Do you want your website to succeed on Google? Then, mastering the different types of keywords in SEO is the quest you should be searching for! Understanding keyword categories and their importance in developing targeted SEO strategies is the baseline for enhancing your content effectiveness and online visibility.
Let’s break down 18 types of keywords so you can create a winning SEO strategy suited for your brand’s needs. No jargon, just practical advice!
- Why Types of Keywords Matter?
- Keyword Classification
- How to Find & Use the Right Types of Keywords
- 18 Types of Keywords You Must Know About
- Keyword Matching: What Is It?
Why Types of Keywords Matter?
Think of keywords as the GPS for search engines.
When someone types a phrase into Google, the search engine uses those words to figure out which pages are most relevant. If you want your site to show up at the top, you need to know which types of keywords to use and when.
But here’s the trick: not all keywords matter the same. Some are perfect for attracting curious browsers, others for shoppers ready to buy, and some help people find your brand directly. Understanding the different types of keywords in SEO and how to use them is how you get more clicks, more customers, and more love from Google.
Understanding also the different keyword categories, such as short-tail, medium-tail, and long-tail keywords, is vital for developing effective SEO strategies. Utilizing professional SEO tools to generate and filter these keywords can also help you with content creation and improve your online visibility.
Additionally, focusing on target keywords is the secret to optimizing content related to products. These keywords can attract broader audiences by addressing alternative products and different customer needs, ultimately leading to better performance and engagement for marketers and their clients.
Keyword Classification
Keyword classification is the process of categorizing keywords into different types based on their characteristics, such as length, role, and search intent. This helps in understanding the user’s search query and providing relevant content to meet their needs.
There are several ways to classify keywords, for example:
Based on Length
Keywords can be classified into three categories based on their length: short-tail keywords, mid-tail keywords, and long-tail keywords.
- Short-tail keywords are brief and generic, typically consisting of one or two words, such as “shoes” or “clothing.” Short-tail keywords are great for building brand awareness due to their high search volume, but they come with stiff competition.
- Mid-tail keywords are more specific and consist of two or three words, such as “women’s shoes” or “men’s clothing.” Mid-tail keywords strike a balance between search volume and competition, making them ideal for attracting a more targeted audience.
- Long-tail keywords are highly specific and consist of four or more words, such as “women’s running shoes” or “men’s formal clothing.” These have lower search volume but are more targeted and have higher conversion rates. Long-tail keywords, while having lower search volume, are gold for conversions as they attract users with specific search intent.
Example:
- Short-tail: “Shoes”
- Mid-tail: “Women’s shoes”
- Long-tail: “Women’s running shoes”
Based on Role
Keywords can also be classified based on their role, such as informational keywords, navigational keywords, transactional keywords, and commercial keywords.
- Informational keywords are used to provide information to users, such as “what is SEO” or “how to improve website ranking.”
- Navigational keywords are used to help users find a specific website or page, such as “Facebook” or “Amazon.”
- Transactional keywords are used to complete a transaction or make a purchase, such as “buy shoes online” or “book a flight.”
- Commercial keywords are used to research products or services, such as “best SEO tools” or “top web hosting services.”
Example:
- Informational: “How to improve website ranking”
- Navigational: “Amazon login”
- Transactional: “Buy shoes online”
- Commercial: “Best SEO tools”
Pro tip: Comprehending the role of each keyword type helps you create content that matches the user’s search intent, improving your chances of ranking higher and converting visitors into customers.
How to Find & Use the Right Types of Keywords
Now that we have a clearer understanding of what these types are, let’s start searching for them. How?
1. Do Your Keyword Research
Start with tools like Google Keyword Planner, Semrush, or Ahrefs to find out what people are searching for. Look for a mix of short-tail, long-tail, and mid-tail keywords. Understanding the various user intents behind search queries is important, so focus on intent-targeting keywords to enhance your SEO strategies. Check out what your competitors are ranking for, too.
2. Understand Search Intent
Ask yourself: What does the searcher want? Are they looking for info, comparing products, or ready to buy? Put yourself in the shoes of your audience. Use professional SEO tools to discover a variety of keyword types, to match your content to their intent for the best results.
3. Optimize Your Content
- Use your main keyword in the title, first paragraph, and headers. Utilizing Google search can help uncover keywords relevant to your audience region, ensuring your content resonates locally.
