Alright, so today we are going to learn about keywords. What is a keyword?
It is very simple: A KEYWORD is the word or phrase people type into Google (or other search engines like DuckDuckGo) when they’re looking for something. Think of it like the bridge 🌉 between what people want and what you offer.
Keywords are basically the language of search engines. When someone searches for “best pizza near me”, “seo Plymouth” or “how to tie a tie” – those are keywords.
Different Types of Keywords
Informational Keywords 🧠
People want to find out more about a topic, like “what is SEO” or “how to quit social media“. They’re not buying yet, but they might later if you help them out.
Navigational Keywords 🧭
Searchers want to find a specific place, website or page, like “YouTube homepege” or “Amazon login”. They know exactly where they want to go.
Commercial Keywords 💬
Searchers want to research products or services, like “best SEO tools” or “iPhone 17 review”. They are shopping around and comparing options.
Transactional Keywords 🛒
Searchers want to complete an action – they are ready to make a purchase, like “buy size 5 football” or “hire web designer Plymouth”. People using these are basically waving their cards around.
From the SEO perspective, the above can be short or long-tail keywords.
Short-tail Keywords
These are 1 – 2 words long, like “fountain pens” or “footballs“. They get loads of searches but are super competitive. It’s like trying to rank for “cars” when you sell vintage Mini Coopers – good luck with that! You need time, budget and a top tier SEO agency like Inbound Tom to achive these result.
Long-tail Keywords
These are longer, more specific phrases like “Lamy fountain pens” or “size 5 Mitre footballs“. They get fewer searches but are much easier to rank for. Plus, people searching these are usually (more) ready to buy or take action.
Keywords are absolutely crucial for SEO. They’re how you tell Google what your page is about, and they help Google match your content with what people are searching for. Get your keywords right, and you’re speaking Google’s language. Get them wrong, and you might as well be invisible.
You’re probably thinking, right so how do I find the good keywords??? It is actually more strategic than most people realise. You can’t just guess what people search for, you need proper keyword research tools and a solid understanding of SEO.
Most business owners try to wing it and end up targeting keywords that are either impossible to rank for or nobody actually searches for. One of the In fact, this is one of most common SEO mistakes small business owner make when starting launching their website.
We at Inbound Tom have spent years mastering keyword research and strategy. Book consultation to discover which keywords could actually drive traffic and customers to your business.