What is a keyword?

A keyword is the word or phrase a user types into a search engine such as Google to find information on a specific topic. Keywords are also called search terms or search queries, and their weight for Google is enormous. As soon as someone enters one, the algorithm of the search engine starts up and builds a search results page (SERP) for that query. Those algorithms are built to return the most relevant and highest quality results: they scan thousands of websites, analyze the search terms used there and rate the relevance and the quality of the texts by those word groups.

Why keywords matter for SEO

Relevant keywords play a decisive role in search engine optimization (SEO) and in online marketing. They help you understand the needs and the search behavior of your target audience, so you can align your content with what those people are interested in. Choosing and placing the right keywords can substantially improve how visible a website is in the search results and therefore bring in more traffic. On top of that there are different categories of keywords, such as transactional, informational or navigational search terms, which each mirror a different user intention and should be taken into account when you build content for them. To get the most out of keywords, specialized tools for keyword research are indispensable. They give you valuable insight into the terms that are used most often and into how competitive those terms are, which is the basis of a working SEO strategy.

Keyword research tools and what they do

A keyword research tool is a standard instrument in search engine optimization, built to research relevant keywords and word groups that make a website more visible in the search results. Tools of that kind, such as the Google Keyword Planner or Mangools (formerly known as KWFinder), offer a broad set of functions for keyword analysis. They let you generate ideas for relevant search terms that potential customers may use to find content such as products or services online.

Strategic use and benefits of research tools

These keyword research tools analyze not only the search volume and the relevance of keyword combinations, but also the competition for those terms. By identifying keywords that are highly relevant and at the same time less contested, you can build a strategy that lets you get past the competition. The tools also help you spot trends and patterns in how users search, which in turn helps you optimize the content on your website in a targeted, user oriented way. The result is a better user experience and a higher conversion rate, because you work with exactly the terms that fit the search intent, which raises the chance that searchers click your page or your campaign.

The Google Keyword Planner as one of the most important research tools

The Google Keyword Planner is a specialized keyword research tool inside Google Ads that plays a central role in search engine optimization. It lets you discover new keyword ideas and gives you insight into what users of search engines actually look for. The tool analyzes several aspects of a keyword, such as the monthly search volume, the density of competition and the expected cost per click (CPC) in Google Ads. With the Keyword Planner, SEO specialists and online marketers can judge the relevance and the potential of different keyword combinations and word groups effectively. The resulting data supports strategic decisions: you optimize the content of a website so that it matches the needs and search intentions of your target audience more closely. That does not only raise visibility in the search results, it also lets you analyze and monitor the competition, which in the end leads to a more efficient and more targeted marketing strategy.

Keyword categories and search intent

In online marketing, the categorization of keywords is an essential strategy for understanding the search intentions of users and shaping content around them. A keyword, also known as a search term, is a search phrase that gets entered into a search engine and carries a specific meaning. By analyzing different keyword combinations, online marketers and SEO specialists can identify the words or phrases that are not only highly relevant for their target audience but also reveal the intention behind the query. That allows a more precise adjustment of the content, more visibility inside the search results at Google and other engines, and a more effective way of addressing users. The sections below look at the categories in detail, among them long-tail, mid-tail and short-tail keywords as well as the specific intentions behind search queries, and show how to put them to work in your content.

Keywords and the different intentions behind a search query

Keywords play a central role when content gets optimized for search engines such as Google. To build effective SEO strategies, it is decisive to understand the intention behind a user query. Keywords fall into different categories, depending on what the user intends to do with that search. Those categories are transactional keywords, informational keywords, navigational keywords and brand keywords. Each of them speaks to a specific user intention and calls for its own kind of text and content.

What are transactional keywords (money keywords)?

This type of keyword gets used when people intend to carry out a transaction, whether that is buying a product or booking a service. Queries such as buy, price comparison or order belong here. Companies put those keywords on their keyword list to address visitors who are already in the buying stage of their customer journey.

What are informational keywords?

