Keyword

A keyword is a word or phrase representing a topic that people search for. In SEO it is the query a page aims to rank for; in paid search it is the term an advertiser bids on.

Why it matters

Keywords connect what people ask with what your site offers. Researching them shows what language your audience uses, how competitive a topic is and which pages you still need to create.

Review what already ranks for a phrase before you target it; the existing results show the content type, depth and angle that searchers and search engines currently prefer.

Example

For a hosting company:

Head term:   web hosting
Mid-tail:    cheap web hosting India
Long-tail:   best web hosting for wordpress blog in india

Each version attracts a different volume and different intent, and the longer ones are usually easier to rank for.

Common misconceptions

• Repeating a keyword many times helps rankings. Natural writing works better, and over-repetition reads as spam.
• One page should target a single exact phrase. Pages usually rank for many related queries.
• High search volume always equals good traffic. Relevance and intent matter more.

Related

• Long-tail keyword
• Search intent
• SERP
• CPC

This page is general information written by our editorial team and updated when documentation changes. Servers and providers differ, so test changes safely first. See our editorial policy and disclaimer.