What are Keywords: A Comprehensive Guide for Website Owners

Keywords are the cornerstone of the world of digital marketing and SEO. They're not just random words, they're the phrases people use when searching for information, products, or services online. Understanding these words and how to use them effectively can make a big difference in your website's reach and success.

What are the keywords.
Simply put, keywords are words and phrases that internet users type into search engines like Google and Bing. These queries provide us with a window into the terms and phrases that people use when they search for something. Website owners do keyword research to compile lists of these key phrases, which they can use when creating content. They also take into account the monthly keyword search volume, which is the approximate number of searches for a particular word or phrase each month. The larger the search volume, the greater the opportunity to attract visitors, but also the greater the competition.

Types of Keywords
There are several types of keywords that website owners use to create content, product descriptions, and copy ads. These types include:

  • Exact Matching Keywords: These words match the exact phrase of the user's search query. For example, if someone searches for the word "running shoes," the exact match keyword would be "running shoes."

  • Seed Keywords: These are the broad keywords that many people are searching for. For example, a "wedding band" can refer to a ring or a group of musicians. This means that in addition to ranking for key keywords, it makes sense to try to rank for more specific terms, such as "wedding ring" or "wedding music."

  • Long-tail Keywords: These are longer phrases with less search volume but stronger search structure. For example, while someone might be looking for general information about "deck furniture," someone with a clearer idea of what to look for for "wooden deck furniture for all seasons"  might be looking for it.These words are often more specific and lead to higher conversion rates.

  • Keyword Clusters: This is a list of words and phrases that are closely related to a broader set of search queries. For example, the primary keyword  "florist" can generate related keywords such as "florist," "wedding florist," and "florist and rose."

  • LSI  Keywords:  LSI keywords go  a step further than keyword combinations. It creates groups that don't use the same primary keyword but contain phrases that are related to it. For example, if your primary keyword is "running shoes," some LSI words could be "best running sneakers," "runner's shoes," and "marathon training." All of these may appear in the user's relevant searches.

 

Types of Keywords Based on Search Intent
SEO professionals divide  keywords into four categories, each reflecting a different type of search intent:

  • Informational keywords: Used by people who want to learn something. Informational keywords often include words like "what," "how," "why," or "best way to." For example, "how to grow tomatoes" or "what are the benefits of green tea."

  • Navigational Keywords:  Users use them when they want to find a specific website or page. They may use brand names like Shopify or specific page titles in their search queries. The goal here is to reach a specific destination that the user knows in advance.

  • Business keywords: These words appear when users want to search for products or services before making a purchase. They may use words like "best," "top," "review," or "compare" along with the names of products or services. These words indicate a strong intention to buy in the near future.

  • Transactional Keywords: Generally, users type these words when they are ready to buy a particular product or service. Words like "buy," "order," "price," or "near me"  may appear in the conversion search term. These words indicate an immediate intention to complete a purchase.

An SEO content marketing strategy often involves a combination of these types of keywords. For example, an e-commerce store might optimize its product pages for convertive searches and try to rank for relevant informational and business keywords on its blog.

Keyword metrics

When you're looking for the best keywords to guide your content creation and attract relevant visitors to your website, using quantitative metrics can help you evaluate the most appropriate one. These metrics fall into two main categories:

First, value-based metrics
These metrics help you assess the potential value of a keyword for your business.

  • Search Volume: This metric shows the average number of times a particular keyword is searched over a specific period of time. Monthly search volume is the most common unit of measurement. Higher search volume indicates a larger potential audience, but also greater competition from similar websites and less clear search intent.

  • CPC: This metric appears in PPC paid search campaigns. CPC refers to the average cost you pay for each click on an ad triggered by a particular keyword. Google Keyword Planner can estimate CPC for keywords associated with Google Ads. This metric can help you estimate how much you'll have to pay for the traffic you'll get in the first place.

  • Keyword Difficulty: This is a metric used by keyword research tools to estimate how difficult it is to rank on the first page of search results for a particular keyword. It often takes into account the authority of websites that are currently ranking for example, whether they have a large number of backlinks, the quality of their content, and the number and quality of their backlinks. The lower the difficulty of a keyword, the better chance you have of ranking for it.

