What should I do with ‘how to’ in my keywords?

Short Answer: You should include ‘how to’ as a phrase in your keyword list because when someone uses ‘how to’ in their search, they are typically looking for a YouTube tutorial.

Full Explanation

The phrase ‘how to’ is a strong indicator of intent, showing that the searcher wants to learn or be guided through a process. Most users typing ‘how to’ into a search engine expect video tutorials, especially from platforms like YouTube. Therefore, by adding ‘how to’ as a phrase in your keyword strategy, you align your content with the common user intent of finding step-by-step instructional videos.

Step-by-Step Breakdown

Identify ‘how to’ keywords: Make a list of keywords that include the phrase ‘how to’.
Understand user intent: Recognize that these keywords suggest the user is looking for a tutorial, usually in video form.
Optimize for tutorial content: Tailor your content to meet this expectation, potentially focusing on formats like videos.
Include ‘how to’ phrases in your SEO strategy: Add these phrases into your keyword list to capture this audience.

Real Examples

Whenever someone searches for ‘how to’ plus a task or skill, they are mainly seeking a YouTube tutorial that guides them visually through the process. For instance, ‘how to bake a cake’ or ‘how to fix a leak’ are common queries envisaging step-by-step video explanations.

Common Mistakes

Ignoring ‘how to’ phrases in keyword research, which means missing out on users specifically looking for tutorial content.
Assuming ‘how to’ searches are purely text-based, whereas the majority are looking for visual guides such as YouTube videos.
Failing to optimize content for video tutorials when targeting ‘how to’ keyword phrases.

FAQs

Q: Should ‘how to’ be included in all keywords?
A: You should include ‘how to’ specifically when people are looking for tutorials, as it matches their intent for learning through videos.

Q: Are ‘how to’ keywords only useful for YouTube?
A: They are highly relevant for YouTube tutorials, as most searches containing ‘how to’ indicate a desire for video content.

Key Takeaways

Including ‘how to’ in your keyword list is important because it signals tutorial search intent.
People who use ‘how to’ in searches are usually looking for YouTube-style instructional videos.
Optimizing for ‘how to’ phrases can help attract users seeking visual learning materials.