What Are Manually Added Keywords and Why Do They Matter?
Manually Added Keywords are specific words and phrases you deliberately place in your content to help search engines understand what your pages are about. Unlike automated suggestions, these are terms you research, select, and strategically position in titles, descriptions, and content to improve your site's visibility.
Quick Answer: Manual Keyword Addition
- Definition: Keywords you intentionally add to titles, meta descriptions, headers, and content.
- Purpose: Help search engines categorize and rank your content for relevant searches.
- Key Locations: Page titles (60 characters max), meta descriptions (160 characters), H1 headers, body text, image alt text.
- Modern Focus: Natural placement in content rather than outdated meta keyword tags.
- Tools Needed: SEO plugins (WordPress), platform settings (Shopify), or campaign interfaces (Google Ads).
Many website owners struggle with search visibility because they haven't properly set up their keywords and meta descriptions. For e-commerce sites, where product visibility directly impacts sales, this is a critical issue.
Think of manually added keywords as your content's GPS coordinates. When someone searches for "blue summer dresses," your chosen keywords guide search engines to show your content to the right audience.
The keyword landscape has evolved. Traditional meta keywords now have limited impact, with modern SEO focusing on natural keyword placement in page titles, headings, body text, and meta descriptions. This shift gives you more control in crafting content that both search engines and people love.
I'm Marlena Mika, and at Vivi-Lu, I've seen how strategic Manually Added Keywords transform a fashion brand's online visibility. The right keywords, placed thoughtfully, are often the difference between being found and being forgotten.
Keywords are the search queries people type into Google, like "women's dresses Chicago" or "fast shipping clothing." Our goal is to match our content to these queries. Manually added keywords are the fundamental signals we send to search engines about our pages' topics. The more clearly we use them, the better a search engine can match our content with a user's intent.
For our Chicago-based fashion boutique, Vivi-Lu, having terms like "neat dresses Illinois" or "chic boutique Chicago" on our site is crucial. It's about being findable for customers in Arlington Heights, Palatine, and beyond.
The title tag is the first thing users and search engines see in results, while the meta description is the "elevator pitch" that entices clicks. These elements fall under on-page SEO, meaning we have direct control over them. By carefully selecting and placing keywords, we directly improve our content's findability, ensuring that when someone needs a stylish new dress, they find Vivi-Lu first.
Best Practices for Selecting and Placing Your Keywords
Effective keyword selection requires understanding what your customers are searching for. Keyword research is the first step. At Vivi-Lu, we find the exact phrases our customers use, like "summer dresses Chicago" versus "flowy midi dresses."
- User Intent: Match your keywords to what users want to do. Someone searching "buy red dress online" has different intent than someone searching "how to style a maxi dress."
- Long-Tail Keywords: Focus on more specific phrases like "neat evening dress with sleeves" instead of broad terms like "dress." These longer searches often convert better.
- Organization: Use tagging and grouping to manage your keyword lists. We separate our summer collection keywords from our formal wear terms to track performance effectively.
Strategic Keyword Placement for Maximum Impact
Once you have your keywords, place them where they'll have the most impact. The goal is natural integration, not just stuffing them everywhere.
- Page Titles: This is your prime real estate. Keep titles under 60 characters and place important keywords near the beginning. For example: "Neat Summer Dresses | Fast Shipping | Vivi-Lu."
- Meta Descriptions: You have about 160 characters to convince someone to click. Weave in keywords naturally while creating a compelling summary.
- H1 Headers: Your main page heading should contain your primary keyword and make sense to a human reader.
- Body Content: Write helpful, detailed descriptions (we aim for 250+ words on product pages) that naturally include your keywords and related terms.
- Image Alt Text: This helps search engines and users with screen readers. Use descriptive text like "navy blue midi dress with three-quarter sleeves" instead of "dress1.jpg."
The key is using natural language and avoiding keyword stuffing. Write for humans first. While some platforms have a dedicated keywords field, its impact is minimal. Focus on optimizing titles, descriptions, and content, using resources like When and how to use keywords to improve an article's search ranking for guidance.
The Truth About the Meta Keywords Tag
The old meta keywords tag, where you could list keywords in your page's HTML, is no longer relevant for most search engines. Google largely ignores meta keywords because the system was widely abused. The only major search engine that still considers them is Yandex, which is popular in Russia.
For modern SEO, focus your energy on creating great content with natural keyword integration in visible areas like titles and descriptions. This approach is more rewarding and creates a better user experience.
How to Add Keywords Manually: A Platform-by-Platform Guide
The process for adding Manually Added Keywords differs depending on your platform. Whether you're on WordPress, Shopify, or Google Ads, the core principle is finding the right fields and filling them out strategically.
Adding Keywords to a WordPress Site
For WordPress users, an SEO plugin like All in One SEO (AIOSEO) makes this process simple. After installing the plugin, a settings box appears on your post and page editor.
- Meta Description: Write your compelling 160-character summary in this field. The plugin provides a live preview of how it will look in search results.
- Focus Keyword: Enter your main keyword here. AIOSEO's TruSEO score will analyze your content and provide actionable suggestions for improvement.
- Advanced Options: For those targeting Yandex or using legacy systems, a meta keywords field is available in the Advanced tab. AIOSEO also offers helpful features like dynamic tags and AI-powered suggestions for titles and descriptions.
Adding Keywords to a Shopify Store
As a Shopify store, Vivi-Lu uses the platform's built-in SEO features. When editing a product, collection, or page, scroll to the "Search engine listing preview" section.
- Page Title: Keep this under 60 characters and include your main keywords. An example for one of our dresses is "Flowy Blue Midi Dress - Perfect for Summer Events."
