TOC #224: Don't put it down, put it... somewhere you'll actually remember?
(April 8th, 2025) 5 things to know about human-focused SEO + where to put keywords on your website
I can't find my passport.
And normally that wouldn't be a big deal, but… I'm going to Paris in two weeks, so I kiiiinda need to see if she's expired or not.
Obviously, I checked all the logical places — the office closet, the magazine holder, the junk drawer, the admin file folder — and, naturally, she's nowhere to be found.
Similarly, my debit card is also nowhere to be found.
As is my new cosmetic bag.
And the charger for my tiny vacuum.
And that new shirt I just bought Woo.
And my favorite Morning Pages pen.
Because apparently, the classic ADHD “don’t put it down, put it away” tip only works if you remember where “away” is.
And I? Do not.
I am the queen of “putting things in a really good spot.” Like, so good that even I can’t find them later.
…which is how I end up in situations like this, searching for something that *should* be super easy to find, but I actually have no idea where the fuck it is.
So. :-)
I'm off to check all the nooks and crannies of my house for my travel docs — and while I do that, I'll give you a cutie little checklist of exactly where to put one of THE most important things you need on each page your site:
Your keywords.
5 Things To Know About SEO & Copy (And Where To Put Keywords On Your Site!)
Me? Gatekeep something as important as where to put your keywords in your copy? Never!
But before I share with that, there are a few things you need to know about SEO's relationship with website copy (so you don't get it twisted):
#1. Don’t ever force keywords into your copy — people can tell, and it's not worth it.
If it sounds awkward or unnatural, it’s doing more harm than good (for both SEO and conversion).
#2. Choose humans over robots (because, in reality, the robots are actually trying to help the humans).
Search engines are rewarding helpful content with an actual personality and perspective — not keyword salad with a side of AI panic. You need to think way more about the actual person reading it than the army of Google spiders ranking it.
It doesn't matter how high you rank if your copy doesn't WORK (aka if the person reading it doesn't like or resonate with what you wrote then doesn't buy).
#3. Know which pages you’re trying to rank for, and which pages it makes SENSE to rank for.
Not sure if you knew this, but you actually don’t need every page to be an SEO powerhouse. Be strategic about which pages you want to rank.
(Ex: my About page? Doesn't really need to be #1 on Google, unless someone is specifically searching “learn about Sara Noel.”)
#4. Understand which keywords belong on which type of page — what’s good for a blog post isn’t the same as what’s good for Home or Services.
A how-to blog can get specific and long-winded. Your Home page? Not so much.
That's why it makes sense for me to choose “website copywriter” instead of “how to write website copy" as my homepage keyword, and save that ”how to" keyword for a blog, where I can actually explain and use the keyword appropriately.
#5. Keyword density isn’t as serious as you think! Meaning: DO NAWTTT stuff a bunch of keywords onto a page just to try and have “as many keywords as you can.
People can tell when you're a keyword stuffer. Save the stuffing for Thanksgiving and write like an actual person, pls.
Now that that's settled, for the goods you can actually implement today — here's where to put keywords on your website:
H1 Heading
Inside the first 200 words on the page
H2/H3 Heading
Naturally throughout the content
SEO title
Meta description
Image ALT text
URL slug
→ MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT SEO & COPY? I have a wicked informative (and fun!) copywriting + SEO workshop workshop I taught with search engine optimization Expert Mariah Magazine — and chances are, we've already answered every single Q you have! 👇
It's pre-recorded & self paced, so you can watch it any time!
Here's the link: THE SEO X COPY WORKSHOP
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SIDE NOTE… Want to learn even more about copy and SEO?
Mariah and I also have a whole ass lesson in the Search Engine Optimization chapter of my website copywriting course!
Here's the full breakdown of everything included in the SEO chapter:
SEO Basics: SEO Mythbusters 👀 / Ranking Factors
Keywords: Keywords 101 / Choosing Keywords & Search Intent / Easy Keyword / Research Process / Keyword Research With Me / Where To Put Keywords
SEO Copy: How SEO And Copy Work Together / Copywriting With Keywords / SEO Copy Website Example Walkthroughs
Metadata: Metadata 101 / Writing SEO Titles / Writing Meta Descriptions / Metadata Resources / Adding Metadata To Website Builders
Links: Links 101 / Internal Links / External Links / How To Get Backlinks / Backlink Request Email Audit
SEO Recap: SEO FAQ w/ SEO Expert (this is where Mariah comes in, with a 1-hour video interview answering things we didn't talk about in the aforementioned SEO x Copy workshop!) / SEO Site Launch Checklist
Students always tell me how helpful this chapter is and I've gotta SAYYY: I agree! I'm breaking down every single thing you need to know about SEO to write the best optimized copy (while still sounding like yourself).
>> Click here to learn more about Site Series® SPRINT!
xo,
—S
If we haven’t had the chance to *virtually* meet yet, hi! I’m Sara Noel—website copywriter and marketing mentor for creatives, copywriters, and all-around cool people. If you like my content and you want even more BTL in your life, here are a few ways you can connect with me:
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To get in touch with me directly, send me a DM or email sara@betweenthelinescopy.com. Have a great day!