WordPress & Joomla Documentation - ThemeXpert

Single H1

2020-02-06T15:25:03+06:00

What does the single H1 check do?

The single H1 assessment checks whether the body of the text contains an H1 at any position other than the very beginning. An H1 is the title of your page or blog post, and you should only use it once per article. In QuixRank the H1 is the title of your blog post.

Single H1

Why is having a single H1 important for SEO?

Headings help Google grasp the main topic of a post. If you have multiple H1 tags, Google might get confused. A proper heading structure is also very important for your readers to understand the structure of your post. Moreover, heading structure is important for accessibility as well, especially for people who make use of screen readers and thereby can use headings for navigation.

Do you want to improve your H1?

If you use H1 tags in the body of your text, we advise moving it to the top of your text. Find all H1s in your text that aren’t your main title and change them to a lower heading level. Other headings can be used more than once, as long as they are structured hierarchically. So you should use H2 before you use H3 within a certain topic.

Adding your keyphrase to your SEO title

2019-06-19T18:42:17+06:00

In the QuixRank plugin, we tell you to use your keyphrase in your SEO title. But what exactly is an SEO title? Why is it important for SEO? And how can you improve your SEO title? We’ll try to clear things up in this article.

What is an SEO title?

Let’s start with the basics. When we’re talking about the SEO title, we’re talking about the HTML title tag (or page title). If you look at the source of a page, you’ll find it in the head section. It looks like this:

This is an example page title - Example.com

The SEO title is part of the search result. If you search for something in a search engine, the search engine will provide you with a list of search results. These search results usually consist of three elements:

an SEO title (in blue)
a URL (in green)
a meta description (in black)

In addition, the SEO title is shown in the browser. In tabbed browsers, this title is usually shown in the page tab, as shown in the image below.

Tab SEO for beginners

Don’t confuse the SEO title with the main heading or H1, which the user sees on the page itself. These two are not the same. However, the main heading is important too, and if you want to dive deeper into that, we have an entire article about headings and SEO.

Learn more about this check in QuixRank in our explanation of the page title keyphrase assessment!

How to use your keyphrase in the SEO title

For best results, add your complete keyphrase at the beginning of the SEO title. The plugin check for this is quite strict. That’s because title tags are very important for SEO. The page title is one of Google’s most important ways to figure out your page’s topic. Not having the focus keyphrase in the title severely damages your chance of ranking. In addition, potential visitors are much more likely to click on a search result that exactly matches what they were looking for.

Sometimes, adding your complete keyphrase at the beginning doesn’t make sense. When you have a very long keyphrase, for example, it can look awkward. Sometimes, you have to be flexible. If your SEO title looks weird with the keyphrase at the beginning, try to add as much of the keyphrase as you can, as early in the SEO title as possible.

If you use a function word such as “the”, “a”, or “who” before your keyphrase in the title, it is filtered out (for a whole bunch of languages). So, if you start your SEO title with “the”, followed by your keyphrase, you’ll still get a green bullet.

What else should I include in the SEO title?

In addition to your keyphrase, your SEO title should contain your brand. If people search for a topic and see your brand several times, even if they don’t click on it the first time, they might click when they see you again in their next page of results. Moreover, if you don’t include your site name in your SEO title, you’ll also run the risk of Google automatically changing the title for you. They think the site name should be in your title, and if you don’t include it, well… they might just change your title and add it for you.

Focus on your keyphrase

2019-01-02T21:25:23+06:00

What is keyphrase density?

Keyphrase density is the number of times your keyphrase occurs in your copy, compared to the total text of that page. So if you have a text that is 100 words and 5 of those are your focus keyword, your keyphrase density is 5%. When you write a post for your blog, you decide on the focus keyword or focus keyphrase you want that post to rank for. Say you really dislike coriander and you’ve started a website about cooking without it. The focus keyphrase for a post could be “Indian curry without coriander”. The keyphrase density check will then assess how many times those four words occur in the text on that page. It tells you if you’ve used your keyphrase too little, or even too much.

Why is keyphrase density important?

Keyphrase density says a lot about the topic of your text. Search engines like Google are set on serving their users the best possible answer to their search query. To determine whether a text answers to what the searcher is looking for, Google checks several things. To that end, you need to tell Google what your page is about. That is one of the reasons you decide on a focus keyphrase, as it helps you stay focused on the subject. After setting your focus keyphrase, several checks in the QuixRank will help you to keep on track. These checks help you determine whether your text is optimized for the phrase you want it to be. The keyphrase density indicator checks how often your focus keyphrase is mentioned in your text. Because if a text is about a specific subject, it would be strange if you don’t mention it, or barely do.

