8 Types of keywords in SEO
1. Seed keywords
To uncover additional keywords, you can employ seed keywords, words or phrases that serve as the foundation for your Types of keywords in SEO research.
Keywords research is a process that begins with seed keywords and ends with lucrative keywords.
Methods for determining
Good seed keywords can be generated in numerous ways:
- Compensational analysis
- Keyword research
- Observing the menus that allow users to navigate pages on websites
- Learning from people’s social media language
Furthermore, there is more.
Now, let’s see an example. Consider the following scenario: you are interested in beginning a food blog. Looking for inspiration, you visit a rival company’s blog and stumble upon a recipe for “vegan meatballs.” One option is to create a comparable recipe, while another is to use it as a seed term to see if any dish variants are searched for. You can discover a handful of these via Ahrefs’ Keywords Explorer.
2. Terms based on user purpose
The Types of keywords in SEO One definition of a search query is “search intent,” also known as a keyword. What do users anticipate finding when they enter a query into a search engine?
We may broadly classify intent keywords into four categories:
- Informational — The person searching seeks specific details, such as “who invented the mouse.”
- Example: “Facebook login.” This type of search is navigational and aims to locate a particular website.
- “ahrefs review” is an example of a commercial investigation; in this case, the searcher is interested in purchasing a product but wants to learn more about it beforehand.
- If you want to “buy iPhone 14,” you’re in the transactional mode.
Additionally, we have a mix of commercial exploration and transactional terms, known as high-intent keywords, showing that the consumer is almost ready to buy.
3. Supporting and topical long-tail keywords
Search queries with a low monthly search volume are known as long-tail keywords.
This is because they were named after the so-called search demand curve. The three most common search terms for any subject are short-tails, middle-tails, and long-tails. Short-tails are also known as fat heads or head phrases.
One typical SEO strategy is to target long-tail keywords:
- Long-tail keywords are often easier to rank than short- or middle-tail ones, but exceptions exist.
- You can attract visitors with specific intent; there are a lot of them, and they tend to be exact.
Methods for determining
Two distinct kinds of long-tail keywords exist.
A subset of long-tail keywords known as “topical” are topics. On the other hand, you have long-tail keywords, which are less common but still useful for finding relevant results.
This is a significant distinction, as targeting relevant long-tail keywords is the only sensible strategy. To help you remember it, consider them sets and subsets.
Discovering relevant, long-tail keywords with Keywords Explorer:
- Jump into a general subject
- get the report on matching words
- Turn up the Volume and Traffic Potential filters to 300 for the third place.
- sort keywords by parent subjects.
4. Keywords with less competition
Keywords with little competition, sometimes known as “low-hanging fruit,” are the ones that usually have an easier time ranking.
They are commonly suggested to new websites without a strong link profile because of their claim to fame: they can provide speedier results in the short run.
Methods for determining
Using an SEO tool with a difficulty score is the most straightforward approach to discovering Types of keywords in SEO with low competition. Keyword Difficulty (KD) is what we term it here at Ahrefs.
- Type in an essential term
- Access the report on matching words.
- Adjust the KD filter to a maximum of 20.
This strategy will filter Pages with many backlinks for specific keywords. Some low-KD keywords may still be more challenging to rank for due to factors such as
- Popular brands appearing on the SERP.
- Competitors’ content is of high quality.
Using the “Lowest DR” filter and entering your site’s DR allows you to refine that list further. See whether any of the top 10 or 5 websites already have your DR or a lower ranking here.
5. Keywords that target a specific niche
A niche market caters to a tiny, highly specified subset of consumers using clear and distinct phrases.
Ranking for them is usually less of a challenge. Their specificity also makes them capable of carrying out high-intent ones. To rephrase, you can quickly receive a tiny amount of high-quality visitors from each specialized term. Their combined strength can support a long-tail firm that deals in unusual things sold in limited quantities.
In this case, “vegan baby soap” is the keyword. Despite its narrow focus, its search volume is relatively low. This product is likely uncommon. Therefore, it’s expected that the person searching is looking to buy any such product. Ranking for it should also be relatively simple.
Methods for determining
Very comparable to long-tail keywords are niche keywords. On the other hand, search demand is just one factor in specialized keywords. Because of the commercial component, you should dig deeper into what the keyword represents.
Though it doesn’t indicate a product already on the market, this term can attract visitors. There’s a spelling error.
This can be remedied by implementing a few suggestions for improving your list of keywords. Here’s a case in point:
- Step one is to input a seed word.
- Switch to a low setting for the Volume and Traffic Potential filter. When I use the word “soap” as an example, the volume of 500 is somewhat low.
- Third, use modifier terms that describe characteristics, segments, or use cases. See, for example, “free,” “vegan,” “substitute,” “alternative,” and even “for.”
We have found a market niche for those who want their soaps unscented.
6. Keywords in branding and rebranding
Getting a high ranking for non-branded keywords lets you reach customers looking for your services or products who are unfamiliar and want to become more of your brand.
Gaining a high ranking for branded keywords lets you connect with those seeking information about your business.
Methods for determining
Any Types of keywords in SEO that does not include your company or product name is considered unbranded. You can pick from various approaches to locating them in this post.
You can find branded keywords in three different ways.
The first option is to use Keywords Explorer to paste your brand and items. This will show branded keywords and SEO data and who ranks for them.
Alternatively, you can use Ahrefs’ Site Explorer to see just the branded keywords you do well for. Adjectives containing the brand names should be included. You may also need better-performing keywords by using the Position filter.
If you still need to rank for branded keywords, now is the time. Checking your ranking for specific keywords against the complete list of branded keywords is the first step in accomplishing this. If you want to learn more about branded search and how to implement it, this tutorial has everything you need.
7. Keywords With your competitors!
Seeing the keywords used by one’s competitors is something that everyone would profit from. That list of keywords is a treasure trove of potential headlines for your website, among other benefits.
Discovering a competitor’s keyword strategy allows you to do the following: • Use the exact keywords.
Research using your competitors’ keywords as a starting point.
Methods for determining
Do it one of two ways.
Site Explorer’s Organic Keywords report is the place to start after pasting your rival’s URL.
Filters allow you to narrow the list of keywords further from that point on. Certain words or phrases with little competition are one example.
You may see what your competitors use for those keywords where you need to rank. You may find a dedicated tool for it in Site Explorer called Content Gap. Copy and paste domain names that compete.
8. Main keywords and supplementary keywords
The most important thing on a page is the prime keyword. In other words, the sole purpose of conducting keyword research is to optimize a page for this particular phrase.
Secondary keywords are significantly linked to the main keyword you are targeting on your page.
The book’s title, for instance, may serve as the principal keyword, while other keywords could be used as subtopics.
Methods for determining
First, you must conduct thorough keyword research to identify viable prime keywords. To be effective, your main keywords should:
- Be able to generate search traffic and
- Demonstrate that you can comply with search intent.
- Could be helpful for your website’s business or some other purpose.
- To a large extent, stay within your ranking capabilities.
Check out our ultimate keyword research guide if you want to know all the intricacies.
Due to their close relationship, your primary keywords will determine the secondary keywords you need. Comparison of high-ranking articles for a specific keyword is possible with the help of the Related terms report in Keywords Explorer and the Content Gap tool in Site Explorer.
