Basics

How to Search for Keywords on a Web Page: A Practical Guide

May 29, 2025

How to search for keywords on a webpage
How to search for keywords on a webpage

You're auditing a competitor’s content or trying to improve your own, YOU NEED TO LEARN how to search for keywords on a web page is essential. Keywords give clues about SEO strategy, user intent, and optimization quality—all critical for ranking higher in search results.

This guide is for marketers, SEOs, and content strategists who want to analyze keyword usage efficiently. You'll learn manual and tool-based methods, along with expert tips to avoid common mistakes. By the end, you’ll know exactly how to extract valuable keyword insights from any page.

What Are Keywords on a Web Page?

In SEO terms, keywords are the search terms that which content is optimized to rank. These terms often appear:

  • In the page title and meta description

  • Inside headings (H1, H2, etc.)

  • Throughout the body content

  • In alt text for images

  • Embedded in URL slugs, anchor text, and schema markup

There are two major types:

  1. Visible keywords – the ones you can read directly on the page.

  2. Hidden keywords – found in the code or metadata, such as image alt tags or structured data.

Knowing how to uncover both is key to understanding a page’s SEO footprint.

Manual Methods to Find Keywords

1. Use Your Browser's “Find” Feature

Every modern browser (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge) has a built-in “Find on Page” tool. Just press Cmd+F (Mac) or Ctrl+F (Windows) and type a suspected keyword.

🔍 Example:
If you're analyzing a blog about productivity tools, try searching for keywords like time tracking, task manager, or remote work.

Screenshot of a web page with a search term highlighted using browser

2. View Page Source or Inspect Element

To find hidden keywords:

  • Right-click the page and choose “View Page Source”

  • Use Cmd+F or Ctrl+F to look for terms like:

    • <meta name="keywords">

    • alt="keyword"

    • <h1> or <h2> tag content

This reveals keyword usage in metadata, image descriptions, and heading structure.

Using Tools to Search for Keywords on a Web Page

Manual techniques work, but they can be slow and incomplete. That’s where tools come in. Here are a few that make keyword scanning faster and more insightful:

Chrome Extensions

  • SEO Meta in 1 Click: Summarizes metadata, heading tags, and keyword presence at a glance.

  • Keywords Everywhere: Shows search volume and related terms while browsing.

On-Page SEO Audit Tools

  • Screaming Frog: Crawl a URL to extract keyword-rich elements like headings, meta descriptions, and alt text.

  • SurferSEO: Provides keyword density, placement insights, and content structure comparisons.

Comparison chart showing features of Screaming Frog and SurferSEO

These tools don’t just find keywords—they show how well they’re optimized, offering suggestions for improvements.

Pro Tips for Keyword Analysis

Once you've identified the keywords, focus on quality and context, not just quantity.

  • Look at keyword density, but don’t overdo it. 1–2% is safe.

  • Ensure that primary keywords appear:

    • In the first 100 words

    • In at least one H2 heading

    • Naturally, within image alt text

Remember: Over-optimization can lead to penalties. Google rewards clarity and value, not repetition.

The Link Between Keyword Presence and Ranking

Identifying the right keywords on a page is just one piece of the puzzle. To fully understand their impact, you need to track how those keywords actually perform in search rankings. This is where keyword monitoring tools come in.

Let’s say you’ve optimized your homepage for “AI productivity tools.” How do you know it’s working?

👉 Enter: Rank tracking tools.

These platforms allow you to monitor where your page ranks for specific keywords over time. One standout guide on this process is Where Does My Page Rank for a Keyword? A Practical Guide for SEO Monitoring. It breaks down step-by-step how to:

  • Track keyword rankings using tools like Google Search Console and HypeSuite

  • Set benchmarks and compare against competitors

  • Identify sudden ranking drops and keyword cannibalization

By combining on-page keyword discovery with ongoing performance tracking, you create a feedback loop that continuously improves your SEO strategy.

Best AI Tools to Enhance Your SEO Keyword Search

If manual audits and static tools aren’t cutting it, AI-powered platforms are your next best move. These tools not only identify keywords but also offer contextual analysis, optimization suggestions, and predictive insights.

A great resource to explore is Best AI SEO Tools, which reviews top solutions like:

  • HypeSuite AI – Provides keyword extraction, NLP-based content scoring, and on-page recommendations.

  • SurferSEO – Analyzes SERPs in real-time to suggest optimal keyword density and placement.

  • MarketMuse – Uses AI to identify content gaps and guide keyword coverage.



These tools are especially valuable for scaling content audits across multiple pages or domains, making them ideal for agencies, SaaS marketers, and enterprise teams.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

When searching for keywords on a web page, it’s easy to fall into these common traps:

  • Keyword stuffing: Overusing a keyword makes your content unreadable and hurts rankings.

  • Ignoring alt text: Search engines read image descriptions, so don’t skip optimizing them.

  • Forgetting semantic relevance: Don’t just repeat the exact keyword—include variations, synonyms, and related terms.

  • Skipping metadata: If your keywords don’t appear in titles and descriptions, you’re missing crucial ranking signals.

Conclusion: Make Keyword Scanning a Habit

Keyword analysis shouldn’t be a one-time task. Treat it as a habit, especially when creating, editing, or evaluating any content.

Start with manual checks, level up with browser tools, and scale with AI-powered platforms. By combining these approaches, you’ll not only identify the right keywords but you’ll know how to use them effectively for visibility and growth.

Ready to get started? Try a free HypeSuite SEO scan to see which keywords your top pages are ranking for—and where they’re falling short.

FAQ:

How do I check what keywords my page ranks for?

Use Google Search Console or tools like HypeSuite, Ahrefs, or SEMrush. These platforms show impressions, rankings, and clicks for each keyword tied to your pages.

Can I find hidden keywords on competitor pages?

Yes. Use “View Page Source” in your browser to examine meta tags, image alt text, and headings. Tools like Screaming Frog also crawl and surface these elements automatically.

What’s the best free tool to check keyword presence?

SEO Meta in 1 Click is a great Chrome extension for instant audits. It shows title tags, meta descriptions, headings, and more—all in one panel.