You need to find the right balance in mentioning your keyphrase enough, but not too much. If you overdo it, Google might see that as keyword stuffing. This is not a tactic they appreciate. So how do you know when enough is enough? By keeping an eye on your keyphrase density score in QuixRank, you’ll know to add or remove mentions of your focus keyphrase.

How to improve your keyphrase density

To learn how to do better in mentioning your focus keyphrase enough, but not too much, it’s good to know what we think is best practice. In QuixRank, we aim for a keyphrase density of 0.5% to 2.5%. If your keyphrase density score is below 0.5%, you’ll score a red bullet. That means you really haven’t used your focus keyphrase much. It should be fairly easy to add it in, as the whole text should be about the subject.

Understanding the keyphrase density check: So, to get a green bullet for keyphrase density, you’re looking to score a keyphrase density of between 0.5% and 2.5%. But what counts as a mention of your focus keyphrase? All the words that make up your focus keyphrase need to be found within one sentence. If you have mentioned your full focus keyphrase but spread over two sentences, that doesn’t count towards your keyphrase density score. So if your score is lower or higher than you’d expected, this is something to look out for.

Using synonyms is great way to avoid repetitiveness: Synonyms do not count towards your keyphrase density score, as that exclusively looks at the use of your actual focus keyphrase. If you’ve used synonyms and are worried it might be too much, here’s a tip! Have a look at the keyphrase distribution check in QuixRank. That highlights your focus keywords and its synonyms throughout the text, if you’ve entered synonyms that is. By looking at the highlighted phrases you can determine for yourself whether your keyphrase (in any form) is mentioned enough throughout the whole text. A good check to see whether you stay on topic until the end!

Why do I score red or orange on the keyphrase density check?

If you’re getting a red or orange bullet for using your focus keyphrase too little or too much and you’re not sure why, here are some things to look out for. First off, make sure your full focus keyphrase is within one sentence or it won’t count. Also, if your keyphrase density is too high, make better use of synonyms. Synonyms of your focus keyphrase will not count towards your total score, but they’ll probably make your text more pleasant to read.

Conclusion

Make sure you use your focus keyphrase enough throughout the whole text. At the same time, don’t overdo it. You don’t want Google to think you’re stuffing your text with keywords, as that’s frowned upon. If your keyphrase density is too low: add your focus keyphrase into your text more often. Also, check if your text actually stays ontopic, because it should be quite easy to mention your keyphrase enough. If your score is too high, reassess your text first. See if there are places where you can replace your keyphrase with a synonym. With these tips, you should be able to score a green bullet for keyphrase density.

Add Some - Internal Link

2019-01-02T21:09:31+06:00

What is an internal link?

An internal link is any link from one page on your website to another page on your website. Both your users and search engines use links to find content on your website. Your users use links to navigate through your site and to find the content they want to find. Search engines also use links to navigate your site. They have a hard time showing a page in the search results if there are no links to it. That’s why internal linking is so important.

There are several types of links. In the SEO analysis in the plugin, we’re talking about links within your content. By that, we mean the piece of text you’ve written in the editor. We call them contextual links. Contextual links point your users to interesting and related content. Moreover, they allow search engines to find out what content on your site is related and to determine the value of that content. The more links an important page receives, the more important it will seem to search engines. Therefore, good internal links are crucial to your SEO.

Adding a link

Adding link is very easy. First, select the piece of text you want to add the link to in the editor. Then click the link icon. Then paste or type the URL you want to link to.

What pages to link to

When adding internal links, always consider what pages would be best to link to. Start by considering what articles are most important when it comes to the topic you’re discussing. It can be quite difficult to keep track of this, especially if your site is quite big. Our internal linking tool does the thinking for you. It shows you the most relevant related pages and suggests adding links to them.

Remember that you want to link to your most frequent pages most often. Keep track of how many links your pages receive on your posts and pages overviews. The left column shows how many links are on the page itself. The right column shows how many links are pointing to that post. If your most important pages aren’t receiving the most links, you should reconsider your linking strategy.

Conclusion

Internal links allow users and your search engines to navigate your site. If a post isn’t linked to at all, that page won’t be shown in the search results. Moreover, the number of links pointing to your pages gives Google information about what pages are most important to you. Therefore, it’s crucial to add internal links to every page on your site.

Keyphrase Density

2019-01-01T16:11:01+06:00

Why is keyphrase density important?

