What is keyword?

The plain definition

A keyword is a word or phrase that someone types into a search engine, such as “emergency plumber” or “dentist open Saturday”. In SEO, finding the keywords your customers use, and then writing pages that answer them, is the starting point. A keyword can be one word or a whole phrase.

An example

You call your service “residential repiping”. Customers search for “replace old pipes in house”. If your page only uses your own wording, it may not match what people ask. Using the words customers use, in headings and text, helps the page appear for those searches.

Why it matters for a local business

Pick one main topic for each page and write for the customer, not for the search engine. Use the keyword where it fits naturally, such as the title, the main heading and the first paragraph, and use related words throughout. Repeating the same phrase over and over does not help.

Check it for free

See where you stand with the free keyword density checker. If you would rather have it handled, our Local SEO service covers this as part of the monthly work.

Related terms

• Search intent
• Long-tail keyword
• Keyword density

Part of the SEO glossary. New to all this? Start with the beginner’s SEO guide.