Skip to main content

​
Overview

Keywords are the foundation of your content strategy. This guide explains what keywords are, how search intent works, and what makes a keyword valuable for your SEO efforts.

​
What Are Keywords?

Keywords are words or phrases that people type into search engines when looking for information. When you target a keyword in your content, you’re optimizing your article to appear in search results when someone searches for that term.

​
Search Intent Types

Understanding search intent helps you create content that matches what users are actually looking for. There are four main types:

​
Informational Intent

Users want to learn something or answer a question. Examples:
  • “how to optimize SEO”
  • “what is content marketing”
  • “best practices for blog writing”
Content approach: Create comprehensive, educational content that thoroughly answers the question. Users want to find a specific website or page. Examples:
  • “genseo login”
  • “shopify dashboard”
  • “webflow pricing”
Content approach: Usually not relevant for content creation, as users are looking for specific sites.

​
Transactional Intent

Users want to make a purchase or take a specific action. Examples:
  • “buy SEO tools”
  • “shopify integration pricing”
  • “best content marketing software”
Content approach: Create content that helps users make purchasing decisions, compare options, or understand product features.

​
Commercial Investigation

Users are researching before making a purchase decision. Examples:
  • “best SEO tools comparison”
  • “shopify vs woocommerce”
  • “content marketing software reviews”
Content approach: Create comparison content, reviews, or detailed feature guides.

​
Broad vs Long-Tail Keywords

​
Broad Keywords

Short, generic keywords with high search volume but high competition. Examples:
  • “SEO”
  • “marketing”
  • “content”
Characteristics:
  • High search volume
  • High competition
  • Lower conversion rates
  • Harder to rank for

​
Long-Tail Keywords

Specific, longer phrases with lower search volume but higher relevance. Examples:
  • “how to optimize SEO for e-commerce stores”
  • “content marketing strategies for SaaS companies”
  • “best SEO tools for small businesses”
Characteristics:
  • Lower search volume
  • Lower competition
  • Higher conversion rates
  • Easier to rank for
  • More specific intent
Start with long-tail keywords. They’re easier to rank for and often convert better because they match specific user intent.

​
Relevance vs Volume

When choosing keywords, balance relevance and search volume.

​
Relevance

How well the keyword matches your content and audience. High relevance: Keyword directly relates to what you offer and what your audience searches for. Low relevance: Keyword might have volume but doesn’t match your content or audience.

​
Volume

How many people search for the keyword each month. High volume: More potential traffic but usually more competition. Low volume: Less traffic but often easier to rank for and better conversion rates.

​
Finding the Balance

  • Prioritize relevance: A highly relevant keyword with lower volume often performs better than a high-volume, low-relevance keyword
  • Consider competition: High-volume keywords usually have more competition
  • Think long-term: Building topical authority with relevant keywords pays off over time

​
What Makes a Keyword Valuable?

A valuable keyword has these characteristics:

​
1. Relevant to Your Audience

The keyword matches what your target audience is actually searching for and relates to your product or service.

​
2. Achievable Rankings

You have a realistic chance of ranking for the keyword based on your domain authority and competition.

​
3. Conversion Potential

The keyword represents users who might take a desired action (sign up, purchase, contact, etc.).

​
4. Search Volume

There’s enough search volume to make ranking worthwhile (even if it’s low volume, it should be consistent).

​
5. Business Value

Ranking for the keyword supports your business goals (brand awareness, lead generation, sales, etc.).

​
Keyword Difficulty

Keyword difficulty measures how hard it is to rank for a keyword. Factors include:
  • Domain authority: Higher authority sites rank more easily
  • Competition: How many other sites are targeting the keyword
  • Content quality: How comprehensive existing content is
  • Backlinks: How many backlinks top-ranking pages have
As a general rule, target keywords with difficulty scores you can realistically achieve. Start with lower difficulty keywords and work your way up as you build authority.

​
Best Practices

  • Start specific: Begin with long-tail, specific keywords before targeting broad terms
  • Match intent: Ensure your keyword matches the search intent of your target audience
  • Prioritize relevance: Choose relevant keywords over high-volume, irrelevant ones
  • Consider your goals: Align keywords with your business objectives
  • Think in clusters: Group related keywords to build topical authority

​
Next Steps