Keyphrase density says a lot about the topic of your text. Search engines like Google are set on serving their users the best possible answer to their search query. To determine whether a text answers to what the searcher is looking for, Google checks several things. To that end, you need to tell Google what your page is about. That is one of the reasons you decide on a focus keyphrase, as it helps you stay focused on the subject. After setting your focus keyphrase, several checks in the QuixRank help you keep on track. These checks help you determine whether your text is optimized for the phrase you want it to be. The keyphrase density indicator checks how often your focus keyphrase is mentioned in your text. Because if a text is about a specific subject, it would be strange if you don’t mention it, or barely do.

How to improve your keyphrase density

Understanding the keyphrase density check

So, to get a green bullet for keyphrase density, you’re looking to score a keyphrase density of between 0.5% and 2.5%. But what counts as a mention of your focus keyphrase? All the words that make up your focus keyphrase need to be found within one sentence. If you have mentioned your full focus keyphrase but spread over two sentences, that doesn’t count towards your keyphrase density score. So if your score is lower or higher than you’d expected, this is something to look out for.

Also, using synonyms is great way to avoid repetitiveness. Synonyms do not count towards your keyphrase density score, as that exclusively looks at the use of your actual focus keyphrase. If you’ve used synonyms and are worried it might be too much, here’s a tip! Have a look at the keyphrase length check in QuixRank. That highlights your focus keywords and its synonyms throughout the text, if you’ve entered synonyms that is. By looking at the highlighted phrases you can determine for yourself whether your keyphrase (in any form) is mentioned enough throughout the whole text. A good check to see whether you stay on topic until the end!

Why do I score red or orange on the keyphrase density check?

If you’re getting a red or orange bullet for using your focus keyphrase too little or too much and you’re not sure why, here are some things to look out for. First, make sure your full focus keyphrase is within one sentence or it won’t count. Also, if your keyphrase density is too high, make better use of synonyms. Synonyms of your focus keyphrase will not count towards your total score, but they’ll probably make your text more pleasant to read.

Conclusion

Make sure you use your focus keyphrase enough throughout the whole text. At the same time, don’t overdo it. You don’t want Google to think you’re stuffing your text with keywords, as that’s frowned upon. If your keyphrase density is too low: add your focus keyphrase into your text more often. Also, check if your text actually stays on topic, because it should be quite easy to mention your keyphrase enough. If your score is too high, reassess your text first. See if there are places where you can replace your keyphrase with a synonym. With these tips, you should be able to score a green bullet for keyphrase density.

Use More - Keyphrase In Subheading

2018-12-27T18:02:59+06:00

In the SEO analysis in our plugin, we tell you to put (part of) your keyphrase in some of your subheadings. But why is this important? Should you always put your keyphrase in every subheading? And if not, how do you decide when to add the keyphrase and when not to? That’s what we’ll explore here.

Why subheadings are important

Subheadings play an important role in your text structure. They help the reader quickly understand what a paragraph or group of paragraphs is about. This improves the readability of your text. Some claim they influence SEO directly, but we’re not sure they do. If you want to learn more about the importance of subheadings and how to use them, check out our article on subheading distribution. In this article, we’ll focus on the relationship between subheadings and your focus keyphrase.

Subheadings, focus keyphrases and SEO

It’s unclear whether using your keyphrase in subheadings influences your SEO directly. Like with subheadings in general, there are some who say it does help your rankings. We simply don’t know for sure.

We like to focus more on the indirect effect. Your subheadings are prominent parts of your article. They stand out more than your body text. By adding your focus keyphrase to your subheadings, you stress the importance of your keyphrase. Moreover, if you’re trying to rank for a keyphrase, you’ll have to write about it. If none of your paragraphs address the main topic, you’ll probably have a hard time ranking.

It simply makes sense to mention the main topic of a post in one or more of your headings. Readers will understand what the paragraph has to do with the topic of the article. And Google may as well. Still, just like keyphrases in general, it’s important not to overdo it. Add your keyphrase where it makes sense, leave it out where it doesn’t.

Choosing whether to use your keyphrase in a subheading

Whether you add your keyphrase to a subheading depends on the paragraph(s) it’s connected to. Every paragraph in your text should tell the reader something about the topic at hand. In addition, your subheadings are nothing more than a very short outline of what you are going to say in one or more paragraphs. Therefore, it should always be possible to add your keyphrase to one or more subheadings. If you’re still struggling to achieve this, ask yourself a couple of questions about the structure of your article.

