The Four Types of Keywords: Why
They Matter
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SEO keywords are vital tools in crafting an online
marketing strategy. They primarily shape content
to help your website rank high in search engines.
The correct search keywords serve as a user’s
gateway to your business’s products and services.
They give you an idea of what ranks, and how you
can rank in search engine results pages (SERPs).
But what are keywords exactly? What do they
specifically do?
Keywords are words or phrases that guide a
search engine in delivering results from the overall
topic of the content. Search engines like Google
developed different algorithms to browse through
millions of pages of content to give users specific
answers to their questions.
SEO Keyword Search and the Importance of
Keyword Analysis
SEO keyword search is about finding all the
possible queries related to your business and
your potential customers’ needs. It requires a
keen understanding of your brand and your
customers’ search intent.
Designing your website
Boosting your website’s homepage and
landing pages
Organizing your products and service pages
Structuring your blog
Google and other search engines scan content
and rank a website based on the keywords
relevant to a user’s search intent. An SEO
campaign begins with this in mind. Researching
and selecting keywords are the basics of SEO as
they help you execute the following:
Writing blog posts and creating successful
content begins with keyword search, followed by
keyword analysis. The different
types of
keywords help introduce your content better to
search engines. Keyword analysis ensures that
your keywords are relevant to your business. It
should be a top priority when creating content
because of the following:
Google’s algorithms pluck out unwanted
websites based on content.
It provides you with a better understanding of
your products and services.
You reach more of your target audience and
drive traffic to your website.
It gives you an overview of the interests of
your demographic and different types of
search engines.

Here are some of the elements that you should
consider when conducting keyword analysis:
1. Keyword Value
Remember that your search keywords are
valuable to your target audience. For example,
using common words as your keywords will likely
attract more audiences than highly unique
keywords derived from words that are not used in
everyday conversations.
It is also safe to check the top-ranking sites with
the exact keywords. Compare the keyword’s
performance – if it attracted a good amount of
website traffic, then that particular keyword will
be beneficial to your content because there is a
high search intent for it.
2. Ranking Expectations
Aside from making sure that the keyword you are
using has value to the search intent of your target
audience, it is also important that you check the
expectations of the search ranking that you aim
to achieve. A high ranking on search engines
does not happen within a day or even a month,
especially when using highly
competitive
keywords.
Your website is not ranking higher despite using
the right keywords because your website does not
have domain authority. Continue creating quality
content and focus on central topics like industry-
specific topics that will eventually attract your
demographic and cause impressive traffic to your
website.
3. Topic Importance
Speaking of website traffic, the best way to attract
consumers and audiences to your website is to
create popular and important topics to the
common search intent. Find out the frequently
asked questions regarding your industry or your
services. People tend to visit websites that can
immediately answer their questions.
With the arrival of new algorithm updates –
passage indexing, for instance – in Google, it
is best to provide well-researched content
that is coherent. Ensure that all aspects of the
topic are captured to give the content a
higher chance of becoming a featured
snippet in Google’s search engine.
Short-tail vs. Long-tail Keywords: A Quick Guide
When you start working with search engine
optimization and keyword analysis, you may often
come across short-tail keywords and long-term
keywords. Before getting into the specifics of the
different SEO types of keywords, do know that
long-tail and short-tail keywords are umbrella
terms for all keywords.
Short-tail keywords or focus keywords refer to the
keywords that consist of three words or less. It is
also known to refer to broad topics. Because of
this, short-tail keywords are the kind of SEO types
of keywords that are often popular, high-volume
search terms. However, the downside to short-tail
keywords is that they are very broad, and
continuous use of them can be overshadowed by
brands or businesses that can buy ads.
On the other hand, long-tail keywords are the
opposite of focus keywords. These are the target-
specific keywords that consist of three or more
words. The term “long-tail” refers to the long tail of
unpopular searches as conducted by Ahrefs.
