When you search for something on Google, you’d click on results that give exactly what you’re looking for. Ever wondered what works behind the scenes? It’s the search phrase or ‘keyword’ that you typed in, and the webpages that are ‘optimised’ for it. Webpages which Google finds to have the most relevant answer to your query top the search results. Keywords help search engines understand what you’re looking for. But not all keywords are the same. If you’re curious to know the different types of keywords in SEO, this blog is for you!
Read on to know the different types of keywords and how they impact search results. Learn how to identify the right keyword type and use different kinds of keywords in your content.
A keyword is a word or phrase people type into a search engine, like Google or Yahoo. It’s also called a search phrase or query. Keywords help search engines understand what your webpage is about and when to show it in search results. So, if you want your page to appear in the search for a particular phrase, you should ‘optimise’ your page for it. This highlights the role of keywords in SEO and signifies Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) for websites.
Clearly, SEO keywords connect your content with your audience. That’s not all! Different types of keywords work differently, giving users what they’re looking for. Some people want to draw information, while others search for a particular site. Some want to explore products; others want to shop! The “search intent” varies, and so does the search result.
Choosing the right keyword for your pages helps you reach the right audience and meet your marketing goals. Keywords guide traffic, help the audience find the right content and boost your online visibility. As such, different types of keywords in digital marketing can drive the different stages of the customer lifecycle. Keywords are important in SEO as they:
The various types of keywords in SEO are mainly grouped based on search intent—what the user wants when they type a search phrase. Such a grouping is also seen as the keyword intent types. Moreover, keywords are also classified based on their length and function.
When considering how many types of keywords in SEO exist based on search intent, there are 4. Each kind of keyword helps you reach potential customers at different stages of their buying journey.
Informational keywords are search terms with the intent to learn or understand something. It’s when people are looking for answers, tips or guides. These keywords focus on learning and not buying. They often come into play at the start of a customer’s search journey. Informational keywords are best for how-to-guides, blogs and FAQs. They educate the audience, build trust, and drive website traffic, but need not lead to sales.
Examples:
Use Cases:
As the name suggests, navigational keywords help users find a specific brand page or website. They help users reach the exact web page or site quickly. These keywords often include names of a brand, product or a unique service. Among the various types of keywords, these are more direct and brand-focused. They come in handy when the user already knows where they want to go. The user intends to visit a website!
Navigational keywords examples you can relate to:
Use navigational keywords in your site to:
These are the search terms you often use as a customer while exploring or researching products before buying. Commercial keywords are used when users view and compare options. They imply that the user is interested in a product or service, but researching. Commercial keywords work well for product reviews, listing and comparison blogs.
Examples:
Common Use Cases:
Trasactional keywords come into play when a user is ready to take action. It could be simply signing up for a service, buying a product or downloading a resource. Transactional keywords are important in digital marketing and sales as they often lead to conversions. They are often used on product or service pages to serve the user’s intent to buy or subscribe to something.
Examples:
Transactional search phrases come in handy to:
The types of keywords in digital marketing vary not only by search intent but also by other factors. Keywords can be grouped based on their length, function, brand or location focus, etc,. Using the right mix of these keywords helps brands to improve content reach and traffic.
These are broad and general search terms and typically have one or two words. They are less specific, get huge traffic and have high search volume. Hence, they feature strong competition and can often be hard to rank for.
Examples: “running shoes”, “pizza”
These are longer search phrases, typically containing more than 3 words. Long-tail keywords are often niche search terms that can help grab the attention of your target audience very easily. Though less searched than short-tail keywords, these have low competition and are hence easy to rank for.
As they are more specific, long-tail keywords attract users who know exactly what they want. Using types of keywords can help gain qualified traffic with a higher conversion probability.
Examples: “best running shoes for flat feet”, “best gluten-free pizza delivery for family”
As you guessed from the name, these keywords contain a specific brand or product name. They are brand-specific, high-intent, high-conversion search terms. Users type these keywords when they already know the brand or product and want to find it. Branded keywords are vital to capture loyal customers and protect your brand against your competitors in search results.
Examples: “Nike running shoes”, “Samsung Galaxy smartphone”
These are very generic search terms that focus on a topic, problem or question without specifying any brand name. They help you reach out to new users who are still exploring options and build awareness and trust. These SEO keywords focus on broader topics, helping you tap into an audience less familiar with your business.
Examples: “best running shoes for beginners”, “what features make Android phones unique”
Seed keywords are short, basic search terms (usually 1 or 2 words-long) that form a core topic of a business niche or content. They often act as the starting point for in-depth keyword research to uncover more specific and long-tail keywords in your SEO strategy. As the name suggests, they are seeds from which an entire list of related search terms and topic ideas grows to build your content strategy. Knowing the right seed keywords is key to your SEO efforts.
Examples: “shoes”, “pizza”
These keywords are location-specific. They are used in SEO to gain the attention of potential customers in a particular geographical area. Geo-targeted keywords are vital for businesses to appear in local search results and attract high-intent local customers.
Examples: “pizza delivery near Edappally Kochi”, “shoe store near me”
Optimising your website or pages means having the right types of keywords that are relevant to your niche. It helps boost your online visibility and reach your target audience. For example, a tech brand that mainly shares information can focus on informational keywords in the tech niche. In contrast, a brand selling consumer goods online should focus more on commercial and transactional keywords.
Using strong SEO keywords that match your content can help boost your rankings and drive website traffic and quality leads. The best keyword matches user intent, content goals and competition level. Here are some tips to choose keywords wisely:
A smart mix of strong keywords can make your content relevant to search engines, rank higher and reach your audience. Choose a focus keyword (primary keyword) to anchor your content. Search volume and keyword difficulty in SEO are essential factors to consider. Include supportive secondary and semantic keywords to make the content meaningful. Neither overoptimise nor ignore important keywords.
Optimal and meaningful use of keywords helps your content perform well in search and AI responses while serving its true purpose for the users. Here are some useful cues to make this possible:
Bonus Read: Tips on quality content writing
Understanding the different types of keywords helps you plan a powerful content strategy. Each keyword types serves a different purpose, from informing users to driving sales. When keywords match user’s search intent and goals, they help boost visibility and rankings of your site. Choosing the right mix of keywords makes all the difference.
Wondering how to do create the best keyword playbook for your brand? Our SEO savvy is at your service! At Webdura, we tailor SEO and content strategies to help your website top the search results and gain organic traffic and leads. With a proven expertise with international brands, we can give your website the most essential facelift for a powerful and outstanding digital presence.
1. What are the 4 types of search intent?
The 4 types of search intent are informational, navigational, commercial and transactional.
2. What are SEO keywords?
They are words or phrases people type into search engines to find useful content.
3. How many SEO keywords are there?
There’s no fixed number. Keywords are grouped based on their intent, length and function. The frequency of keywords in a piece of content is often definite. The best practice is to have one primary keyword and a few secondary keywords and semantic words.
4. What is the difference between short-tail and long-tail keywords?
Short-tail keywords are broadly searched, generic and usually short in length. Long-tail keywords are more specific, less searched and more specific.
5. Which keyword type is best for conversions?
Transactional keywords are best for conversions as the user intent is to buy, sign up or take a similar action.
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