How to Add SEO Keywords in WordPress Website

Adding SEO keywords in your WordPress website is not just about repeating a phrase over and over. It’s about putting the right words in the right fields so Google can quickly understand what your page is about. If you’re using the Classic Editor with a theme like Jannah, those fields are always in the same predictable places.

In this step-by-step guide, you’ll learn exactly where to add SEO keywords in WordPress: titles, slugs, content, image alt text, and SEO plugin fields such as Yoast SEO. We’ll focus on the practical “click here, type this” workflow so you can confidently optimize each post without guessing.

If you’re completely new to optimization, you may also want to review our broader WordPress SEO beginner’s guide after you finish this tutorial.

Prerequisites

Before you start adding SEO keywords in WordPress, make sure you have the basic setup ready.

• An existing WordPress site installed and accessible (admin login).
• Posts or pages already created, or at least one draft to work with.
• The Classic Editor enabled (or knowledge of where the equivalent fields are in the Block Editor).
• An SEO plugin installed, such as Yoast SEO or Rank Math, for SEO title, meta description, and focus keyphrase fields.

Step 1: Understand How SEO Keywords Work in WordPress

SEO keywords are the phrases people type into Google to find your content. In WordPress, those keywords are read from specific places on each page or post.

Typically, search engines look at:

• Post/Page Title – the main headline your visitors see.
• URL Slug – the part of the URL after your domain.
• Headings (H2, H3, etc.) – section titles inside your content.
• Body Content – the paragraphs and lists in the article.
• Image Alt Text – descriptions for images.
• SEO Title & Meta Description – the snippet that appears in search results, usually controlled by your SEO plugin.

Step 2: Research the Right SEO Keywords for Your Page

Before you start editing titles and slugs, you need a solid keyword to target. Keyword research tells you what people actually search for and how competitive those phrases are.

1. Brainstorm a few ways people might search for your topic (for example, “how to add SEO keywords in WordPress”, “WordPress SEO keywords”, “add keywords to WordPress site”).
2. Use keyword tools to check search volume and difficulty. You can compare options using popular keyword research tools for SEO.
3. Search your main candidate keyword in Google and look at the top results. Make sure your content can genuinely answer the same intent.
4. Choose one primary keyword (e.g. “SEO keywords in WordPress”) plus 2–3 close variations or long-tail phrases.

Step 3: Add SEO Keywords to Your Post Title and URL Slug

The post title and URL slug are two of the strongest places to include your SEO keyword. In WordPress (Classic Editor), you can change both from the edit screen.

1. In your WordPress dashboard, go to Posts > All Posts (or Pages > All Pages).
2. Click Edit under the post you want to optimize, or click Add New to create a new one.
3. In the Title field at the top, include your primary keyword once, for example:

   How to Add SEO Keywords in WordPress Website

4. Just below the title, look for the Permalink or URL Slug field. Click Edit and shorten it to a clean, keyword-rich slug, such as:

   add-seo-keywords-wordpress-website

5. Click OK, then Save Draft or Update to store your changes.

Step 4: Use SEO Keywords in Headings and Body Content

Once your title and slug are optimized, it’s time to weave your SEO keywords into the actual content. The goal is to signal relevance without sacrificing readability.

1. Make sure your primary keyword appears in the first 1–2 sentences of your opening paragraph.
2. Use your primary keyword or a close variation in at least one H2 heading, and possibly an H3 if it fits naturally.
3. Sprinkle related phrases and synonyms throughout the article. Focus on answering the user’s question, not hitting a percentage.
4. Read each section out loud. If the keyword sounds forced or repetitive, rewrite the sentence with more natural language.

Step 5: Add Keywords to SEO Title and Meta Description (Yoast SEO)

Search engines often display your SEO title and meta description as the snippet in the results page. Yoast SEO (and similar plugins) lets you customize these fields for each post.

1. While still on the post edit screen, scroll down to the Yoast SEO meta box.
2. In the Focus keyphrase field, enter your primary keyword exactly (for example, SEO keywords in WordPress).
3. Click the SEO title field. Use a clear, keyword-rich title that will entice clicks, such as:

   How to Add SEO Keywords in WordPress Website (Step-by-Step Guide)

4. Write a compelling Meta description that naturally includes your primary keyword and maybe one variation. Keep it under about 155–160 characters.
5. Check the Yoast analysis under the snippet preview. You should see a green or at least orange indicator for the keyphrase usage in the title and meta description.

If you want more control over other meta tags and structured data, you can also follow our detailed guide on how to add meta tags in WordPress.

Step 6: Add Keywords to Image File Names and Alt Text

Images are another opportunity to reinforce what your page is about. Google can’t “see” an image, so it relies on the file name and alt text for context.

1. Before uploading an image, rename the file on your computer to something descriptive and keyword-related, for example:

   wordpress-seo-keywords-example.png

2. In WordPress, go to Media > Library and click on the image you want to optimize.
3. In the attachment details, fill in the Alt Text field with a short, natural description that includes your keyword where appropriate, such as “classic editor screen showing how to add SEO keywords in WordPress”.
4. Click Update to save the changes if you’re editing from the Media Library, or update the post if you’re editing directly from the editor.

Step 7: Check Keyword Density and Avoid Over-Optimization

Keyword density is the percentage of times your keyword appears compared to the total word count. While there is no perfect number, staying in a reasonable range helps avoid over-optimization.

1. Look at the Yoast SEO analysis for Keyphrase density. It will show whether you’re using the keyword too little or too often.
2. As a loose guideline, aim to use your primary keyword a handful of times in a standard blog post (e.g., 800–1,500 words), while maintaining natural language.
3. Replace some exact matches with synonyms or related phrases if Yoast warns about excessive keyphrase use.
4. Re-read the article for flow. If it feels like you’re writing for robots rather than humans, you probably need to scale back keyword repetition.

Step 8: Review, Publish, and Measure Results

After placing your SEO keywords in all the strategic fields, you’re ready to publish and monitor performance over time.

1. Use the Preview button in WordPress to check your title, headings, and overall readability.
2. Confirm that your main keyword appears in the title, slug, first paragraph, at least one heading, SEO title, meta description, and at least one image alt text.
3. Click Publish or Update to make the changes live.
4. Monitor performance in tools like Google Search Console and Google Analytics by checking impressions, clicks, and average position for your target keyword.
5. Revisit the post after a few weeks. If it’s not performing well, consider updating the content, improving internal links, or targeting a slightly different keyword.

Make SEO Keywords Part of Your Regular Publishing Workflow

Adding SEO keywords in WordPress is not a one-time task. It’s a repeatable workflow you should apply to every new post or page you publish. Once you know exactly where to place your keywords—titles, slugs, headings, content, images, and meta fields—it becomes a quick checklist rather than a mystery.

By choosing the right keyword, placing it strategically, and avoiding keyword stuffing, you give your content a much better chance to rank while still delivering a great experience to readers. Combine this with solid internal linking and ongoing updates, and your WordPress site can steadily grow its search traffic over time.

Further Reading

• How to Do On-Page SEO in WordPress
• Internal Linking for WordPress Beginners
• How to Add a Meta Description in WordPress
• How to Improve Google Ranking in WordPress

Frequently Asked Questions