If you’ve done your keyword research properly, I’m not sure which method you used or the exact purpose behind it, but I’ll assume you’ve done a thorough and relevant job. 

That said, using keywords the right way isn’t rocket science—but using them incorrectly can hurt your SEO, rankings, and ultimately your sales or leads. So be careful, because around 94% of keywords get 10 or fewer monthly searches.

Let’s break down how to use your keywords correctly and what steps to take after finishing your keyword research for SEO.

Purpose of Keyword Research

Usually, there are four main reasons people do keyword research. Of course, there can be many other reasons—some might want to run a campaign just to update meta titles, while others might focus only on updating the H1 tags across all pages.

Here are the common reasons:

• Creating a New Blog Post
• Making a New Landing Page
• Updating Old Blogs
• Fixing Up Existing Web Pages

Smart Ways to Use Keywords

There are lots of ways to use keywords, but if you don’t use them wisely, they won’t help your SEO. In fact, they can even hurt it. For example, some people don’t focus on a single intent-based keyword on the page. Instead, they target multiple variations together on the same page. So, the page might rank here and there, but it won’t strongly rank for any one keyword.

Let me give you an example.

If a web page is about SEO Services, they’ll throw in a bunch of variations like:

• SEO Agency
• Search Engine Optimization Services
• Professional SEO Services
• SEO Marketing Company

And so on… instead of just focusing on one keyword and building everything around it.

Then, when it’s time to track the page’s performance, they try to monitor just one keyword in tools like Mangools and expect it to rank well. That’s like throwing a bunch of darts at once and hoping one hits the bullseye.

So here’s my question to you — what would you prefer?

Randomly throwing multiple keyword variations with different search volumes on one page (like All in One SEO suggests)?

Or targeting one keyword with solid placement based on its relevance and volume (like Yoast recommends)?

But the thing is, it totally depends on your website’s authority. If your site is old, gets good traffic, and has built some solid trust, then it’s easier to rank pages that are optimized for the same intent using different keyword variations with different search volumes — even if the placement feels a bit random.

But if your site has low authority, then you’ll need to stick with one main keyword and support it with related ones. Keep things focused and tight.

You’ve probably seen this too — big authority sites don’t always focus on just one keyword. They mix in different variations for the same intent. And guess what? They still rank. Why? Because they’re authority BRO! They’ve earned that trust over time.

Hope this clears things up.

Time to Get to Work — Where to Use the Keywords

If I talk about the general use of keywords, then you should use them in the recommended spots during on-page SEO. And when it comes to off-page SEO, you should use those keywords as anchor text — especially the ones you can’t naturally fit into your web page content.

Let me give you an example.
Suppose your web page is about SEO Services. You’ve already used it along with 5 to 7 supporting keywords that are highly relevant. But there are still a bunch of keywords that just don’t fit in naturally on that page. That’s where off-page SEO comes in. You can use those extra keywords as anchor text in your backlinks.

This will help you rank for more keyword variations and increase your chances of showing up higher in search results.

And here are some general suggestions on where you should use your keywords.

Title Tag and Meta Description

Recent research shows that website pages using exact match keywords in their meta descriptions often rank higher than competitor pages that don’t. But just adding your main keyword isn’t enough. Your meta description should be under 155 characters and written in a way that makes people want to click.

For example:

We are a leading SEO company offering SEO services in Los Angeles, California. We focus on high-performing SEO strategies.

URL Slug

Posts that include target keywords or similar terms in the URL get a 45% higher click-through rate compared to those that don’t (according to Backlinko). But your URL should be short, clean, and focused on the keyword.

For example:
www.example.com/seo-services-california

Headings (H1, H2s) 

Write H2 headings that include your main keyword naturally. Keep them short, clear, and useful for readers. They should hint at what the next section is about. Use H2s to break content into chunks and help Google understand the structure of your post.

In the First 100 Words

Include your primary keyword naturally. Give a quick idea of what the page is about and let the visitor know what kind of value they can expect. Keep it simple and clear — no need to overthink it.

Throughout the Content

Write naturally for real people, not just algorithms—prioritize clarity and flow so your message connects. Aim for smooth, conversational language that keeps the reader engaged throughout the content. Focus on value, not keyword stuffing. Make it sound human and authentic every step of the way.

Image Alt Text

Add your keywords in the image alt text. Keep it short and clear. If the image shows something happening, use a keyword to describe it. If not, just write a simple alt text using your main keyword.

Page Specific Keyword Usage

New Landing Page and Blog Post:
Let’s say you did proper keyword research and want to use those keywords on a landing page or blog post. First, pick one primary keyword smartly and build your content around it. Use it in the H1, H2, H3, the first paragraph, and in the meta data. Then use each supporting keyword once, placing them in order from highest to lowest search volume.

For example, if your primary keyword is “What to do After Keyword Research”, and your supporting keywords are:

• keyword research for seo (1600 search volume)
• search engine optimization keyword research (880 search volume)
• keyword analysis for seo (590 search volume)
  

Then place the keyword with the highest volume higher up in your content, and go down from there. Also, don’t repeat these supporting keywords — using them more than once can make your content look stuffed.

Existing Web Page and Blog Post:
Now, if you’re optimizing an existing page using your keyword research, the process is pretty much the same. The only difference is that you don’t need to pick a new primary keyword — it’s already set. Your job here is just to adjust the placement and add supporting keywords in the right order, just like I explained above.

Keyword Analysis for SEO

Well, if you’ve done keyword research for every page of your website, the story doesn’t just end with adding them into your content — you can actually track them too.

For example, you can keep an eye on each page’s performance and its ranking based on the main keyword. Tools like Ahrefs or Mangools make it super easy to do that.

Refresh Content Every Few Months

Refreshing your content every few months keeps it relevant and signals to Google that your site is active. Since about 15% of daily Google searches are new and have never been searched before, updating content to reflect current keyword trends helps capture emerging traffic and boosts your search visibility.

Final Thoughts

I’d highly suggest that you don’t stuff your keywords unnaturally into your content, and also don’t leave your web page without any keywords like some big branded, high-authority sites do. You just need to find a middle ground.I hope you got the value I wanted to share through this post. And if you’re interested in learning how to find keywords for SEO, you should definitely check out this post >> How to find keywords for SEO.