Do Keywords Still Matter for SEO? Less Than You Think (Here's What Actually Works in 2026)

Do Keywords Still Matter for SEO? Less Than You Think (Here’s What Actually Works in 2026)

A client sent me a screenshot this week. Their WordPress dashboard, Yoast SEO screaming at them in orange and red warnings:

“Focus keyword not found in first paragraph."
"Keyword density too low."
"Focus keyword not used in enough subheadings.”

They wanted to know if they should rewrite the entire post to make the little dot turn green.

I’ve had this conversation more times than I can count. And every time, I have to explain the same uncomfortable truth: Those SEO plugins are giving advice that worked in 2018. Google moved on. The plugins didn’t.

TL;DR: Keywords still matter for clarity and targeting, but Google cares far more about topical authority, search intent, and E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) than keyword repetition. The green dot in Yoast means almost nothing for rankings anymore. What actually works is building comprehensive content that demonstrates expertise and matches what users are actually trying to solve.

Why Everyone Still Obsesses Over Keywords (And Why That’s a Problem)

Here’s why this outdated advice persists:

Keywords are simple. They’re easy to understand. Easy to measure. Easy to sell.

A contractor can look at their dashboard, see a green dot, and feel like their agency is doing something. The plugin tells them they mentioned “roof replacement” enough times. Mission accomplished.

Except Google’s algorithm evolved years ago.

The problem isn’t that keywords don’t matter at all. It’s that most people are stuck optimizing for an algorithm that stopped existing around 2018-2019. They’re following plugin recommendations that were built for a search engine that no longer exists.

And here’s the thing most “SEO experts” won’t tell you: They know this. But green dots in Yoast give clients warm fuzzies and make them think work is being done. It’s easier to show someone a checklist of completed tasks than to explain topical authority and search intent.

We actually get pushback from clients when we don’t use these plugins, or when we only use them for basic stuff like “don’t forget to add your featured image.” They want that validation. That green score.

But making a page “SEO optimized” according to Yoast doesn’t mean Google will rank it.

What Google Actually Cares About in 2025

Modern search is intent-based and context-aware.

Google understands:

Who you’re writing for (contractors? homeowners? commercial property managers?)
Your industry expertise (are you demonstrating real knowledge or regurgitating generic advice?)
What problem you’re actually solving (not just what keyword you repeated 7 times)
Your topical authority (do you cover this subject comprehensively across multiple pieces of content?)

The algorithm looks at semantic relationships, related concepts, and whether your content actually answers what the searcher wanted to know.

Here’s what that means practically:

A roofing contractor wants to rank for “roof replacement.” So they write a 500-word post that mentions “roof replacement” 15 times. Yoast gives them a green dot.

Google ignores it.

Why? Because the search intent behind “roof replacement” could be:

How much does roof replacement cost?
How long does roof replacement take?
Do I need a roof replacement or just repairs?
What’s involved in a roof replacement project?
How do I know if my roofer is doing quality work?

If your “keyword-optimized” page doesn’t actually match what the searcher wanted, you won’t rank—no matter how many times you mentioned the phrase.

For more on how we approach SEO for contractors, including the shift toward intent-based content, check out our SEO services page.

The Day We Learned Topical Authority Matters More Than Keywords

Here’s a story that proves this point better than any case study:

We removed our blog a few years back. Not individual posts—the entire blog section.

We still had our service pages. Those pages still had their target keywords. The on-page SEO fundamentals were still there. Technically, from a “keyword optimization” standpoint, nothing changed.

Our search visibility tanked.

Not because our keywords disappeared. They didn’t. The pages were still optimized for the same terms.

Our topical authority disappeared.

Google stopped seeing us as experts in contractor marketing, local SEO, PPC management, and website design. We weren’t publishing content that demonstrated ongoing expertise in these topics. We weren’t building the semantic relationships that prove you actually know what you’re talking about.

When we restored the blog? Our rankings came back. Our authority was re-established.