Does my text discuss the topic described in the keyphrase? If not, should I pick another keyphrase?
Do my current subheadings accurately describe what I discuss under them?
What paragraphs are most closely connected to the topic and the keyphrase?
What questions do these paragraphs answer concerning the topic and the keyphrase?

Most of the time, you’ll find that answering these questions helps you add the keyphrase to one or more of your subheadings. If you can’t, you should probably consider question number one again. If that doesn’t solve your problems, consider educating yourself on copywriting and text structure, to get a clearer view of how a good piece is structured. Your keyphrase should be central to the topic. Therefore, you should be able to add it to at least one subheading.

Keyphrase in subheading

2018-12-27T17:42:06+06:00

What does the keyphrase in subheadings do?

The keyphrase in subheadings assessment checks whether your subheadings reflect the topic of your text as defined by your keyphrase. how you have used your subheadings. Subheadings should describe your subject adequately. A subheading is considered to reflect the topic if more than half of the words from your focus keyphrase are used in it.

Why is it important for SEO?

Including the keyphrases in subheadings shows readers the topic of the specific subparts of the text. In general, while good subheadings with keyphrases in it won’t immediately lead to higher rankings, they are important for SEO copywriting. A subheading describes what comes next in an article — it is the title of the part that follows. By adding your keyphrase in subheadings, you help readers understand your text. Subheadings improve readability. A text without subheadings looks like one massive block. It not only makes your text hard to scan, but also just plain uninviting to read.

Having said that, QuixRank not only looks at whether you included your focus keyphrase in headings, but also how you’ve distributed those headings.

Do you want to improve your subheadings?

The first thing you should do is write subheadings that make sense to the reader. They have to be a natural and inviting way to guide the reader on the page. Try to use your focus keyphrase or synonyms in a couple of places, but only if it feels natural. Always keep the reader in mind, not search engines. QuixRank will let you know once you’ve overdone it.

Don’t use headings for the fun of it — they should make sense and help to define the structure of the page. When you are defining said structure, think about which heading tag you are going to be using (h2, h3, h4 etc). Hierarchy in text is important, so don’t pick the one that looks nicest. You should also aim to keep the length of your headings within reasonable limits.

Change That - Keyphrase in Slug

2018-12-27T17:36:37+06:00

One of the SEO assessments in the QuixRank checks whether the slug contains your focus keyphrase. In this article, we’ll explain a few things about this assessment. We’ll explore what a slug is, how you can edit it, and why a slug is important for SEO. We’ll also explain why it is so very important to include your focus keyphrase in the slug, and we’ll give you a few other basic tips on how to improve your URL.

What is a slug?

A slug is the part of a URL which identifies a particular page on a website in an easy to read form. This means it’s the part of the URL which explains the page’s content. In the example below, https://themexpert.com/docs/ is the URL, and docs is the part that identifies the page as being our ThemeXpert product documentation page. So, the slug in this URL is docs.

Why are slugs important for SEO?

The slug is one of the indicators search engines use to determine what a page is about. And, as we’ve just seen, you can change the words of the slug to make sure that it has the words that you really want to rank for.

In addition, it’s one of the things that people see in the search results. A search result usually consists of three elements: the title (in blue), the URL including the slug (in green), and a meta description (in black). Note that this is not always the case: sometimes the slug is replaced with breadcrumbs. People might click a search result easier when the slug matches the subject of the page. For example, the default slug used to be a combination of random numbers. And let’s face it: you would prefer clicking https://themexpert.com/docs/ over https://themexpert.com/?P=613458/ as well, right?

How to improve your URLs

As we’ve seen, a good URL makes it easy for visitors and search engines to figure out what a certain page is about. Therefore, it’s a very good idea to use your focus keyphrase for that post or page in its URL. QuixRank checks if you have used your focus keyphrase in your URL. However, there’s more you can do to create perfect URLs. Let’s go about a few basic tips.

Choose the right permalink structure

Improving your URLs all starts by defining your permalink structure in your CMS. As we’ve explained before, you can edit your permalink settings to change how you want to organize your URLs. Make sure to choose an option in which the URL contains relevant words.

Include your focus keyphrase Both search engines and your users use the URL to find out what a certain page or post is about. Therefore, it’s a great idea to include your focus keyphrase in your URL. QuixRank will remind you if you haven’t included your focus keyphrase in your slug.

Use lowercase letters only Try to use lowercase letters only in your slug. That’s because, in some cases, you can create duplicate content by mixing these two.

Add focus The more parts you add to a URL, the more complex and hard to understand it gets. Focus is key. That’s why we recommend removing all the words that you don’t really need from your slug. Filter out all the unnecessary words, like stop words. However, you should make sure the slug still makes sense, though.

