Keywords

Keywords are the words and phrases users type into the search field when they are looking for something. They are the foundation under all work with SEO, because you can only be found on the searches you have content for, and any strategy therefore starts with what your customers actually search for.

Behind every keyword sits a search intent, the purpose of the query. "Running shoes" and "which running shoes should I choose for a marathon" concern the same product but two very different situations: one searcher is ready to look at the range, the other needs guidance first. Short, broad keywords usually carry high volume and hard competition, while long-tail keywords are more specific, easier to win and closer to the decision.

Mapping volume, competition and intent is called keyword research, and it decides which pages are worth building and what they should cover. That work is laid out in the guide to keyword research.

Search today reaches beyond Google. When people ask ChatGPT, Copilot or Perplexity, they write prompts instead of keywords, longer and more conversational: "which accounting software should I pick for a small webshop" rather than "accounting software". The dynamic is unchanged. An intent still sits behind the prompt, and pages that match it precisely win both the rankings in classic search and the citations in AI answers.