A focus keyword is the search term you want one page to rank for. You set it at the top of the TamRank SEO box, and from that moment TamRank checks your title, your description, your slug and your content against it. This page shows how to set one, how to add secondary keywords, and where the keyword actually counts towards your score.
In short
- Open a post or page and find the TamRank SEO box.
- Type your keyword in the Focus Keyword field at the top of the SEO tab.
- Watch the Improvements list tick off keyword in title, description and URL.
- Want more than one? Turn on Secondary Keywords for up to four extra. All free.
Setting your focus keyword
The Focus Keyword field is the first field in the SEO tab of the TamRank SEO box, above the meta title. Type the phrase you want the page to rank for and save. There is nothing else to switch on.
As soon as the field has a value, two things happen. The Improvements checklist in the sidebar gains three extra checks, Keyword in Title, Keyword in Description and Keyword in URL, each showing Found or Not found. And the score next to it starts recalculating as you type, so you can see a title rewrite land before you save.
Matching is not case sensitive, so Bread Baking and bread baking count as the same phrase.
Choosing a keyword worth setting
One page, one keyword. The phrase should be what a person would genuinely type, and it should match what the page actually delivers.
- Be specific. A new site will not win “shoes”. It can win “waterproof walking shoes for wide feet”. Longer phrases have less competition and clearer intent.
- Match the intent. Someone searching “how to bake bread” wants steps, not a product page. Someone searching “buy sourdough starter” wants a shop. Write the page the search deserves.
- One page per keyword. If two of your pages target the same phrase, they compete with each other and Google picks one, usually not the one you would have chosen.
Secondary keywords, and they are free
Below the Google Preview you will find Secondary Keywords with an Enable toggle. It is off and collapsed by default. Switch it on and you get four slots, numbered 1 to 4, for related terms and long-tail variations you also want the page to cover.
That is one focus keyword plus four secondary keywords, five in total. All of it is included in the free plugin. Nothing here needs PRO.
Once a focus keyword is set, a Suggestions box appears with related terms you can add with a single click. Slots 2 to 4 have a small cross to clear them again. Leave the toggle off and no secondary keywords are saved at all.
Where your keyword actually counts
Your keyword feeds both halves of your page score. It is worth knowing which checks look for it, because that tells you where to put it.
In your meta, the smaller and faster half
- having a focus keyword set at all earns points on its own
- the keyword in your meta title
- the keyword in your meta description
- the keyword in your URL slug
In your content, the larger half
- in the first 150 words of the page
- at least twice on the page
- used a sensible number of times, roughly 1 to 2 percent of your words, not so often it reads as stuffing
- in at least one H2 subheading
- alongside natural variants, the related phrasings a reader would use
- in your H1, which the headings checks look for
- in at least one image alt text, which the image checks look for
The full breakdown of the content side is in What TamRank’s content analysis checks, and how the two halves add up is in How your SEO score works.
Tip: write the page first, then place the keyword
The checks above read like a checklist, and it is tempting to write to them. Do not. Write the page for the person searching, then read it back once with the keyword in mind and fix the three or four places where it belongs naturally: the H1, the opening paragraph, one subheading, the title and description. That takes a couple of minutes and passes almost every check. Writing the other way round produces pages that tick every box and that nobody wants to read.
Troubleshooting
The keyword checks do not appear. Keyword in Title, Keyword in Description and Keyword in URL only show once the Focus Keyword field has a value. Fill it in and they appear.
The Secondary Keywords fields are hidden. They are off by default. Turn on the Enable toggle in that section. There are four slots, no more.
My score did not move after setting a keyword. The metabox score updates live as you type, but the dashboard and the audit read the last saved score. Save the page, or run an audit, to refresh those.
The density check fails and I cannot see why. It looks at how often the keyword appears relative to your total word count. On a short page a few mentions is already a high percentage. Adding real content usually fixes it faster than removing mentions.
The SEO box is missing entirely. It does not appear on media or attachments, and it can be switched off under TamRank → Settings → General. Check that Enable meta boxes is on.
Frequently asked questions
How many keywords can I set per page?
One focus keyword plus up to four secondary keywords, five in total.
Are secondary keywords a PRO feature?
No. The focus keyword and all four secondary keywords are in the free plugin.
Do I have to set a focus keyword?
No, but without one TamRank has nothing to check your page against, so the keyword checks stay unscored and you leave points on the table.
Does TamRank tell me how often a keyword is searched?
No. TamRank checks how well your page is built around the keyword you chose. For search volume and competition, use a keyword research tool, then bring the phrase back here.
Can two pages share a focus keyword?
They can, but they should not. Two of your own pages targeting the same phrase compete with each other. Give each page its own angle and its own keyword.
Related
- How it feeds your score: How your SEO score works
- Every content check: What TamRank’s content analysis checks
- Getting it into your snippet: Writing meta titles and descriptions
- The bigger picture: The complete WordPress SEO guide
- Back to Documentation