When users look for specific information, they use informational keywords. Those are often phrased as questions or refer to the how, what or why of a topic. Content for keywords of that kind should therefore be informative and detailed, so it answers the query properly and keeps readers with you. Another typical example of an informational keyword is a standalone short-tail keyword: if you search for a single word such as SEO, you normally expect a text that gives you a definition or a help article on your query.

What are navigational keywords?

These keywords come into play when users want to find one particular page. Often such queries contain the name of a brand or a company. For brands it matters that their pages are optimized for keywords of that kind, so they stay highly visible in the search results.

What are brand keywords?

Brand keywords refer to the brand name or to specific product names of a company. Users who search for those terms often already have an idea of the company, or they are looking for particular offers or products. The content has to match the brand and the products or services it offers closely, so it meets what those visitors expect. As a rule the brand name already appears in the URL.

Long-tail vs. short-tail keywords

A short-tail keyword, often called a head term, is a short keyword phrase such as strawberries or buy shoes, and it usually shows a high monthly search volume. That volume brings a high density of competition with it, because many pages try to optimize for exactly those terms. This type of keyword, often called a money keyword, is especially valuable in e-commerce, because it can signal a clear intention to buy and therefore lead straight to revenue.

What advantages do long-tail keywords offer for targeted marketing?

The counterpart is the long-tail keyword, a longer and more specific keyword combination, for example pick your own strawberries in the district of Munich. A keyword of that kind comes with a lower search volume, but it has the advantage that fewer websites optimize for the exact phrase. That makes it easier to rank higher in the search results. A long-tail keyword is often more specific and attracts visitors whose search intent is more precise, which can lead to a higher conversion rate, because those visitors already have a clear idea of what they are looking for.

Combining both keyword types for solid SEO results

Using both keyword types strategically is decisive for effective search engine optimization. Short-tail keywords help you build a broad base of traffic, while long-tail keywords are excellent for generating targeted traffic that often shows a higher engagement rate. When you research and select keywords, aim for a balanced mix that does justice to broad terms as well as to specific ones. A keyword tool such as Mangools, or another specialized tool, can give you valuable insight into how effective certain keyword combinations are and help you optimize the content of a text for search engines and for real users alike.

Keyword search volume

The search volume of a keyword is one of the most important metrics in keyword research and plays a decisive role in search engine optimization. It states how often a specific keyword was searched for in a search engine such as Google within a defined period. Those figures help online marketers and SEO specialists understand which topics or terms are in demand right now and which ones may be losing relevance. A high search volume points to strong interest in a topic or a product, but it can also mean that the competition for the top positions in the search results is correspondingly high.

Optimizing a URL by researching search volume

Looking at search volume lets you grasp the search intent of users more accurately and align the content of a website or an online shop with it. A keyword with a high search volume is often general in nature and can cover broader topics, while a more specific keyword with a lower search volume lets you address an audience that already has a clear interest in one subject. For the optimization of your URL and your domain it is therefore essential to work with search terms of high and of low search volume, so you reach broad user segments as well as specialized ones. The right balance and placement of keywords in texts, meta tags and URLs can substantially improve visibility in search engines and increase the traffic on a website.

Keyword suggestions and what they are worth in SEO

Alongside the search volume of a keyword, generating keyword suggestions is an important part of the process. Suggestions are essential for finding complementary search terms that are directly related to your primary keywords, yet may come with less competition or point to new trends. With specialized keyword research tools, online marketers and SEO specialists can have those suggestions generated automatically. The tools analyze existing search data and return a list of relevant, potentially successful keywords, based on their algorithms. Feeding those suggestions into your content strategy widens the range of topics you cover at Google and at the same time raises the visibility of a domain for a variety of related queries. That allows deeper and broader market penetration and can improve user engagement as well as the conversion rates of your content.

How do I improve my keyword strategy?

Keyword suggestions are a basis for improving your keyword strategy, because they help you identify gaps in your existing content. The result is a more targeted approach to potential customers through niche keywords in the text, whose search results may face less competition at Google and other engines.

How do I increase reach with relevant search terms?

By working keyword suggestions into your content, companies can widen their presence in search engines such as Google. Taking related and secondary keywords into account helps you make more of your text visible at Google and other engines and therefore generates more traffic.

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