That’s the difference between keyword optimization and topical authority. One is a checklist. The other is proof you actually understand the subject.

Real Client Data: When “Keyword-Rich” Posts Started Failing

We stay aggressive on tracking trends. We monitor impressions, clicks, and conversions constantly across all our clients.

Here’s what we’ve been seeing consistently:

Old legacy posts that are “keyword rich” start declining in impressions. The algorithm update hits, and suddenly that perfectly optimized post from 2020 starts losing visibility.

We update it to intent-based content—and here’s where it gets interesting—that new version might not even mention the target keyword once. Not in the title. Not in the first paragraph. Sometimes not anywhere in the body copy.

And it performs better. Often dramatically better. For the exact keyword that isn’t mentioned.

Why?

Because that keyword represented the intent users were searching for. But users weren’t actually typing that exact phrase anymore. They were asking conversational questions. They were using AI search tools. They were describing their problem in natural language.

Google understood what they wanted. And it ranked the page that actually answered that question—even without the exact keyword phrase.

The Roofing Contractor Keyword Trap

Here’s how this plays out with most of our roofing clients:

They want to rank for:

“Roof replacement”
“Roof repair”
“Storm damage”
“Insurance claims”

Every. Single. Post.

The SEO plugins encourage variations of these phrases. So you end up with content that’s technically diverse enough to avoid “keyword stuffing” penalties, but still fundamentally doing the same thing: forcing keywords into content.

And they don’t rank.

Not because the keywords are wrong. Because the intent is wrong.

Someone searching “roof replacement” in January after a hailstorm has completely different intent than someone searching the same phrase in July while planning a home renovation. One needs emergency help. One is researching options.

The keyword is identical. The intent is completely different.

When we write content for clients, we don’t start with “what keyword should we use?” We start with “what problem is this person actually trying to solve?”

How We Actually Approach SEO for Contractors (The Rebel Ape Method)

Here’s our process, which has nothing to do with making Yoast happy:

Step 1: Extract Real Expertise

We interview our clients about:

Their actual services and processes
Their “secret sauce” (the specific way they do things)
Common customer questions and objections
Problems they solve that competitors don’t

This isn’t about keywords. It’s about capturing knowledge that only someone who actually does the work would know.

Step 2: Research What People Actually Search For

Not just keyword volume. Search intent.

What problem are they trying to solve? What questions are they asking? How do they describe this problem in their own words?

This is where we see the disconnect between “industry keywords” and “actual search behavior.”

Step 3: Build from a Strong Foundation

We create content that:

Demonstrates real expertise (not generic advice anyone could write)
Answers the actual question (not just ranks for a phrase)
Builds topical authority through comprehensive coverage
Includes related concepts and semantic relationships naturally

Notice what’s missing from this process: Checking if the keyword appears in the title, opening paragraph, an H2, a link, and all the other boxes Yoast wants you to tick.

Google doesn’t care about that checklist anymore. It cares about whether you actually know what you’re talking about and whether your content helps the searcher.

Step 4: Measure What Actually Matters

We track:

Impressions and clicks (are people finding this content?)
Time on page and engagement (is it actually useful?)
Conversions and leads (does it drive business results?)
Topical coverage (are we building authority across the subject?)

What we don’t track: Whether the focus keyword appears enough times.

For more on how we measure actual marketing performance, see our tracking and analytics approach.

What About Voice Search and AI?

Here’s where keyword-focused SEO really breaks down:

People don’t talk to Siri or ChatGPT the way they type into a search box.

They don’t say “roof replacement Denver.” They say “I think I need a new roof—how do I know for sure?” or “What’s the difference between roof repair and replacement?”

This conversational, intent-driven search is only going to increase. And it makes keyword density metrics even more irrelevant than they already were.

The content that wins in this environment is content that:

Answers actual questions comprehensively
Demonstrates expertise through specific examples
Covers related concepts and follow-up questions
Reads naturally (because it might literally be read aloud)

For more on how AI is changing search for contractors, check out our guide to AI for home service companies.

