How to Add SEO Keywords to WordPress Website (No Plugin Needed)

Quick answer:

To add SEO keywords to WordPress without a plugin, choose one main keyword per page, then use it in the title, the URL slug, the first paragraph, at least one subheading, and an image’s alt text where it describes the image. Support it with natural variations in the body and use it as anchor text when other pages link to this one. Skip the meta keywords tag: Google ignores it.

You’ve written a solid page about your service. You know people search for it.

But when you open the WordPress editor, there’s no box labeled “keywords”, and every tutorial you find tells you to install a plugin first.

Here’s the good news: the keyword box you’re looking for doesn’t exist because it was never the point. Google stopped reading the meta keywords tag back in 2009.

What matters is where your words appear on the page itself, and WordPress already gives you every one of those places.

This guide covers both halves of the job. First, how to pick the right keyword for a page using free tools.

Then, the 11 places to put it in WordPress, with the exact click path in the block editor for each, real examples, and a checklist to run before you hit Publish.

Step 1: Pick the Right Keyword Before You Place It

Placement only helps if the keyword is right. Most pages that “do everything correctly” and still don’t rank are targeting a phrase nobody searches, or one that a different kind of page wins.

Find keywords with free tools

• Google autocomplete: Type your service into Google and note the suggestions. Add a letter after it (“emergency plumber a”, “emergency plumber b”) to see more.
• People Also Ask and related searches: Scroll the results page for the questions and phrases Google already connects to your topic.
• Google Search Console: Under Performance > Search results, open a page and look at its Queries tab. These are the words Google already shows that page for, often ones you never targeted.
• Google Keyword Planner: Free with a Google Ads account. Use it for rough monthly volume ranges.

Check the search intent

Search your candidate keyword and look at the top five results. If they’re all blog guides, a service page won’t rank for it, and vice versa. If they’re all map listings, the keyword is local, and your Google Business Profile matters as much as your page.

Map one primary keyword to one page

Give every important page its own primary keyword, plus two or three close variations. Keep a simple spreadsheet with three columns: URL, primary keyword, variations.

Before you write a new page, check the sheet. If the keyword is already taken, update the existing page instead of creating a competitor to it.

Page	Primary keyword	Variations
/drain-cleaning/	drain cleaning austin	clogged drain repair, hydro jetting austin
/water-heater-repair/	water heater repair austin	tankless water heater repair, no hot water fix
/blog/why-is-my-drain-slow/	slow draining sink	sink draining slowly, how to fix slow drain

Step 2: Add Your Keyword in 11 Places WordPress Already Gives You

The examples below use one page targeting drain cleaning austin.

1. The post or page title

Where: the title field at the top of the block editor.

In most themes this text becomes both the H1 on the page and the start of the title tag in search results. Put the keyword near the front and keep the whole title readable.

Example: Drain Cleaning in Austin: Same-Day Service, Upfront Prices

2. The title tag (if it should differ from the H1)

WordPress builds the title tag from your post title plus your site name. If you want a different, shorter title in search results, you need a small code snippet.

Our guide to WordPress SEO without a plugin has it. Aim for under about 60 characters.

3. The URL slug

Where: the Settings sidebar > Summary panel > click the URL to edit the slug.

Keep it short: /drain-cleaning-austin/, not /drain-cleaning-services-in-austin-texas-best-prices/. Set it before publishing. Changing a live URL later needs a redirect.

4. The first paragraph

Use the keyword, or a close variation, in the first two or three sentences. It confirms to readers and search engines that they’re in the right place.

Example: Need drain cleaning in Austin today? Our licensed plumbers clear kitchen, bathroom and main line clogs across Travis County.

5. Subheadings (H2 and H3)

Where: add a Heading block and choose H2 or H3 from its toolbar.

Use the keyword or a variation in one or two subheadings where it describes the section honestly. Use the others for the related questions people ask: cost, timing, signs you need the service.

