Put Keywords Back

Hi @jakebb,

We won’t add them back in. Yahoo and Bing also don’t use them, so I’m curious to know which other search engines use them? It’s much better to focus on great content and do some keyword research instead of using the meta keywords.

To be exact, Bing still uses them, but only as a SPAM signal: https://searchengineland.com/the-meta-keywords-tag-lives-at-bing-why-only-spammers-should-use-it-96874. Which means, using them can only hurt your sites ranking in Bing. Yahoo doesn’t use them: https://searchengineland.com/yahoo-search-no-longer-uses-meta-keywords-tag-27303.

Well, what happens to already existing or used meta keywords in product or post database. Does Yoast update removes them or ignores them?

If that’s your view I will be one along with others no longer using this plugin.

The fact that we use them as a site should not matter to you or is it that fact that you sell a separate plugin thats basested on keywords? I notice on your blog posts a bit of hypocrisy ageset them but you in fact still use a form of keywords for your site.

The option was not enabled so giving the user be that free or paid had the cjoseing to use them if they wanted.

SEO keywords are the key words and phrases in your web content that make it possible for people to find your site via search engines better along with content with in it. We also use them for a 3rd party sites to track data on how users use are site but that is nothing to really to do with you nor none of your business.

Also a funny fact we also use them for Twitter for hashtag keywords, You seem to thing keywords is a dead form of SEO when it’s not. So what if the top searchengines say they no longer use them but still do in some format.

With in one day of you removing keywords my site going from being listed raked in the top 10 on search to now 20 and nothings changed part from them sites still use keywords that took my spot.

Whether or not I get a negative rank by a search engines for using them would be my choice not yours yours, part is to provide tools for SEO is to include all SEO tools and last time I looked keywords was still part of an SEO.

Your not Apple where you need 569443 bits/cables of tech to make one product work.

I agree, and think they shouldn’t be removed. Why should anyone care if some of us dinosaurs want to keep using them? (and for what it’s worth, I wish rel=”author” hadn’t have been removed, or easy redirects from any edit page either)

@xlanalyticsinc The meta keywords were left in the database, for now, so reverting to the previous version will bring them back.

@jakebb

is it that fact that you sell a separate plugin thats basested on keywords?

We do not sell a meta keywords plugin.

you in fact still use a form of keywords for your site.

Yoast SEO (free or premium) use a focus keyword to analysis your content which is different than the meta keywords. Focus keywords are for internal use whereas meta keywords are external.

We also use them for a 3rd party sites to track data

We also use them for Twitter for hashtag keywords

The meta keywords are in the database so you can still access them for use with other plugin or theme integrations. This allows plugin or theme developers the opportunity to move the meta keywords into their project.

Okay seen as you want to post that I have no shame in shame on you all over WordPress for life!

You sell “News SEO for WordPress plugin” What is a meta keyword plugin for Google News! What also makes you using keywords for Google that you say they no longer use! This being the same format as the keywords factor you use with in your site to pull traffic! Stop hypocrisy from your selfs.

You also need to remove this from your page and the listings here as it no longer does it as you find it pointless.

“Keyword optimization
Up to 5 keywords for each page.”

Also there no good being in the database as we pull them from the page like most website developers would do.

Anyone reading this I would recommend changing to All In One Seo what does not disable SEO tools that are still used as SEO tools just because it thinks there pointless.

You silly people should no longer class yourselves as #1 WordPress SEO Plugin as this will be your downfall!

Hi @jakebb,

You sell “News SEO for WordPress plugin” What is a meta keyword plugin for Google News! What also makes you using keywords for Google that you say they no longer use! This being the same format as the keywords factor you use with in your site to pull traffic! Stop hypocrisy from your selfs.

Please note that this meta “news_keywords” tag is truly only for Google News, and thus not interesting if you’re not listed in Google News. This is a different meta tag than the “keywords” meta tag. Should Google officially announce they no longer use the “news_keywords” anymore, we’ll update our News SEO plugin as well.

Keyword optimization
Up to 5 keywords for each page.

You are mixing two different concepts here. The meta keywords tag is ignored by Google since 2009 (or even before that). The focus keyword is a feature of Yoast SEO that is used to determine whether you’ve optimized your page well for the keyword you want to rank for. It’s not a signal that we give to search engines in and off itself.

Anyone reading this I would recommend changing to All In One Seo what does not disable SEO tools that are still used as SEO tools just because it thinks there pointless.

The meta keywords tag hasn’t been used by the major search engines as a ranking factor since 2009. We don’t want to support SEO tools that are no longer relevant.

@benvaassen

i think could have stayed as an option.

also premium version is there?

• This reply was modified 7 years ago by turquaze.

@turquaze
The meta keywords feature has not been needed for any proper SEO work for almost a decade now, so they have stayed as an option for far too long.

They are not available in Yoast SEO Premium nor are they available in Yoast SEO free.