Keywords are the backbone of search engine optimization. But did you know that keywords come in all different types of flavours? A successful SEO campaign should aim to target all these different types of keywords in order to appeal to different visitor intentions and search styles. Below are 10 types of keywords that could be worth checking off.
Branded keywords
Branded keywords feature specific brand names (e.g. ‘Nike sneakers’ or ‘Ford Focus’). This could be your company name or brand of product that you sell in your store. Such keywords typically signal high intent – they’re used by visitors who know exactly what they’re looking for.
Evergreen keywords
Evergreen keywords target search terms are constantly popular at all periods of the year (e.g. ‘healthy breakfast ideas’ and ‘vacuum cleaner for sale’). Targeting these evergreen keywords helps you to generate sustainable traffic over the years.
Informational keywords
Informational keywords are terms that users look for when trying to find answers to questions or trying to learn about topics. They include keywords like ‘what is the best accounting software?’ and ‘how to unblock a drain’. They’re best used in informational content rather than promotional content.
Local keywords
Local keywords are keywords used by people in your area searching for local services (e.g. ‘Italian restaurant near me’ or ‘local AC repair’). By working with the best digital marketing agency in your area, you can identify popular local keywords that competitors may not be targeting.
Long-tail keywords
Long-tail keywords are keywords that consist of three or more words. They can include sentences (e.g. ‘what is the furthest planet from the sun?’) of very specific product details (e.g. ‘organic robusta finely ground coffee’). Although individual terms often have low traffic, long-tail keywords make up 70% of all search traffic.
LSI keywords
Latent semantic indexing (LSI) keywords are related terms that can help search engines understand the context of a content. For example, when targeting the keyword ‘apple products’ it could be important to use LSI keywords like ‘iphone’ and ‘ipad’ to stop the page showing up when people are searching for apples as in fruit.
Navigational keywords
Navigational keywords can include branded keywords, but often have even more specific intent as they are looking for a particular page (e.g. ‘Walmart careers’ or ‘Amazon login’). Use these keywords to target high-intent visitors.
Seasonal keywords
These are keywords that are predominantly searched during specific times of the year. Examples include ‘Xmas gifts for men’ and ‘Halloween costume ideas’. Start targeting these in the lead-up to these events where relevant.
Short-tail keywords
The opposite of long-tail keywords: short-tail keywords consist of one or two words (e.g. ‘marketing’ or ‘bike tyres’). They are typically much broader so may be used by visitors in the initial stages of product research rather than visitors who are likely to convert.
Transactional keywords
Transactional keywords are high-intent keywords leading to transactions (e.g. ‘buy lawnmower’ or ‘download VPN’). Use these terms on product pages with CTA buttons rather than on informational pages.
