What are Keywords? Types of Keywords with Example [2023]

Introduction

Keywords are words or phrases that people use to search for information on search engines like Google. They are an essential part of search engine optimization (SEO), as they help search engines understand the content of a website and match it with relevant search queries. By using the right keywords in your content, you can improve your website’s ranking on search engine results pages (SERPs) and attract more targeted traffic to your site.

Types of Keywords

There are several types of keywords that you can use in your content, each with its own advantages and disadvantages:

Short-tail keywords

Short-tail keywords, also known as head keywords, are short, broad search terms that are often used by searchers. Examples of short-tail keywords include “shoes” or “fitness“. These keywords usually have high search volume, but also high competition. The advantage of using short-tail keywords is that they can drive a lot of traffic to your site. According to Ahrefs, the top 10 short-tail keywords receive an average of over 1 million searches per month. However, the disadvantage is that it can be difficult to rank for them and they may not be very specific to your niche.

Long-tail keywords

Long-tail keywords are longer, more specific phrases that are often used by searchers. Examples of long-tail keywords include “black running shoes for women” or “best exercises for losing belly fat“. These keywords usually have lower search volume, but also lower competition. The advantage of using long-tail keywords is that they can be more targeted to your niche and easier to rank for. According to Moz, long-tail keywords account for over 70% of all search traffic. However, the disadvantage is that they may not drive as much traffic to your site.

Branded keywords

Branded keywords are keywords that include your brand name, such as “Nike shoes” or “Coca-Cola“. They can be useful for driving traffic to your site and building brand awareness. According to SEMrush, branded keywords account for over 33% of all search traffic. However, the disadvantage is that they may not be relevant to your target audience.

Product keywords

Product keywords are keywords that include specific products or services that you offer, such as “black Nike running shoes for women” or “best yoga mats“. They can be useful for driving targeted traffic to your site and converting visitors into customers. According to Ahrefs, the top 10 product keywords receive an average of over 300,000 searches per month. However, the disadvantage is that they may have lower search volume.

LSI keywords

LSI (Latent Semantic Indexing) keywords are keywords that are semantically related to your main keyword. For example, if your main keyword is “fitness“, LSI keywords could include “workout“, “exercise“, or “nutrition“. They can be useful for improving the relevance of your content and helping search engines understand the context of your content. According to SEMrush, using LSI keywords can improve your SEO ranking by up to 15%.

How to Research and Use Keywords

To effectively use keywords in your content, it’s important to conduct keyword research. You can use tools like Google Keyword Planner or Ahrefs to find relevant keywords for your niche. Once you have a list of keywords, you can strategically incorporate them into your content, including in your headlines, subheadings, and body copy. However, it’s important to avoid keyword stuffing, which is when you use keywords excessively and unnaturally in your content. This can actually hurt your SEO ranking and make your content less appealing to readers.

Conclusion

In conclusion, using the right keywords is crucial for improving your website’s ranking on search engine results pages and attracting targeted traffic to your site. By understanding the different types of keywords and how to research and use them effectively, you can create content that is relevant, valuable, and appealing to both search engines and readers.