- Don’t stuff keywords; keep it natural and readable.
- Use location keywords if you want to rank locally.
- Add internal and external links to boost authority.
4. Keep It Local!
If you’re targeting your region, let’s say, Canadians, use Canadian English (favour, not favor; cheque, not check). Mention local cities, provinces, and events. For instance, if you serve Quebec or New Brunswick, consider bilingual content (French and English).
18 Types of Keywords You Must Know About
Now, let’s get to the list you’re waiting for. There is a wide range of categories out there, sure, and we’ve mentioned the basic ones already, but take this as your base guide if you’re crafting your SEO strategy from scratch. You do not want to miss these. Let’s dive in!
1. Short-Tail Keywords
Short-tail keywords are the big, broad search terms, usually one to three words long. Think “hockey,” “laptops,” or “SEO.” They have a relatively high search volume and are highly competitive. If you’re just starting out, it’s tough to rank for these, but they’re great for building brand awareness and getting lots of views on your site.
Example:
- “Coffee”
- “Web hosting”
- “Yoga”
Pro tip: Pair short-tail keywords with more specific ones to attract the right crowd.
2. Long-Tail Keywords
Long-tail keywords are lengthier, more specific phrases, usually four words or more. They might not get as many searches, but the people who use them know exactly what they want. These are gold for small businesses and niche sites because there’s less competition and higher chances of converting visitors into customers.
Example:
- “Best vegan restaurants in Toronto”
- “Affordable web hosting for students”
- “How to start a podcast in Canada”
3. Mid-Tail Keywords
Mid-tail keywords fall right in the middle: not too broad, not too specific. They’re usually two to three words long and balance search volume with competition. This balance allows mid-tail keywords to drive substantial search traffic, as they are specific enough to attract targeted audiences while still maintaining a reasonable search volume.
Example:
- “Yoga classes”
- “Hosting reviews”
- “SEO tools”
4. Primary Keywords
Primary keywords are the main focus of your page or blog post. They’re the words you most want to rank for. Analyzing search results pages for a target keyword is necessary to determine the user intent behind the keyword, whether it is informational or commercial. Knowing this intent and the types of content that rank well for that keyword can greatly influence your content strategy and optimization efforts.
Example:
- For a blog about web hosting: “web hosting Canada”
Pro tip: Include your primary keyword in your title, first paragraph, headers, and meta description for best results.
5. Secondary Keywords
Secondary keywords support your primary keyword. They’re related terms that give your content more depth and help you rank for a wider range of searches. Using a keyword tool can help you efficiently identify these secondary keywords, ensuring they are relevant and sorted by various criteria.
Example:
- For “web hosting Canada,” secondary keywords might be “cheap hosting,” “best Canadian hosting providers,” or “WordPress hosting.”
Pro tip: Scatter these naturally throughout your content to keep things readable and boost your SEO.
6. Branded Keywords
Branded keywords include your business or product name. These are important for building brand awareness and making sure people can find you directly. Using Google Search Console to track and optimize the ranking of branded keywords can help you identify which branded keywords you are already ranking for and take steps to optimize your content accordingly.
Example:
- “EasyHosting”
- “Nike shoes”
- “Tim Hortons menu”
Pro tip: People searching for branded keywords already know you; they just need to find your site fast.
7. Non-Branded Keywords
These are keywords that don’t mention your brand. They’re important for attracting new visitors who haven’t heard of you yet. Use non-branded keywords to reach a wider audience and grow your brand. To effectively find keywords that attract new visitors, utilize tools like Answer the Public and Semrush. These tools help generate specific keyword ideas based on user intent, allowing you to target niche keywords for more focused traffic.
Example:
- “Affordable web hosting”
- “Best running shoes”
8. Informational Keywords
Informational keywords are for people who want to learn something. They often start with “how,” “what,” “why,” or “who.” These question-based keywords are fundamental components of keyword research tools and strategies. They have significant potential for SEO optimization due to their high search volume and low competition. These are perfect for blog posts, guides, and FAQs.
Example:
- “How to set up a WordPress site”
- “What is SEO?”
9. Navigational Keywords
Navigational keywords are used when someone wants to find a specific website or page. Learning how users search for these specific sites or pages reveals some useful insights. These usually include brand or product names, or terms like “login” or “contact.”