Long-tail keywords are the better option if you
want your content to stand out. The more unique
your keywords are, the easier people will find your
content. However, if you are a beginner at search
engine optimization,
it’s best
to
familiarize
yourself with short-tail keywords first.
Kinds of Keywords in SEO
How many types of keywords in SEO? SEO
specialists divide keywords into four types:
navigational keywords, informational keywords,
commercial
keywords,
and
transactional
keywords.
These four types are considered the primary
forms of keywords and can be broken down into
different categories. Knowing these keywords can
help you, the content creator, know what are
keywords that can launch your content into the
highest rank of search engines.
1. Navigational Keywords
Simply put, navigational keywords are long-tail
keywords that instruct search engines to lead
queries to pages that aim to navigate. For
instance, if you are looking for directions and use
keywords such as “near me,” most often than not,
you have been using this particular type of long-
tail keywords.
Unlike
the other
types of keywords SEO,
navigational keywords are limited in terms of
optimization. In most cases, people using this
keyword already have a brand in mind before
searching for answers for their query. For
example, “Barnes and Noble book deals.” This
means that if you want your content to impact
search engine results, you should not rely on this
type of keyword alone.
2. Informational Keywords
Informational keywords are the most commonly
used types of keywords in SEO. Guides and
tutorials often use this keyword. After all, these are
keywords used when searching for general
inquiries and answers.
Using this type of keyword usually happens when
the user already has a particular query in mind.
For example, “how to knit a jacket.”
3. Commercial Keywords
The use of commercial types of keywords in SEO is
mostly focused on revealing the user’s interest in
a specific brand or product. Commercial
keywords are often used when people want to
know more or research a particular product.
Listicles, comparison articles, and reviews are the
most shared content that can benefit from this
type of keyword. If your content involves selling
merchandise, this particular keyword should be
maximized for search engine optimization.
4. Transactional Keywords
Transactional keywords are almost similar to
commercial ones because they pertain to the
user’s relationship and their preferred brand. The
difference is that transactional keywords are used
when a user wants to buy a specific product.
Out of all the SEO types of keywords, this
particular one has a higher chance
for
conversions, which means you can make money
by maximizing
these
forms of
keywords,
especially
if
your brand
involves
selling
merchandise.
Now that you have an idea of what these four
common kinds of SEO keywords are, it is best to
apply them in content creation. Compare the
ranking of your content once you have
successfully applied these keywords.
Although there are other kinds of keywords –
mostly those other types are more business- or
market-oriented – you will still need these four
types to succeed in SEO and digital marketing.
Think of these four forms of keywords as the
basics. No matter how much experimentation and
tweaks you do on your SEO strategy, you will
always have to use them as the backbone of your
content.
Other Kinds of Keywords Search in SEO
As mentioned, digital marketing professionals use
other forms of keywords to make sure that their
brand or business ranks high in search engines.
Unlike the first four types, the following are mostly
business and industry-specific keywords.
1. Market Segment Keywords
Market segment keywords are often broad
keywords referring to a whole industry. A market
segment refers to people that are grouped for
marketing. This is an important step in marketing
because you will have an idea of the overall
interest of your demographic.
While creating market
segments can be
beneficial to your digital marketing campaign as
a whole, market segment keywords are a bit
difficult for search engine optimization. Market
segment keywords are not enough to have your
website rank higher on search engines.
2. Customer-Defining Keywords
Customer-defining keywords are more specific
and can help your content reach your target
audience. These keywords describe the customer.
For example, “Spam musubi recipes for college
kids.”
The success of using customer-defining keywords
relies on how much you know your target market.
It
is easier to build connections with your
audience through your products when you know
their interests.
3. Product Keywords
Product keywords are another specific type of
industry-based keywords. This particular type
includes specific brands or services. Using
product keywords can easily connect your
content with people specifically searching for
information about a specific brand. For example,
“second hand Gibson Les Paul guitar.”