- Meta Description: You have up to 320 characters (though Google shows ~160) to write a compelling description with relevant keywords. For example: "Find this stunning blue midi dress from our Chicago-based boutique. Fast shipping over $200 and easy 14-day returns."
- Image Alt Text: When uploading photos, use descriptive filenames and alt text like "Vivi-Lu blue floral summer dress with short sleeves." This helps with both SEO and accessibility.
For your homepage, you can set the title and description under Online Store > Preferences. Always write unique content for each page to avoid duplicate content issues. For more guidance, Shopify has great resources on writing effective title tags.
Adding Keywords to Google Ads Campaigns
In paid advertising, Manually Added Keywords determine when your ads are shown. In Google Ads, you bid on specific search terms within themed ad groups (e.g., "Summer Dresses," "Formal Wear").
An important concept is match types, which control how closely a search must match your keyword:
- Broad Match: Widest reach; your ad may show for related searches.
- Phrase Match: The search must include the meaning of your keyword.
- Exact Match: Most restrictive; the search must have the same meaning or intent as your keyword.
We often start with phrase match for a balance of control and reach. Unlike SEO, Google Ads provides immediate feedback on keyword performance, making it ideal for testing. For detailed instructions, refer to Google's official guide on adding keywords.
Essential Tools and Tracking for Your Manually Added Keywords
Implementing Manually Added Keywords requires the right tools for research and consistent monitoring to track performance. A data-driven approach transforms your keyword strategy from guesswork into a reliable method for growth.
Tools for Keyword Research and Management
Understanding what customers search for is crucial. These tools can help:
- Google Keyword Planner: A free tool within Google Ads that provides search volume data and competition levels. It's a great starting point for research. You can open Keyword Planner directly here.
- AIOSEO: For WordPress users, this plugin offers optimization suggestions around focus keywords and can even generate meta description ideas.
- Semrush and Ahrefs: These professional suites offer deep keyword research, competitor analysis, and keyword difficulty metrics. They are a worthy investment for serious online businesses.
- Google Search Console: This free tool shows you which keywords you're already ranking for, revealing performance trends and new content opportunities.
How to Track the Performance of Manually Added Keywords
Adding keywords is only half the battle; tracking their performance is essential for refinement.
Google Search Console is the primary tool for monitoring organic keyword performance. In the Search Results report, check these key metrics:
- Impressions: How often your content appears in search results.
- Click-Through Rate (CTR): The percentage of impressions that result in a click. High impressions but low CTR may indicate a weak title or meta description.
- Average Position: Your average ranking for a keyword. Keywords ranking on the second page are great candidates for optimization.
For more detailed monitoring, rank tracking tools offer granular insights. AIOSEO's Keyword Rank Tracker integrates into the WordPress dashboard, allowing you to see position changes, clicks, and impressions for your chosen keywords in one place. You can learn more about this feature here: Keyword Rank Tracker.
Ranking improvements happen over weeks or months, not days. Be patient, make strategic changes based on data, and give them time to take effect. Consistent tracking and small improvements will compound over time, leading to more visibility and more customers.
Frequently Asked Questions about Manual Keyword Addition
Here are answers to some of the most common questions about Manually Added Keywords.
Are meta keywords still relevant for SEO in 2024?
For Google and most major search engines, meta keywords are obsolete. Google stopped using them years ago because they were frequently abused with irrelevant terms. The only notable exception is Yandex, the Russian search engine, where they may still have a minor impact.
For businesses targeting customers in the US, like Vivi-Lu, it's far more effective to focus on natural keyword integration within high-quality content, titles, and descriptions. Modern SEO prioritizes content quality and user experience over outdated backend tactics.
How long does it take to see ranking changes after adding keywords?
There's no exact timeline, as it depends on several factors. Search engines must first crawl and re-index your updated page. For an established site, re-indexing can take a few weeks, but this varies based on your site's authority and the competitiveness of the keywords.
Highly competitive terms will take longer to show movement than niche, specific phrases. The best advice is to think in weeks, not days. Good SEO requires patience; the results are worth the wait.
Can I add too many keywords?
Yes, and it's a practice called keyword stuffing. Forcibly cramming too many keywords into your content is detrimental for two main reasons:
- Search Engine Penalties: Search engines can detect this unnatural practice and may penalize your site by lowering its rank or removing it from search results entirely.
- Poor User Experience: Keyword-stuffed text is often unreadable and nonsensical. Visitors will be deterred by the low-quality content and leave your page, increasing your bounce rate.
Trying to rank for everything often results in ranking for nothing. At Vivi-Lu, we focus on writing for our customers first, weaving in keywords naturally to create content that is helpful for both people and search engines.
Conclusion: Mastering Your Content's Findability
Manually Added Keywords are your direct line of communication with search engines, telling them what your content is about and who should see it. By crafting thoughtful page titles, compelling meta descriptions, and naturally integrating keywords into your content, you create digital signposts that guide the right audience to your pages.
Modern SEO is about strategic placement and natural integration, not keyword stuffing. Optimizing H1 headers, body content, and image alt text improves user experience and makes your content more valuable.
This is not a one-time task. The importance of tracking keyword performance with tools like Google Search Console cannot be overstated. This continuous cycle of analysis and optimization is what keeps your content competitive.
At Vivi-Lu, a smart keyword strategy ensures that when fashion lovers in Chicago, Elmhurst, or Schaumburg search for "stylish dresses with fast shipping," they find us. Once they do, they experience our commitment to value with fast & free shipping over $200, quick 1-4 day order processing, and a hassle-free 14-day return policy. But first, they have to find us.
Your content deserves to be finded. Use these strategies to improve your findability, be patient with the results, and remember that great SEO is simply great communication.
Ready to dive deeper into optimizing your online presence? Read more on our blog for additional insights and tips!