Second, performance-based metrics

These metrics help you track your website's performance for specific keywords.

  • Organic Search Traffic: This measures the number of visitors your website or a particular page receives from organic search. You can generally measure this and break it down by keyword to understand which keywords bring the most visitors to your site. The goal is to increase this traffic because it is free and of high quality.

  • Ranking: This refers to the position of the page in the organic search results for a particular keyword. Higher rankings generally lead to more visibility and more traffic to your website. Striving to reach the top positions in search results is the primary goal of SEO.

  • Conversion Rate: In SEO, conversion rate usually refers to the number of people who click on your website from  the search engine results page (SERP). These people go from seeing your page on the SERP to a click that translates into a website visit. A higher conversion rate is usually associated with a higher ranking. Consider looking at conversion rates for required actions such as email sign-ups and purchases once visitors from search arrive at your site. This metric shows how effective a keyword is in achieving your business goals.

  • Backlinks: This metric calculates the number of other sites that link to your domain or a particular page. The most relevant backlinks indicate higher authority, so search engines reward sites with many links from reputable sites. Although backlink data alone won't predict or directly impact keyword performance, it's an important factor in determining a site's authority and reliability.

How to use keywords effectively
To get the most out of keywords, a structured approach should be taken that includes several key steps:

  • Identify relevant keywords: The process begins by identifying keywords that are important to your target audience. One way to find keywords is to use keyword research tools to see what your competitors are searching for and discover additional relevant keywords. Popular free options include Google Keyword Planner, while Semrush and Ahrefs  are feature-driven tools. Once you have a list of keywords, consider grouping them by topic, using a keyword map to assign to specific pages on your website, such as a blog or product listing.  You may also decide which keywords you want to bid on in paid search campaigns and which words you want to try to rank for organically. If you're choosing keywords as part of a paid ad campaign, you'll also need to tag negative keywords that you don't want to appear for. For example, if you sell pool tables, you don't want to appear for the word "pool." So, if you're setting up a Google Ads campaign, you'll make "pool" a negative keyword, telling Google not to show your ad to people looking for pools, instead of playing a backgammon. This will help you increase the value of your ad spend.

  • Develop relevant content about your keywords: Once you have a list of keywords, you'll need to organically incorporate them into well-crafted, authoritative content. Use keywords naturally in sentences so that your content sounds conversational and engaging. Forcing it, which is called keyword stuffing, won't boost your SEO strategy. In some cases, this may lower your site's ranking. Different keyword match types belong to different places on your website. High-intent keywords work well on conversion-focused pages, such as product pages. For example, a chocolatier might place a high-intent search term like "buy a box of chocolates" on a landing page that specifically offers gift boxes. If a user is taken to a page on SERP, they will make a purchase quickly.

  • Leverage keywords strategically: There are many superficial areas on your site where you can add keywords. This includes page titles, meta descriptions, headers, and the first paragraph of your content. Don't forget to include relevant keywords in your image descriptions, which is written alt text. This can help you appear in Google Image Search  and help people who use screen readers understand your images better. You can also try ranking for SERP  features such as featured snippets, "People also ask," and local packages designed specifically for local Google searches. Featured snippets appear near the top of  the SERP and can significantly increase engagement with the content that appears at the bottom of the page.

  • Monitor results and adjust as necessary: After publishing, use analytics tools like Google Search Console to see which pages are performing well and which pages are failing to drive organic search traffic. Adjust poorly performing pages with additional information, additional keywords, and a more readable structure. Or you can replace the contents of the entire page. Remember to focus your keyword strategy on phrases that match the nature of your website. Search engines want to show their users websites that comply with the command authority. If you're selling coffee, it makes sense to fill your website with coffee-related keywords. Don't try to capture search traffic for minor topics, such as breakfast burritos or waffles.

Keywords are the backbone of any successful digital marketing strategy. By understanding their different types, metrics, and how to use them effectively, you can improve your site's visibility in search engines, attract more qualified visitors, and achieve your business goals. Always remember that the goal is not just to stuff keywords, but to integrate them naturally and intelligently to deliver real value to your audience. Continuous monitoring and improvement are the keys to success in this ever-evolving field.