4. Competitor Keywords
Competitor keywords contain words about a
particular brand or popular competitor. For
instance, if your product is Apple, a competitor
keyword might include Samsung or LG.
One of the marketing or advertising practices is to
be continually aware of your competitor’s market
performance. It is best to always be aware of their
activities – in this case, their search engine
ranking. This can also give you an idea regarding
what your target audience is particularly looking
for.
5. Geo-Targeted Keywords
Keywords that contain directions are called geo-
targeted keywords. This type of keyword helps
users in their search for directions and areas.
Geo-targeted keywords can answer queries
about specific neighborhoods and cities.
Broad geographies can also be included in geo-
targeted keywords. Geo-targeted keywords are
proven beneficial for local businesses because
they can give them the necessary reach in their
local area. A perfect example of a geo-targeted
keyword is “dive bars in Seattle.”
How to Test Keyword Value
In a decade, Google and other search engines
have developed algorithms that will maintain the
playing field for brands and businesses in terms
of search engine ranking. These algorithms aim to
provide users with a quality search experience
and serve as filters to prevent uncanny websites
from causing confusion.
Although search engine optimization has become
competitive, this should not stop you from
optimizing your content and getting your brand
out there. But you might be wondering how to
identify if your keywords have a high value. Here
are some ways to check your website’s keyword
value:
1. Use Google AdWords or Similar Platforms
If you’re still at the stage where you are still
thinking about the keywords that you’ll use, using
keyword checking applications
like Google
AdWords may help. You can also set up a
campaign using your chosen keyword and track
its performance throughout the week or month.
2. Tracking Traffic Performance
Most websites nowadays are operated using web
hosting services. Usually, these web hosting sites
have
their website
traffic monitoring and
maintenance
applications.
Tracking
traffic
performance is crucial because it will give you an
idea of which keywords and content are
performing well.
Always consult the monitoring application for a
complete view of your site’s daily, weekly, and
monthly performance.
3. Consult A Professional
It
is quite understandable
that all
these
terminologies and rules can overwhelm startups
who are taking their first steps in the world of SEO
and digital marketing. At this point, it is better to
consult a professional who can easily give you a
rundown on keyword strategies to use for your
brand’s online marketing campaign.
SEO professionals can also give you advice on
how to properly plan your content calendar over
the months, and provide you with the details on
how to approach your content that will produce a
good search engine result.
Keywords and Good Content
Keywords and SEO strategies can do wonders for
your brand or business. However, the key to the
success of your website is creating good content.
In truth, no matter how valuable your keywords
are, your website will still have a low search
engine rank if your content is disorganized and
incoherent.
Once you are done with keyword research, the
best thing to do is to plan your content carefully.
Base your content on the list of keywords you
have researched. Ensure that the content you are
creating will cover the common questions asked
about that specific topic. Always consult your
content calendar regarding the right topic and
the necessary approach for your website blog.
Good content is complete content, which means
you should tackle every possible question a user
will think of regarding a topic. If you can create
well-researched
and well-written
content,
Google’s algorithm will work in your brand’s favor.
Google introduced new algorithms that will help
users have a good search experience. Some of
these new algorithms are featured snippets,
passage indexing, and First-Input Delay. Design a
website that can pass these new algorithms
because they affect how Internet users view your
brand or business.
For example, when Google assigns your content
as a featured snippet, most people will probably
immediately click on your website because they
will automatically think that your blog contains all
the answers to their query. Using adequate
keywords according to your content will enable
Google’s algorithm to scan your website easily
and properly — this will help in having a higher
search engine rank and a more successful digital
marketing campaign.
Looking for help boosting your brand’s web
performance? Advanced Digital Media Services
can help you find the right keywords that will
allow your website to rank higher on search
engines.
When you are looking for SEO services in Denver,
consider calling ADMS. We can help you with web
development, content creation, and ensuring that
your business gets the best digital marketing
services. Call us now at 877-237-6969, and let’s
get that strategy working!
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