So Should You Just Ignore Keywords Completely?

No. Keywords still serve a purpose:

They provide clarity. Targeting a specific phrase forces you to be clear about what the page is actually about.

They guide structure. Knowing what someone might search helps you organize content logically.

They inform intent. Understanding the keyword tells you what problem to solve.

What you shouldn’t do:

Obsess over keyword density
Force exact-match phrases into awkward positions
Repeat the same phrase just to make a plugin happy
Measure success by whether Yoast shows green

Think of keywords as a starting point, not the destination. They help you understand what to write about. But the actual content should be built around expertise, intent, and helping the reader—not hitting a target keyword count.

The Bottom Line on Keywords in 2025

Do keywords still matter for SEO?

Yes, but only as a guiding principle—not as a checklist to optimize for.

Google moved beyond simple keyword matching years ago. The algorithm now evaluates:

Topical authority across your entire site
Search intent and context
E-E-A-T signals (expertise, experience, authoritativeness, trustworthiness)
Semantic relationships and related concepts
User engagement and satisfaction

The green dot in Yoast? It’s a participation trophy that doesn’t reflect how modern search actually works.

What works instead:

Building comprehensive content that demonstrates real expertise
Matching search intent instead of just keyword phrases
Establishing topical authority through depth of coverage
Writing for humans (who might be using AI assistants and voice search)

If you want help building a modern SEO strategy that’s based on what actually works—not what worked in 2018—we can help. Check out our SEO services for contractors or schedule a call to discuss your specific situation.

And if your current agency is still chasing green dots in Yoast? It might be time for a conversation about what SEO actually looks like in 2025.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: If I don’t use keywords, how will Google know what my page is about?

Google is sophisticated enough to understand topics without exact keyword matching. Focus on writing comprehensive content about your subject using natural language. Include related concepts, answer common questions, and demonstrate expertise. Google will understand what your page is about through semantic relationships and context—often better than if you’d just repeated a keyword phrase.

Q: Should I stop using Yoast or other SEO plugins entirely?

Not necessarily. These plugins can be helpful for technical SEO basics: reminding you to add featured images, setting up meta descriptions, managing redirects, and creating XML sitemaps. What you should stop doing is treating their “keyword optimization” scores as meaningful ranking factors. Use them for technical housekeeping, not content strategy.

Q: How do I know if I’m targeting the right search intent?

Look at what’s currently ranking for your target search term. What type of content is Google showing? Guides? Product pages? Local results? This tells you what Google thinks searchers want. Then ask: Does my content actually solve that problem better than what’s ranking? If not, either improve your approach or target different intent.

Q: Won’t my competitors outrank me if they’re using keywords and I’m not?

Your competitors using keywords isn’t what ranks them (or doesn’t). What matters is whether their content demonstrates expertise, matches search intent, and builds topical authority. If they’re doing those things while also using keywords naturally, great. If they’re just keyword-stuffing while you’re building comprehensive, expert content, you’ll win over time.

Q: How long does it take to build topical authority?

Topical authority isn’t built with a single post—it’s built across your entire site over time. For most contractors, we see meaningful results within 3-6 months of consistent, intent-based content creation. But this assumes you’re creating comprehensive content that demonstrates real expertise, not just publishing keyword-stuffed posts that check boxes in an SEO plugin.

Q: What should I focus on instead of keyword density?

Focus on comprehensiveness, expertise, and intent. Ask: Does this content answer the searcher’s actual question? Does it demonstrate that we actually know what we’re talking about? Does it cover related concepts and follow-up questions? Is it better than what’s currently ranking? Those are the questions that matter in modern SEO.

Q: Can I still use my focus keyword in titles and headings?

Yes—when it makes sense naturally. If your target phrase fits naturally in your title or headings, use it. But don’t force it. A title like “Everything You Need to Know About Replacing Your Roof” might perform better than “Roof Replacement: Roof Replacement Guide for Roof Replacement Services” even though the second has the keyword three times. Write for humans first.