Improve SEO in Your Articles: Stop Words
Let’s clear up the mystery about stop words
We all know that good SEO is key for getting traffic to our work. As a trained SEO professional, I have recently posted several articles on how to improve the SEO of your work. Here are links to other articles that may be of help to you:
- Make that Metadata Work for You
- Long-Tail Keywords and SEO (coming up this week)
- SEO Tricks You Need to Make More Money With Your Writing
- An Easy SEO Guide for Poets
Today, we’ll discuss a concept you may not have even heard of — SEO stop words.
Today’s Takeaways
- What are SEO stop words?
- How do you use SEO stop words?
- Where can you find a list of SEO stop words?
SEO Stop Words: How it works
Certain words are “ignored” in Google searching and in your SEO keyword usage. It’s important to have an understanding of how this works so that you may use SEO to your advantage in your articles.
What are SEO stop words?
SEO stop words are words that don’t “count” when you are utilizing SEO keywords in your work. These SEO stop words, ignored by SEO metrics, allow you to write more freely and fluidly. These words are usually articles, prepositions, pronouns, or conjunctions. You can also use punctuation in your SEO phrases to allow you to fit in awkward long-tail keywords.
How do you use SEO stop words?
If you have a good understanding of SEO stop words you can work your SEO keywords into your writing and make your content flow more smoothly while not sacrificing ranking on SERPs. You can use these words, and sometimes punctuation, in the midst of your keyword phrases and they will not take away the impact of your SEO keywords. For difficult keyword phrases, stop words can give you the flexibility you need to include complex keyword phrases.
Where can you find a list of SEO stop words?
There are many articles on SEO stop words. Here are a few for your reference, along with a list of common SEO stop words.
Common SEO Stop Words
A A About Above Actually After Again Against All Almost Also Although Always Am An And Any Are As At
B Be Became Become Because Been Before Being Below Between Both But By
C Can Could
D Did Do Does Doing Down During
E Each Either Else
F Few For From Further
H Had Has Have Having He He’d He’ll Hence He’s Her Here Here’s Hers Herself Him Himself His How How’s
I I I’d I’ll I’m I’ve If In Into Intro Is It It’s Its Itself
J Just
L Let’s
M May Maybe Me Might Mine More Most Must My Myself
N Neither Nor Not
O Of Oh On Once Only Ok Or Other Ought Our Ours Ourselves Out Over Own
S Same She She’d She’ll She’s Should So Some Such
T Than That That’s The Their Theirs Them Themselves Then There There’s These They They’d They'll They’re This Those Through To Too
U Under Until Up
V Very
W Was We We’d We’ll We’re We’ve Were What What’s When Whenever When’s Where Whereas Where’s Wherever Whether Which While Who Whoever Who’s Whose Whom Why Why’s Will With Within Would
Y Yes Yet You You’d You’ll You’re You’ve Your Yours Yourself Yourselves
Stop Punctuation
Punctuation is also ignored when included in the keyword phrasing, as well as capital lettering. Keep this in mind when crafting your sentences and getting creative with your longtail keyword inclusion.
Examples for using stop words and punctuation
Let’s say you have a list of long-tail keywords from your client and they want you to work those into your article.
Keywords List parenting parenting babies why is my baby crying how to make a baby stop crying reasons my baby is crying calm a baby crying
The simple keywords there like “parenting” and “parenting babies” are more like head keywords, meaning the Google searches for those terms is exceptionally high and therefore difficult for you use to work your way up in ranking. In come the long-tail keywords, usually longer phrases, that are less searched but can be easier for you to try and rank on SERPs.
But they can be really awkward. Like “calm a baby crying” doesn’t fit easily into a sentence, though people may be typing it in that way into the Google search bar. You need to work it in, but how? Using stop words and punctuation. Here are ways to work it in…bold emphasis to show you the keyword phrase:
…when you try to calm a baby. Crying can indicate…
…Why is my baby crying nonstop? Will someone please tell me common reasons? My baby is crying all day and night.
…When your baby is crying and you don’t understand why. “Is my baby crying too much?” “How to make a baby stop crying?” Your Google searches are exhaustive…
Stop keywords, in conclusion, can be the key to getting those keyword phrases to flow within your context. Readability is key to keeping your reader’s eyes moving through your work. Stop keywords give us the power to create readable content that is easily digested for the reader.
Stay tuned for more great SEO resources and writing tips!