Use the space to add keyphrase variations or create compelling call-to-action copy

2018-12-27T17:24:11+06:00

The ideal width of the SEO title

In QuixRank, we provide you with feedback about the length of your SEO title. But what exactly is an SEO title? Why is it important for SEO? And how can you improve your SEO title? We’ll try to clear things up in this article.

What is an SEO title?

Let’s start with the basics. When we’re talking about the SEO title, we’re talking about the HTML title tag (or page title). The SEO title is part of the search result. If you search for something in a search engine, the search engine will provide you with a list of search results. These search results usually consist of three elements:

an SEO title (in blue)
a URL (in green)
a meta description (in black)

Don’t confuse the SEO title with the main heading or H1, which the user sees on the page itself.

The (SEO) purpose of a page title

An SEO title or page title is important for SEO for two reasons:

to help you rank for a keyword.
to make users want to click through to your page.

The page title is one of Google’s most important ways to figure out your page’s topic. That’s why you should make sure to include your focus keyword in your SEO title to increase your chance of ranking for it. In addition, if your search result stands out from the other search results, you’ll have a higher chance that people will click on your result. That will lead to more traffic. And as more people click on your result, Google will notice that people prefer your page above the other ones. So, in the long run, the page title influences your ranking directly as well.

Ideal title width for SEO

You might be wondering how many characters your SEO title must contain. Well, that depends. Rather than using a character count, Google has a fixed width in which it can show the title. This means it will show many more i’s than w’s, so how many characters you should use depends on your choice of words. For Google, the width of the SEO title can be up to 600 px.

You can check what your SEO title will look like in the search results in the snippet preview in the QuixRank. The tool uses the mobile version as a default but you can also switch it to the desktop version. Our snippet preview takes the fixed width into account and shows your title as it will appear in Google searches. If your title is too long or too short, the green line underneath it will turn orange.

How to improve your page title

So, you got an orange or red bullet for the width of your SEO title in the QuixRank? This is probably because your SEO title is too wide or too short. It might even be missing. We’ll give you a few basic tips on how to improve your page title.

Always create an SEO title This may sound obvious: don’t forget to create an SEO title. Your page title or SEO title is important, for attracting more visitors but also to let search engines know what your page is about.

Make sure to use the space You’ve got 600 px to convince people to click your link, make sure to use it! Don’t just write down what the page or post is about, use the space to write an enticing title that people can’t resist.

Don’t make it wider than the viewable limit If your title is wider than the 600 px limit, your title will be cut off. You don’t want that! The QuixRank will tell you if your title is too wide, so if it does, make sure to shorten it.

Include the focus keyword Make sure to include your focus keyphrase in your page title, as the page title is one of Google’s most important ways to figure out your page’s topic. Not having the focus keyphrase in the title severely damages your chance of ranking.

Include the site name The last tip is about branding. Your page title needs to have your brand in it, preferably in a recognizable way. If people search for a topic and see your brand several times, even if they don’t click on it the first time, they might click when they see you again in their next page of results. In addition, if you don’t include your site name in your SEO title, you’ll also run the risk of Google automatically changing the title for you. They think the site name should be in your title, and if you don’t include it, well… they might just change your title and add it for you.

Explore our Bar Counter Element with detailed documentation.

Add Some - Outbound Links

2018-12-27T17:07:58+06:00

The importance of outbound links

The SEO analysis of the QuixRank checks if you have outbound links in your content. What are outbound links? Why are they important? And how do you improve your score for this check?

What is an external link?

The world wide web consists of several things, and links between those parts are indispensable. If a piece of content isn’t linked to, how would search engines know how to find it? Let alone visitors, they would never get there. So, links are needed for an interconnected web. Links are either internal or external. An external link is a link between two separate websites. Links within a website are called internal links. Those are very important for site structure and SEO too, but that’s a different check. The outbound links checker assesses links that are external, so between websites. There are two types of external links:

Inbound links Also known as backlinks; these are links from other websites to yours.
Outbound links These are links from your website to another website.

The outbound links check in QuixRank focuses on the latter: links from your website to another website.

Why do outbound links matter?

We feel that every page should include an outbound link. If you don’t add one, you won’t see a red bullet, but you will score an orange one. We feel so strongly about this because our mission is SEO for everyone. We very much believe in creating equal chances for everyone in the connected web. Websites need to connect to each other to be found, by search engines and users. So help each other out a little, and help us connect the dots of the web. It’ll make it easier for search engines to find websites, but also gain insight in how pages relate to each other. We can build a better web, together.

