What are SEO Keywords?

SEO Keywords are specific words relevant to the prompt of an article or website that users of the search engine commonly use. Therefore, websites that utilize more relevant keywords to the user’s search query will rank higher in the search results than websites that utilize fewer keywords. For example, if there were a cat article, then the author(s) would consider including keywords like ‘sleep’ or ‘milk’ because those are words that users of the search engine commonly associate with a cat and thereby look up on the internet.

Types of SEO Keywords

Although keywords are a relatively simple and lucid concept to comprehend, they are at the core of SEO practices; therefore, there are numerous variations of standard SEO keywords that add to the diversity of approaches that articles can have in terms of addressing their targeted search result:

Short-Tail Keywords: As the name implies, these are short (usually around three words) keywords that lead to a significantly higher search volume at the cost of higher competition. Internet users tap into these keywords when they google extremely generic topics, such as “arthritis” or “sports,” which will generate more search results.

Long-Tail Keywords: These keywords are when internet users google questions or are overly descriptive with their search. As voice searches via Siri, Cortana, and Google Assistance gradually become more popular, long-tail keywords become increasingly relevant and prominent as an SEO strategy because people naturally give longer descriptions when they talk, as opposed to when they type them down. Although this keyword strategy can constrict a website’s potential audience, it significantly boosts its rankings for the particular search result. The article is more likely to be read by an internet user than by a more generic article.

Short-Term Fresh Keyword: These are keywords backed up by an immense amount of hype or short-term popularity, such as the “Johnny Depp Trial” or movies like “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” These keywords are superlative for established, popular websites that are the leading authority in a certain economic sphere, such as IMDb.

Long-Term Evergreen Keyword: These are perpetually relevant keywords, meaning that the search volume will be relatively consistent. However, it is important to note that these keywords are notable for being consistent in search volume, not meaning that they will always have a high search volume.

Conclusion

Ultimately, all websites must be cognizant of the multiple types of keywords to optimally utilize their resources to target an audience that will become loyal patrons of their website in the future.