Keyword
What is a keyword?
A keyword is a word or phrase that people type or speak into a search engine to find something. In SEO, a keyword is the search query you want a page to appear for, such as "running shoes for flat feet". One page usually targets one main keyword and ranks for many close variations.
Strictly, a query is what one person typed, and a keyword is the generalised version you research and target. Searchers rarely use exactly the same words, so Google matches pages to the meaning of a query, not just its wording. A page about "how to repot a monstera" can rank for "repotting monstera plant" and "when to repot monstera" without containing every phrase.
Keywords range from short, broad head terms like "shoes" to specific long-tail keywords like "waterproof trail running shoes for women". Each comes with data you can research: search volume, keyword difficulty, cost per click and search intent.
Why keyword matters for SEO
Keywords are the link between what people want and what you publish. If nobody searches for the words on your page, the page can be perfect and still get no organic traffic. Picking keywords is how you decide which pages to write, what to call them and how to structure your site.
Keywords also make SEO measurable. You can track where a page ranks for its keyword over time, see which queries bring clicks in Google Search Console, and judge whether a piece of content is doing its job.
How to choose a keyword
- Start with what your customers would type, not your internal product names.
- Look up search volume to check people actually search for it.
- Check keyword difficulty and the current top 10 to judge whether you can compete.
- Read the results page to work out the intent: guides, product pages, comparisons or tools.
- Pick one main keyword per page and make sure no other page on your site targets the same thing.
Keyword example
A bike shop could target "bike repair" (broad, hard, mixed intent), "bike repair near me" (local, ready to buy) or "how to fix a bike chain" (informational, a good guide topic). Same subject, three different keywords, three different pages.
Keyword FAQ
Do keywords still matter for SEO?
Yes. Google understands meaning and synonyms far better than it used to, but people still search with words. Knowing which words they use tells you which topics to cover and how to describe them.
What is the difference between a keyword and a query?
A query is the exact text one person searched. A keyword is the phrase you research and target, which stands in for a group of similar queries.
How many keywords should a page target?
One primary keyword, plus the secondary keywords and variations that share its intent. A good page often ranks for hundreds of related queries without targeting each one.
Related SEO terms
Keyword research is finding the search terms your audience uses, then judging which ones are worth targeting by demand, difficulty and intent.
Search volume is the estimated number of times a keyword is searched per month in a given location, usually averaged over the past 12 months.
Keyword difficulty is an SEO tool’s 0-100 estimate of how hard it is to rank on Google’s first page for a keyword, based on the pages already there.
Search intent is the reason behind a search: what the person wants to know, find or do. Matching it is one of the most important parts of SEO.
A primary keyword is the main search term a page is built to rank for. It guides the page’s title, H1, URL and content.
Long-tail keywords are specific, lower-volume search terms. Each brings little traffic, but together they’re easier to rank for and often convert well.