This is why the QuixRank checks for outbound links: we need your help to structure the web. We want interesting websites to rank in Google. We obviously won’t force you, but we do very much appreciate your help. So outbound links definitely matter for SEO. For SEO in general though, not just your website’s.

Improving by adding outbound links

If you haven’t scored a green bullet on the outbound links check, that means you haven’t included any outbound links into your content. Fixing this is pretty straightforward: add a link to a different website than your own! Choose relevant links though. Think about other websites or pages that might help your visitor. Credit sources you’ve used yourself, or that have inspired you. Give people the credit they deserve! And if you think your visitors might like to learn more about a subject and you don’t want to offer that specific content yourself, send them over to someone who does. You can go through existing content to see where a link to a different website would be in place while being relevant. Also, while creating new content, keep this check in mind. It might become a whole lot easier to think of relevant outbound links while you’re writing.

Also: if you’ve purposely only added nofollow links, your bullet for this check won’t turn green. That’s because nofollow links don’t let search engines follow them through to the other website. That way, they don’t contribute or add value. We’d rather see follow links!

Learn more about holistic SEO

Would you like to learn more about all aspects of SEO? Curious about our holistic SEO view, and how that ties into our mission “SEO for everyone”? We’ve created an online course that walks you through all the important parts of SEO. You’ll learn the basics and know what to think of, while starting or building on your own website. It’s fun and you’ll know how to improve your website’s SEO within hours! Interested? Have a look at our Basic SEO training, there’s a free trial video.

Make Sure to add some - Internal Links

2018-12-27T16:47:31+06:00

The QuixRank analysis tells you to add internal links if your text doesn’t contain them. But what are internal links? How should you add them? And what pages should you link to? That’s what we’ll discuss here.

What is an internal link?

What pages to link to

Conclusion

Fix That - Meta Description

2018-12-27T16:38:48+06:00

The QuixRank check provides feedback about your meta description. One of the requirements is that you mention your keyphrase in your meta description. Why does it matter? And: what does it take to turn that bullet green?

Let’s start off with the specific elements in this checks: the meta description and the focus keyword, also known as keyphrase. After that, we’ll dive into how to do this right.

What is a focus keyphrase?

A focus keyphrase is the search term you decide you want a page to rank for. People using that specific search term should find that specific page. You base your keyphrase on keyword research. Doing that enables you to figure out what words are actually used by people, and what related search queries there are. You might be able to answer to those too! Choosing the perfect focus keyphrase is not easy, it’s also not an exact science. You’re looking for a combination of words that suits your audience and has a relatively high search volume. So basically, find out what your audience is actually looking for so you can answer to it.

What is a meta description?

A meta description is a short piece of text, up to about 155 characters — although Google sometimes likes to show longer descriptions. It’s what search engines often show in search results. Here’s an example of a meta description:keyword research training meta description.

The text within the pink border is the meta description of the page the link goes to. The purpose of the meta description is to entice searchers to click on your link. You want to get them to visit your website. Oftentimes, Google uses the meta description you offer. That’s why we urge you to write a good meta description, which includes your focus keyphrase.

Why is it important to use your keyphrase in your meta description?

First and foremost: if the search term people use matches text in the meta description, that pleases both Google and potential visitors. As Google is set on serving the best possible answer to a question, it’ll be more inclined to highlight that meta description in the search results. This should entice more people to click on your link as it stands out. Also, the recognition could work. If you are looking for something and according to the meta description, this page seems to be about exactly that, you’ll want to click.

How to get that green bullet

The check in the QuixRank analyzes whether all (content) words from your keyphrase are used in your meta description. That means if you don’t mention it in the meta description at all, you’ll get a red bullet. You’ll also see a red score when you’ve used it too much: no one likes keyword stuffing. Your potential visitors don’t, and Google doesn’t.

You’ll get an orange score if you have mentioned all the words from your keyphrase in the meta description, just not within one sentence. Search engines are pretty smart nowadays, but you still need to make it clear that this is what your page is about. Your meta description is only short, about 155 characters. Make sure to use your keyphrase or focus keyword at a whole at least once in those 155 characters. Maybe twice, but no more than that. You’ll turn that bullet green in no time!

Using synonyms

We know that Google also understands synonyms, and highlights those too. Here’s an example:

Example of keyphrase synonyms highlighted in a meta description

We searched for “board game”, and Google seems to recognize “tabletop game” as a synonym. Make use of that! A few highlighted words draw more attention than just the one. Also, having different words highlighted looks less repetitive, which could be more attractive.

