How to Use Modifiers for SEO and Boost Your Rankings

Modifiers are words that modify or change the meaning of other words. They can be adjectives, adverbs, nouns, or phrases that add more detail or specificity to your keywords. For example, if your main keyword is “shoes”, you can use modifiers like “best”, “cheap”, “for men”, “running”, or “Nike” to create more specific and relevant keywords.
Modifiers are important for SEO because they can help you rank for long-tail keywords that have less competition and higher conversion rates. Long-tail keywords are phrases that contain three or more words and are more specific than broad keywords. For example, “best running shoes for men” is a long-tail keyword that has less competition and more intent than “shoes”.
Using modifiers can also improve your click-through rate (CTR) and user experience (UX) by making your title tags and meta descriptions more appealing and descriptive. Title tags and meta descriptions are the snippets of text that appear on the search engine results pages (SERPs) and tell users what your page is about. By using modifiers, you can make your snippets stand out from the crowd and entice users to click on your link.
How to Find Modifiers for Your Keywords
There are many ways to find modifiers for your keywords, but here are some of the most common and effective methods:
- Use Google autocomplete and related searches: Google autocomplete is the feature that suggests possible search queries as you type in the search box. You can use this feature to find modifiers that are popular and relevant to your main keyword. For example, if you type in “shoes”, Google will suggest modifiers like “for women”, “online”, “near me”, or “sale”. You can also scroll down to the bottom of the SERP and look at the related searches section to find more modifiers.
- Use keyword research tools: Keyword research tools are online tools that help you find and analyze keywords for your SEO campaigns. Some of the most popular keyword research tools are Google Keyword Planner, Moz Keyword Explorer, SEMrush, and Ahrefs. These tools can help you find modifiers by showing you the search volume, difficulty, and trends of different keywords. You can also use these tools to find keyword variations, synonyms, and questions that contain your main keyword.
- Use competitor analysis: Competitor analysis is the process of analyzing your competitors’ websites and SEO strategies to find out what they are doing well and what they are missing. You can use competitor analysis to find modifiers by looking at their title tags, meta descriptions, headings, content, and URLs. You can also use tools like MozBar or Ahrefs Toolbar to see their keywords and rankings.
How to Use Modifiers for SEO

Once you have found some modifiers for your keywords, you need to use them strategically on your web pages to optimize them for SEO. Here are some best practices for using modifiers for SEO:
- Use modifiers in your title tags: Title tags are one of the most important on-page SEO elements because they tell Google and users what your page is about. You should use modifiers in your title tags to make them more specific, relevant, and catchy. For example, instead of using a generic title like “Shoes”, you can use a modifier like “Best Shoes for Running in 2022”. This will help you rank for long-tail keywords and increase your CTR.
- Use modifiers in your meta descriptions: Meta descriptions are another important on-page SEO element because they provide a summary of your page content and persuade users to click on your link. You should use modifiers in your meta descriptions to make them more descriptive, informative, and enticing. For example, instead of using a bland meta description like “Buy shoes online”, you can use a modifier like “Buy cheap shoes online with free shipping and returns”. This will help you stand out from the competition and increase your CTR.
- Use modifiers in your headings: Headings are the subheadings that divide your page content into sections and make it easier to read and scan. You should use modifiers in your headings to