Secondary keywords
What are secondary keywords?
Secondary keywords are the related search terms a page targets alongside its primary keyword. They include close variations, synonyms and subtopics that share the same search intent, such as "best hiking boots for wide feet" on a page whose primary keyword is "best hiking boots". Covering them helps the page rank for more queries.
Secondary keywords usually appear in subheadings, paragraphs, image alt text and FAQs rather than the title. They are not a list to sprinkle in; they are a map of the questions and angles the searcher expects the page to cover. If a secondary keyword shows a completely different top 10 from the primary, it probably needs its own page.
Why secondary keywords matter for SEO
A page that covers the subtopics searchers care about is more useful and usually ranks for many more queries than one that repeats its main keyword. Secondary keywords help you plan that coverage, find gaps compared with competitors and write headings people recognise.
How to find secondary keywords
- Look at the keywords the current top-ranking pages rank for besides the main one.
- Check related searches, People Also Ask and autocomplete for the primary keyword.
- Keep only terms whose top 10 overlaps with your primary keyword’s.
- Turn the important ones into H2 or H3 sections, and answer smaller questions in the text or an FAQ.
Secondary keywords example
Primary: "how to start a vegetable garden". Secondary: "vegetable garden layout", "easiest vegetables to grow", "when to start a vegetable garden", "raised bed vs in-ground". Each becomes a section of the guide.
Secondary keywords FAQ
How many secondary keywords should I use?
As many as the page needs to cover the topic properly, often between three and ten meaningful subtopics. Coverage matters more than a count.
Are secondary keywords the same as LSI keywords?
People often use the terms interchangeably, but "LSI keywords" is a misleading name. Secondary keywords are simply related searches with the same intent. See LSI keywords.
Related SEO terms
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.
Keyword clustering is grouping keywords that share intent and search results, so each group can be targeted by one page.
LSI keywords is an SEO name for related terms. Google says it doesn’t use latent semantic indexing; what matters is covering the topic’s related concepts.
Keyword mapping is assigning target keywords to specific pages on your site, so every page has a clear focus and no two pages compete.
Header tags (H1–H6) are HTML headings that structure a page into sections, helping readers scan and search engines understand the content.