QuixRank also understands synonyms. It lets you enter synonyms and related keyphrases for your keyphrase, which are then taken into account when the plugin analyzes your content. This also works for the check of having your focus keyword in your meta description. If you’ve included your keyphrase and a synonym, that counts as two mentions.

Need some help deciding on your focus keywords?

Doing keyword research is a very important step in starting your SEO strategy. Do it right and it’ll help you improve traffic, sales, and user satisfaction. Find your niche, there might be golden opportunities waiting for you. Doing this research also helps you come up with a lot of subjects to create content about. Your keyword research sheet will be a great source of inspiration! Not sure how to conduct keyword research exactly? That’s alright, that’s why we offer a Keyword research training. We’ll walk you through the steps so at the end of the course, you have your own ready-to-use keyword research sheet!

Keyphrase in meta description

2018-12-27T16:33:44+06:00

What does the keyphrase in meta description do?

The keyphrase in meta description assessment checks how often all words from the focus keyphrase are found within the meta description text. In addition, if you use QuixRank it also takes into account the synonyms you enter. If you overdo it, the plugin advises you to limit the use of your focus keyphrase in your meta description.

Why is meta description important for SEO?

The meta description is a short piece of text that gives search engines and visitors a sort of summary of what the post is about. They are important because search engines might use these descriptions to show as your snippet in the search results pages. Sometimes, though, they rather pick a piece of text from your page if they think it is a better fit for a certain search intent. Meta descriptions are also important because your potential visitor uses them to determine if your site is worth visiting. Meta descriptions are your main opportunity to draw people to your site from the search results pages.

While having a meta description isn’t a ranking factor, it does appear that Google looks at the number of clicks a site gets — the click-through rate (CTR). Articles with good meta descriptions get more clicks and that could signal to Google that this must be a good result. You should do everything you can to improve your meta descriptions.

Do you want to improve your meta descriptions?

As a good meta description can draw in a lot of people, you need to make it as good as possible. Think about how you would pitch the post or page to a customer. Your meta description should accurately describe the content of the page. Don’t spam or try to fake searches into clicking your result. Always try to give every page a unique meta description — duplicate descriptions aren’t much use to anyone. You should make it attractive and enticing using natural language. Try to write in an active voice and make it actionable: add a call-to-action if needed. Also, if you’re writing about products it is probably a good idea to add some metadata about the products.

Your meta description should always contain your focus keyphrase. If you are using QuixRank you can also add your synonyms and we’ll check if everything is in the right place.

Make sure the topic is clear immediately.

2018-12-27T16:29:30+06:00

The QuixRank checks whether you’ve included your focus keyphrase in the first paragraph of your text. That might feel rather logical but it’s easily forgotten! Why is this an aspect of our SEO check? And how do you solve this and turn your orange or red bullet green? Let’s look at the importance of your introduction for SEO.

The importance of using your focus keyphrase in your introduction

The first paragraph of a text is your introduction. That is a key location for both users and search engines. As said before, grabbing your reader’s attention right at the beginning is essential if you want them to stay on your page. Google also considers your first paragraph an important one. Including your focus keyphrase in your introduction is like giving search engines specific clues about your article. You should also know that sometimes, Google uses your first paragraph to create a meta description for your page itself. Make sure that your introduction accurately reflects what your text is about and include your focus keyphrase in there, and you should be fine. Remember: most people scan web pages rather than read them immediately. Make it easy for them by mentioning the actual subject of the page right at the start!

Passing the focus keyphrase in introduction check

We believe the use of your focus keyphrase in your introduction is important enough to have built a check for it, in our QuixRank. Solving a red or orange bullet for this check might sound easy: just make sure you do use your focus keyphrase in your introduction text. But, it’s also easily forgotten. Let’s discuss some pointers that might help.

A good paragraph starts with a core sentence, after which you elaborate. This applies to your first paragraph, the introduction, too. Think of a core sentence that mentions your focus keyphrase, and move on from there. Elaborate and/or discuss what to expect from the rest of the text. You could decide to start with a short anecdote or example, to catch the attention of your reader. If you do so, follow that up with your focus keyphrase as soon as you can, so it’s clear what your page is about. Not just to your reader, but to search engines!

Why is the bullet orange or red?

Several things could trigger the “focus keyphrase in introduction” check in QuixRank. This might help you figure out what’s happening!

