What Is a Focus Keyword? How to Choose the Right One for SEO

The focus keyword is an important element that steers your article's content and helps Google understand the main message you want to get across, so it can show the article to the right searchers. However, if you pick a keyword that does not match user needs, all of your and your team's SEO effort can go to waste. So specifically, What is a focus keyword? Where should you place the focus keyword for the best SEO results? In the article below, MONA Media will reveal how to choose an effective focus keyword and 6 valuable places to insert it.

What is a focus keyword?

A focus keyword (main keyword) is the main word or phrase you want Google to rank your article or web page for. It can be a topic, subject or concept that users care about. You can use this keyword to optimize SEO factors, which helps Google understand the page's content and show the article to the right searchers.

Example: If you want to write an article about SEO knowledge, you can pick promising main keywords such as “SEO là gì” (what is SEO) or “hướng dẫn SEO website” (website SEO guide).

*Note: Each Content SEO article should use only 1 focus keyword. Do not use too many main keywords, because Google cannot tell what the article's main topic is. This can lower the article's search ranking. 

6 places to insert your focus keyword to optimize SEO

Many beginners place their focus keyword on impulse, which leaves the article unoptimized and takes a long time to improve in rankings. To avoid that mistake, here are 6 “golden” places where SEO specialists from MONA recommend placing your main keyword to raise your chance of appearing on Google's first page:

1. Put the focus keyword in the title (Title tag)

The title is the first thing users and Google see, so place the focus keyword as close to the start of the title as you can, and optimize the title to SEO standards to make it more attractive and clickable.

Example: If your main keyword is “Keyword SEO”, you could set the article title as “SEO từ khóa là gì? Cách SEO từ khóa nhanh lên top Google” (What is keyword SEO? How to do keyword SEO and reach Google's top fast). 

2. Put the main keyword in the meta description

The description (meta description) sits right below the article title, so place the focus keyword naturally to clarify the content and draw readers in from the search results page.

3. Heading tags (H1, H2, H3)

Putting the main keyword in H1, H2 or H3 tags gives your article a clear structure that works for both readers and search engines. Make sure the H1 contains the focus keyword; for H2 and H3 tags you can use the main keyword, a synonym or a term related to the focus keyword.

4. Add the main keyword to the intro paragraph

According to the latest update, Google's algorithms favors content that makes its topic clear from the first lines. So put the main keyword in your first 1 – 2 sentences to show your article answers the right search need.

Example: “Are you wondering what a focus keyword is and where to place it for effective SEO? The article below from leading SEO companies MONA will answer it from A to Z.”

5. Put the focus keyword in the article content

In the body, insert the focus keyword naturally, spread evenly and selectively. Do not overstuff the focus keyword, because that makes the article feel unnatural and, worse, Google may treat it as spam.

*Tip: According to MONA, you can use synonyms, variants or phrases related to the focus keyword.

6. Put the focus keyword in the URL

Although users do not pay much attention to the URL, it has a big effect on SEO website. Based on the experience of MONA's SEO experts, keep the URL short, clear and containing the main keyword so search engines grasp the page's content quickly and your ranking potential improves.

Example: https://mona.media/huong-dan-chon-tu-khoa-seo-hieu-qua

How to choose an effective focus keyword for your article

Knowing what a focus keyword is is not enough. To get your article to the top and reach the right readers, you need to know how to pick a focus keyword that fits your goal, content and search behavior. Here are 3 effective ways to find a main keyword and optimize SEO for your website:

Choose a focus keyword by search intent

Google increasingly favors results that match search intent, meaning what users really want when they search. So one of the best ways to find a focus keyword is to put yourself in the user's place and ask what they want to know, do or buy. To shorten the time it takes to choose a focus keyword, you can try the following:

Analyze the SERPs: Search the phrase you plan to use and see what the top results cover (definition articles, guides, lists, reviews or videos?). 

Example: When you search the keyword “SEO website”, Google may return different results such as:

• What is website SEO?
• Website SEO guide 
• Reputable website SEO company in Ho Chi Minh City
• …

Repeat your searches regularly: Google's suggestions and search results can change over time, so check often to adjust and pick the most suitable main keyword.

Follow social media and forum discussions: Another tip for choosing a main keyword is to follow what users talk about on forums and social media. This way of finding a focus keyword shows you customer insight and helps you reach the group of users who really have a search need.

Choose a long-tail main keyword

Short keywords usually face very high competition and are especially hard to rank for if your website is new or lacks credibility. Meanwhile, long-tail keywords (long-tail keywords) have lower search volume but are quite specific and match the search need. This means your article reaches potential customers more easily, which raises conversion chances and makes it easier to climb the search results.

Long keywords usually show clear needs and search behavior, for example:

• “The difference between On-page SEO and Off-page SEO”
• “How to write SEO-friendly articles“
• “Reputable SEO company in Ho Chi Minh City”

You can find long-tail keywords quickly by:

• Typing the seed keyword into Google and looking at the autocomplete suggestions in the search box or the “related searches” section.
• Using SEO tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush and KeywordTool.io to filter keywords with lower search volume.
• Analyzing competitor websites to see which keywords they rank for, then filtering out the keywords with low search volume.

Choose the main keyword by search volume

Keywords with high search volume can bring a lot of traffic to your website, but they usually come with heavy competition and expensive ad costs to show up first.

Besides search volume, you can also use these two metrics to choose the right main keyword:

• Keyword Difficulty (KD): How hard it is to reach the top with that keyword.
• Keyword Relevance: Whether the keyword is truly related to what you are writing.

If you are still unsure which focus keyword to choose for your business, or want to run a properly planned SEO content strategy from the start, you can look at top Google ranking SEO services from MONA Media. Over 10 years of delivering full-scope SEO for businesses in Vietnam and international markets, we have successfully completed more than 500 SEO projects, including highly competitive fields such as wholesale importing, education and e-commerce.

With an experienced SEO specialists team, MONA not only helps research and choose a focus keyword that matches user insight, but also makes sure your article meets SEO and UX standards, keeping customers on your site longer. For detailed advice and the most accurate detailed SEO quote call our hotline 1900 636 648 today.

What keyword density is right for a focus keyword?

A reasonable focus keyword density in an SEO-standard article is usually around 3 – 5%. That means for every 100 words, you should use the main keyword about 3 – 5 times. 

However, in recent years Google rates content quality over simple keyword density. So when writing content for your website, flexibly combine the main keyword with synonyms and related keywords to avoid repetition and keep the content more natural. 

As you can see, understanding What is a focus keyword and knowing how to apply keywords correctly saves you time, improves rankings and creates content with real value. If you struggle to identify your focus keyword or need a proper SEO strategy do not hesitate to contact MONA's team of experts for free advice.