SEO/Keyword question

[lear625]

Hey everyone… I’ve got a quick question that I hope someone here can help me with. I’ve just started my journey into freelance writing and I’m curious about SEO optimization. I’ve searched for tools to help me better construct the content that I’m writing, but everything that I find is designed to analyze a site. I’m not looking to analyze a site. I’m writing on Google Docs and I simply want to analyze the text that I’ve created (for strong keyword use, not grammar/structure). Does anyone know of a good tool (free or cheap to start) for the job? Thanks in advance!

[paulmaplesden]

I have used this tool - it’s basic, but it gets the job done.

Incidentally, just using keywords is now only a small part of SEO. Google has gotten much smarter at taking other factors into account, like semantic search, length of content, authority etc. Although it’s still important to use keywords in titles, headings etc, it’s more important to do so naturally and to write content so it is easy to read, flows well, and is a valuable use of the reader’s time.

I am sure the SEO experts on the forum can provide some more guidance on this.

[uxreview]

As long as your content is informative, engaging and flowing, you’ve got nothing to worry about. As Paul said, Google has come a long way and their primary goal is to promote content that people actually care about. You can throw in 20 keywords, but if it doesn’t sound natural or it’s not engaging then readers will hit the back button. Keywords still matter, but Google is focusing more on what readers do after they land on the page. If your content leads to a conversion, social share or whatever the goal is, then that’s more important.

The SEO specialist who provides you the requirements and orders your gig will worry about the right keywords, length, visual aids, placement, typography and optimization.

[lear625]

Thank you both. I didn’t really like the idea of trying to jam keywords into my content… I’m glad that keyword density isn’t the be all, end all.

[daviddoer]

As long as your content is informative, engaging and flowing, you’ve got nothing to worry about. As Paul said, Google has come a long way and their primary goal is to promote content that people actually care about. You can throw in 20 keywords, but if it doesn’t sound natural or it’s not engaging then readers will hit the back button. Keywords still matter, but Google is focusing more on what readers do after they land on the page. If your content leads to a conversion, social share or whatever the goal is, then that’s more important.

The SEO specialist who provides you the requirements and orders your gig will worry about the right keywords, length, visual aids, placement, typography and optimization.

@uxreview based on your response it sounds like you are fairly educated on the subject. You don’t happen to have a couple of favorite SEO articles bookmarked, do ya?

[miiila]

Hey everyone… I’ve got a quick question that I hope someone here can help me with. I’ve just started my journey into freelance writing and I’m curious about SEO optimization. I’ve searched for tools to help me better construct the content that I’m writing, but everything that I find is designed to analyze a site. I’m not looking to analyze a site. I’m writing on Google Docs and I simply want to analyze the text that I’ve created (for strong keyword use, not grammar/structure). Does anyone know of a good tool (free or cheap to start) for the job? Thanks in advance!

I’m writing on Google Docs and I simply want to analyze the text that I’ve created (for strong keyword use, not grammar/structure). Does anyone know of a good tool (free or cheap to start) for the job?

I have clients who use excel tables for that. One tab has the text, one tab has the keywords and counts how often you used them. Maybe you can find a template for Google sheets that does that, make it yourself if you are good with formula stuff, or know or can hire someone who can make one for you.

[think_big]

The comments above are spot on. If your writing converts and or gets shared, you’re doing it right.

Here is a short cut to writing stuff people will like. Search for buzzsumo and search the subject you’re writing about and see which articles get the most attention. Write articles around the same subject matter and look for patterns in successful articles.

Im guessing you’re smart enough to know better than to copy articles, but in case someone else is reading this and thinking about it, duplicate content can get a site black listed or Worse.

I hope this is of value to you,
Scott

Edited out unapproved url

[eoinfinnegan]

I particularly like this one and recommend it highly especially for beginners - webtexttool
This tool not only shows you about density but also about layout and formatting as well as many other aspects of on-site SEO. It measures the SEO value as you work on it and gives you a percentage score on how you are doing.
If you don’t want to include things like adding images etc, you could include a note for your client that adding an image, doing x, y, z will increase your SEO value etc.
Note: I don’t completely like or trust SEO-by-% thing but it is ideal for anyone who wants a quick and easy tool to improve their work. It is a paid tool but has a 30-day trial and a free version too.

Note: This was a Fiverr client of mine but I have no relationship to them whatsoever.
Final edit: of course, what UXreview has said is completely true but ensuring your on-site SEO is as good as it can be is also worthwhile

[sjorscrusius]

To add on top of what everybody already mentioned, you can also use Yoast to have a quick and easy analysis of your text (both readability and SEO). Again, don’t use it as rules cast in stone but it gives you something to hold onto, especially when you start out writing seo text.

Yoast is a WordPress plugin. You can try if there is any place where you can get a free webhosting, install wordpress and the yoast plugin. You don’t have to use the site or publish it but that way you can analise the texts you write. Yoast is free, but there is a premium version with more goodies.

[uxreview]

@uxreview based on your response it sounds like you are fairly educated on the subject. You don’t happen to have a couple of favorite SEO articles bookmarked, do ya?

You don’t happen to have a couple of favorite SEO articles bookmarked, do ya

I don’t have posts bookmarked, but when it comes to SEO, I mostly read articles from Neil Patel, Rand Fishkin, Brian Dean and few others.

I’m glad to see that OP’s question has received so many valuable responses. It doesn’t happen very often 🙂

[lear625]

You don’t happen to have a couple of favorite SEO articles bookmarked, do ya

I don’t have posts bookmarked, but when it comes to SEO, I mostly read articles from Neil Patel, Rand Fishkin, Brian Dean and few others.

I’m glad to see that OP’s question has received so many valuable responses. It doesn’t happen very often 🙂

I’m glad to see that OP’s question has received so many valuable responses. It doesn’t happen very often 🙂

I wish my gig was getting this kind of action (or any, for that matter) 😉 Some excellent advice and resources - thank you all for sharing.

[uxreview]

I’m glad to see that OP’s question has received so many valuable responses. It doesn’t happen very often 🙂

I wish my gig was getting this kind of action (or any, for that matter) 😉 Some excellent advice and resources - thank you all for sharing.

You still have a lot of things to do, but I’m sure you’ll get some orders soon 🙂

You can get some ideas from the TRS in your category.