Relevant keywords are words or phrases closely related to the topic your webpage focuses on. They include:
Secondary Keywords: These are keywords or phrases you want to target and rank for in addition to the primary keyword.
Semantic Keywords: These are words conceptually related to the main topic, but you might not necessarily want to rank for them directly. For example, if you're writing an article about "how to lose weight," semantic keywords could include "diet," "exercise," "calorie deficit," "healthy eating," and so on.
How to Find and Use Relevant Keywords
Using these keywords allows you to establish topical relevance and helps search engines better understand your content. This means you can achieve better search engine rankings by optimizing your content for secondary and semantic keywords (also known as relevant keywords).
This article explores how to find relevant keywords and how to use them to optimize your content.
How to Find Relevant Keywords
Let’s take a look at six methods to find relevant keywords and delve into strategies that can help you avoid missing critical opportunities.
1. Conduct Keyword Research
One of the simplest and quickest ways to find relevant keywords is by using webmaster tools or keyword research platforms like Baidu Index. Specifically, you can use them to discover supplementary keywords for your content.
2. Analyze Your Competitors
Another strategy for finding related search terms is conducting competitor research. The search engine results page (SERP) is a great starting point.
Begin by running a quick Baidu search to see which pages are currently ranking for the topic you are creating content for.
3. Use Content Creation Tools
There are many content creation tools available. While their primary purposes may vary, some of them can assist you in finding relevant keywords.
4. Check the Keyword Profile of Existing Content
You can also discover related keywords by evaluating the keyword profile of your existing content.
5. Use Google Autocomplete and Related Searches
You can also use Baidu’s autocomplete suggestions and related searches to find relevant keywords.
Autocomplete is a feature that predicts what you’re going to search for as you start typing. These suggestions are all relevant keywords that fall under secondary terms.
How to Use Relevant Keywords to Optimize Content
Once you've identified relevant keywords, you can use them in your content.
Here are a few ways to do this:
Add Relevance to Existing Content
Search engines like Baidu use keywords and context to determine if a page is relevant to a specific topic. This means that your page contains information that addresses the searcher's query.
Build Topic Clusters
If you’ve used the steps above to identify keywords, you may end up with a long list that can’t be fully covered on a single page. So, try to build topic clusters — strategically interlinked groups of pages that focus on broad topics.
These clusters help search engines understand the structure of your website and can help validate your authority on a specific subject.