You’ve mentioned your subject, but not your focus keyphrase;
You’ve used an anecdote to attract attention, which doesn’t include your focus keyphrase;
You have mentioned your keyphrase or its synonyms, but not within one sentence;
You have mentioned a synonym for your keyphrase, but not told QuixRank it is a synonym. So, make sure the words you’ve entered as your focus keyphrase are mentioned in your first paragraph. And even more specific: they need to be within the same sentence. For search engines and readers to understand what your text is about quickly, you need to state the subject clearly. So even if you decide to start with an anecdote, for example, make sure to add a sentence that does clear up the subject of the text.

Learn more about this check in QuixRank in our explanation of the keyphrase in introduction assessment.

Your introduction is like a first impression

You never get a second chance to make a first impression. This saying is true for both people and texts. If the first paragraph of your text is unclear, off-topic or just boring, people will lose interest. They will put the book aside or click away to another website. Especially with online readers: if the page doesn’t match their interest, they’re just a click away from millions of pages that could be more interesting. With that in mind, what could you do to make a potential reader stay on your page and read your entire text? How can you make a good first impression?

How do you write a good introduction?

We’ve covered the importance of using your focus keyword introduction. But how do you write a great introduction in general? You know your first paragraph is important to grab the reader’s attention. We’ll start with the basics: what elements should be present in your introduction?

Use your introduction paragraph to:

Introduce your topic Tell your reader what your text is about, preferably in the first sentence of your first paragraph. Keep it short and simple. Attention spans are very short online and you don’t want your reader to wander off. Consider using the inverted pyramid writing style. This method encourages you to get to the point immediately so you grab the attention. Some say the purpose of the first paragraph is to get your reader to read the second paragraph!

Explain what your reader can expect Take your reader by the hand. Tell them what they can expect from the rest of your text. Mention your purpose and explain your structure if this could help your reader decide whether this text would be useful for him. A lot of writers tend to forget that there are many ways to find a site. Your audience does not only consist of returning visitors that know your stories and products. Take the perspective of a new visitor, that lands on a specific blog post through the search results. Does the introduction of this post give the visitor enough clues to hold on to?

Tempt your reader to read along There are two ways to encourage your reader to read the rest of your article. The first one focuses on content. By introducing your topic and explaining what your reader can expect, you’re providing information. For some readers, this information alone could be enough to keep reading. Other readers might need a little push. You could use stylistic elements to trigger their interest some more.

Some last tips

If you’re still having a hard time making sure your focus keyphrase is in your introductory paragraph, here are some tips left that might help you.

First: the use of synonyms. In QuixRank you can set synonyms and related keyphrases for your focus keyphrase. That enables you to write a less repetitive text, which is good for your readability. By entering the synonyms, QuixRanktakes them into account when analyzing for the different focus keyphrase checks. Including the check to see if your focus keyphrase is mentioned within a sentence of your introduction paragraph. Do think about this though, why would you use a synonym instead of the phrase you’ve decided is most important?

And here’s another tip that might help you if you’re struggling. Although it’s the first paragraph of your text, it’s definitely not set in stone that you should write it first! It might even be easier to write after you’ve finished the full post. You’ll have a better idea of the angle and content of the post, which might make it easier to write a great and enticing introduction that includes your focus keyphrase.

Keyphrase In Introduction

2018-12-27T16:14:26+06:00

What is keyphrase in introduction?

The keyphrase in introduction checks whether or not your focus keyphrase is in the introduction of your text. Meaning, SEO checks if its in the first paragraph or not. Preferably, you would use your focus keyphrase in the very first sentence. You would like to make your topic clear as soon as possible.

Why is it important to have keyphrase in the introduction for SEO?

Your introduction is a crucial paragraph for your readers. They’ll decide whether or not your text is about a topic they would like to read. Because of that, the introduction is also very important to Google as well. Google uses your introduction to determine what your text is about. The words you would like to rank for (your focus keyphrase) should be in that introduction. You only have seconds to draw your reader’s attention. Make sure the first paragraph tells the main message of your post. That way, you can make it easy for your reader to figure out what your post is about.

How to improve the introduction?

The introduction is the critical paragraph of your text. It’s the one paragraph almost every reader will read. So you better make that an awesome piece of text! Sometimes it works best to write the introduction after you’ve written all the other paragraphs in your text!

Make sure that the first paragraph of your blog post is clear, well-written and contains the core message of your blog post. Write upside down like an inverted pyramid: the most important conclusion of your blog post in the first paragraph and the elaboration and argumentation of your conclusion following in the next paragraphs. Make sure you repeat your main conclusions in the final paragraph of your post.