What Different Types of Keywords Mean for SEO and Your Audience
The world is full of competition, and the race to the top is always challenging. One of the most crucial aspects of marketing a business is optimizing for search engines. One way to do that is by using keywords as metadata for your website content to make it rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPS). Keywords you choose to use are more than just a few words repeated. The science behind choosing the right words will help your website rocket in search engine results pages.
Here are some of the important types of keywords to understand for SEO and your audience:
1. Generic keywords
Generic keywords target a broad audience. When using generic keywords, use various related keywords to reach different types of people. Generic keywords allow you to market your business while getting the most exposure and traffic. For example, if you have a health blog, you may want to use generic terms such as “health,” “diet,” “exercise,” and other words that generally describe the health niche. Keep in mind that generic terms are broad and require a lot of competition, so use these types of keywords sparingly.
2. Long tail keywords
Many people may need to learn what long tail keywords are, but this does not mean you should overlook using them for your site. Long tail keywords contain descriptive words, phrases, and variations that can result in superior search engine rankings. To find long-tail keywords that you can use, you should start by breaking your main keyword into different pieces. For example, if your main keyword is “health” and you have a health blog, then the long tail keywords could be health benefits or health risks.
3. Phrase keyword
A phrase keyword is a sequence of words next to each other. Like long tail keywords, phrase keywords make your website more relevant to search engines. The best part about using phrases is that you will not have to include brand names or other items that do not contain keywords to include them. An excellent example of a phrase keyword would be “Greek yogurt healthy.” Now, you can have this in your article and make it relevant.
4. Negative keywords
Negative keywords are words you do not want to be associated with your site. It is helpful because it helps you avoid competition from sites using the same keyword and phrase combinations. For example, if you have a health blog, one of your negative keywords could be “diet recipes” since this is something that people who frequent health blogs usually search for.
5. Exact match keywords
An exact match keyword is a word, phrase, or sequence of words that precisely matches what you want. Exact match keywords are based on the other used keywords and can be hard to find. For example, if you use the keyword “health blog,” a possible exact match keyword could be “diet blog.” It is an example of how the actual words from one of your main keywords could be related to another possible exact-match keyword.
6. Broad match keywords
Broad-match keywords are similar to generic keywords. These types of keywords spread out the exposure of your site and provide more traffic than over-optimized phrases. General match keywords are developed from the root keyword and then modified with other words with the same meaning. For example, if your main keyword is “health,” then some examples of broad matches may be “healthy recipes” or “healthy weight loss.”
7. Transactional keywords
This keyword is used to generate money for your business or website. Transactional keywords are not targeted at a specific audience but at particular purchases. These include various types of online advertising, such as targeted and email campaigns. For example, if you have a website that sells flowers, the keyword “flower delivery” would be considered a transactional keyword as it generates money for your business.
8. Product keywords
Product keywords help bring potential buyers to your business or website. Product keywords can help generate more sales depending on what you are selling. For example, if you sell healthy snacks and smoothies, the keywords “smoothie recipes” could result in more traffic because it would be related to the product you are trying to sell.
9. Location keywords
Location keywords are concerned with where your business is and what area you are targeting. For example, if your business is in Boston and you are targeting the local area for people who live close by, you could use the keywords “sports bars Boston.”
10. Customer-defining keywords
Customer-defining keywords are targeted at specific customers instead of the general public. These keywords help your business grow by finding new customers and converting them into repeat visitors or regular customers. For example, if you are running a store that sells traditional Mexican clothing, a customer-defining keyword could be “Mexican clothing online.” It is because people in the market for Mexican dress would be searching online for a place to buy it.
There are many more keywords to use when building and marketing your website. Keywords, however, are just one part of the puzzle when trying to increase traffic and sales on your website. When building and creating your site, it is essential to remember that you will have to make a strategy for this to work for you. Doing so will bring in more people and hopefully lead you to better sales and opportunities in the future.
Categorized in: SEO
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