as Manchester. As a result, we have produced this guide to everything small businesses need to know about the role of keywords in 2020.

What are keywords?

Keywords or key phrases are words and phrases that link your content to relevant search engine search inquiries. There are two different types of keywords, the short tailed keyword which is generally less than 3 words, or the long tailed keyword which includes full questions as well as longer phrases. For example, for a bakery, key words or phrases that could be effective and relevant may include “wedding cake delivery” or “cupcake hampers”, while long tail key phrases might include “what are the best types of frosting”, or “what are the best cake flavour combinations”. These keywords can be used for:

• headings and subheadings
• description and meta tags
• image alt tags
• video alt tags
• blog and article content

So, are keywords still important for SEO in 2020?

Keywords still play an important role in any SEO strategy, although the use of keywords has changed over time. Using keywords effectively can:

• Help search engines understand the topic of your content- for search engines to be able to correctly identify the topic of your content, clear keywords can be a helpful addition. This can help ensure that your content appears for the right search terms, and attracts more organic traffic.
• Increase organic traffic- effective use of keywords generally involves using these as the page heading or title. As a result, interested users are more likely to choose your website from the search engine results page (SERP) because it matches their search term exactly.

How are keywords changing?

With increasing algorithm updates for the world’s largest search engine, Google, the role of keywords has significantly changed. This is because the Google algorithm is now focused on user intent, rather than the specific word combination. This means that webpages all providing the same kind of content covering the same topic, even when using different keyword semantics, will now be competing against each other on the SERP. This means that it is essential for content to be original, high quality, and relevant to the user.

In addition, the way that users access search is also changing. Instead of typing into a laptop or mobile device, users are instead choosing to use voice search. This usually involves using a lot more natural language, that may even be in the form of a question. As a result, long tailed key phrases are increasingly important to secure results for voice search.

Why not get in touch with leading digital marketing experts, here at Pumpkin Web Design, for professional, results driven digital marketing support?