6. Body copy, through variations

After the first paragraph, stop counting. There’s no target density. Cover the topic thoroughly and the related terms appear on their own: hydro jetting, main sewer line, camera inspection, clogged drain. Those related terms do more for relevance than repeating the exact phrase.

7. Image alt text

Where: select an Image block > Settings sidebar > Alternative text.

Describe what’s in the image. If the keyword fits naturally, use it once. Don’t stuff it into every image.

Example: Plumber using a hydro jetting machine to clear a drain in an Austin home

8. Image file names

Rename files before you upload them. drain-cleaning-austin-hydro-jetting.webp tells search engines more than IMG_4821.jpg. WordPress turns the file name into the attachment’s default title, so it’s worth doing.

9. Internal link anchor text

Where: highlight text in another post > press Ctrl+K (Cmd+K on Mac) > search for the page and select it.

When other pages on your site link to this one, link from descriptive words, such as our drain cleaning service in Austin, not “click here”. This is one of the strongest keyword signals you control, and most sites underuse it.

10. The excerpt (and meta description)

Where: Settings sidebar > Excerpt.

Many themes show the excerpt on blog and archive pages. If you output meta descriptions with code, the excerpt can double as your meta description.

Use the keyword once and write it as a reason to click, not a list of terms. Google bolds words that match the search, which draws the eye.

11. Categories, tags and schema

Where: Settings sidebar > Categories and Tags.

Use a small number of clear categories (“Plumbing Services”, “Drain Tips”).

Avoid creating a new tag for every keyword variation; that produces dozens of thin archive pages.

For local businesses, add LocalBusiness schema that names your services and service area, which reinforces the same keywords in a format machines read.

See our LocalBusiness schema guide.

What about the meta keywords tag?

Skip it. Google announced in 2009 that it doesn’t use the keywords meta tag for ranking, and Bing treats a stuffed one as a spam signal. It also hands your keyword list to any competitor who views your page source.

Keyword Mistakes That Hold WordPress Pages Back

• Two pages, one keyword. If your service page and a blog post both target “drain cleaning austin”, Google picks one and the other drags. Merge them, or retarget the post to a question keyword.
• Stuffing the phrase. Writing “drain cleaning Austin” eight times reads badly and can trip Google’s spam systems. Variations work better.
• A tag for every variation. Forty tags with one post each create forty thin pages competing with your real ones.
• Changing slugs on live pages. WordPress redirects changed post slugs, but changes to pages, categories and structure often need manual redirects.
• Ignoring intent. A service page will not rank for an informational question, however well optimized.

How to Check Whether Your Keywords Are Working?

Give a newly optimized page four to eight weeks, then open Google Search Console:

1. Go to Performance > Search results and filter by the page URL.
2. Open the Queries tab. Is your primary keyword there? What’s its average position?
3. Look for queries with high impressions but positions 8 to 20. Those are your easiest wins: add a section that answers them, or use the phrase in a subheading.
4. If impressions are high but clicks are low, rewrite the title and meta description to be more specific and more compelling.

Local Keywords Need One More Layer

For local businesses, “drain cleaning austin” isn’t only won on your website. Google’s local pack weighs your Google Business Profile categories and services, your reviews, and whether your name, address and phone match everywhere. Your on-page keywords and your profile should tell the same story.

That’s where FoundHint helps. Its local keyword research finds the service and city phrases people near you actually search, shows volume and difficulty, and lets you assign each one to a page so nothing overlaps. Then local rank tracking and the local SEO grid show where you rank, neighborhood by neighborhood.

For a deeper look at placement on local pages, read Local On-Page SEO: Where to Place City, Service, and Keywords.

Pre-Publish Keyword Checklist

• One primary keyword, not used by any other page on the site
• Keyword near the start of the title
• Short, keyword-based slug set before publishing
• Keyword in the first two or three sentences
• Keyword or variation in at least one H2
• Related terms and questions covered in the body
• Descriptive alt text and file names on images
• Excerpt or meta description written as a reason to click
• Two or three internal links pointing to the page with descriptive anchors
• One relevant category, few or no new tags

Frequently Asked Questions