What is Focus Keyword?

A focus keyword (or primary keyword) is the main search phrase a page is designed to rank for. It guides the title, headings, URL and content — but it isn't something search engines read from a setting.

Focus Keyword — SEO Library

Focus keyword is an editorial tool#

SEO plugins like Yoast and Rank Math — and this theme’s SEO panel — ask for a focus keyword so they can check whether you’ve used it in the right places. Google never sees that field. What matters is how well the published page matches the searcher’s query and intent.

Choosing a good focus keyword#

It matches a real query people search (check Search Console, Keyword Planner or a keyword tool).
Its intent matches the type of page you’re writing.
No other page on your site targets the same keyword (avoid cannibalization).
You can realistically compete for it — check keyword difficulty and the current results.

Where to use it#

Title tag, near the beginning.
H1 and at least one H2 (naturally, or a close variant).
The first paragraph.
The URL slug.
The meta description.
Image alt text, only where it genuinely describes the image.

After that, write naturally. Pages rank for hundreds of related phrases, so use synonyms and cover subtopics instead of repeating one phrase. See keyword density.