Example:
- “EasyHosting.com login”
- “Facebook sign in”
10. Transactional Keywords
Transactional keywords are used by people ready to buy or take action. They include words like “buy,” “order,” “subscribe,” or “download.” These are the money-makers, so target them with ads and landing pages.
Example:
- “Buy web hosting Canada”
- “Subscribe to yoga classes”
11. Commercial Keywords
Commercial keywords are for people who are researching before buying. They’re comparing options, reading reviews, or looking for the best deal. Market segment keywords are also crucial in this phase as they attract a variety of offerings from different brands within a specific industry.
Example:
- “Best web hosting Canada”
- “Top laptops 2025”
Pro tip: Create comparison articles, reviews, and lists targeting these keywords to catch shoppers before they decide.
12. Product & Services Keywords
Product keywords are specific to what you sell. These can include product names, models, categories or the services as they are. Maintain a competitive edge when multiple advertisers bid on the same keyword, as it can significantly impact your visibility in pay-per-click (PPC) advertising. Include the name of your business so the product itself relates directly to your brand name.
Example:
- “WordPress hosting plan”
- “Web design services”
- Plumbing services
Pro tip: Optimize your product pages and descriptions for these keywords to attract buyers looking for exactly what you offer.
13. Location Keywords
Location keywords add a geographic element to your search terms. These locational keywords are needed to improve visibility in local searches. They help you reach people searching for something in a specific place. Blending these keywords into your content and Google Business listings can greatly improve your local search performance. Perfect for local businesses and anyone who wants to show up in “near me” searches.
Example:
- “Web hosting Toronto”
- “Best coffee shop in Montreal”
14. Competitor Keywords
Competitor keywords are the names of your competitors or their products/services. Identifying and utilizing competitive keywords can enhance your SEO strategies by focusing on less competitive long-tail keywords that cater to specific user intents. Targeting these can help you draw customers who are considering your competition.
Example:
- “GoDaddy alternatives”
- “Shopify vs EasyHosting”
- “Sites similar to (competitor’s name)”
Pro tip: Create comparison content or ads to show why you’re the better choice.
15. LSI (Latent Semantic Indexing) Keywords
Related terms that help search engines understand your content’s context.
For example, if your main keyword is “SEO course,” LSI keywords might include:
- “search engine optimization”
- “digital marketing”
- “online training”.
17. Customer-Defining Keywords
Keywords that describe your target customer. Meaning, you’re including the term of your audience in the actual keyword, and if you have a wide range of audiences, these keywords will work a lot to segment your products.
Example:
- “hosting for students”
- “SEO for small businesses”
18. Evergreen Keywords
Topics or searches that stay relevant year after year! These are the keywords that will be a go-to whenever you think of something; most of the time, these are related to tutorials or common questions in regards of a product, service, topic, etc.
Example:
- “How to start a blog”
- “Most common email subjects”
- “Decor ideas for summer”
Keyword Matching: What Is It?
Keyword matching refers to the process of matching keywords with the content of a webpage to improve its visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs). Keyword matching is an important aspect of search engine optimization (SEO) and pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, as it helps to ensure that the content is relevant to the user’s search query and improves the chances of conversion, even if they didn’t type exactly the keyword you’re using.
There are several types of keyword matching, including exact match, phrase match, and broad match.
- Exact match keywords are used to match the exact phrase or word. Your ad will show only when a user types in your exact keyword or a close variant. Exact match keywords ensure your content is highly relevant to specific search queries, making it easier to rank for those terms.
- Phrase match keywords are used to match a phrase or sentence. Your ad will show when a user searches for your keyword phrase, or a variation of it. Phrase match keywords offer a balance, allowing for some variation while still targeting specific phrases.
- Broad match keywords are used to match a keyword or phrase with related words or phrases. Your ad will show for a wider range of searches, including those that aren’t directly related to your keyword, but have similar intent. Broad match keywords cast a wider net, capturing a range of related searches and increasing your content’s visibility.
Use a mix of exact match, phrase match, and broad match keywords in your SEO strategies to cover a wide range of search queries and maximize your reach!
Conclusion
If you want your website to stand out, understanding the types of keywords in SEO is a must.
Mix and match these 18 types of keywords in your content, ads, and SEO strategy, and you will start seeing some changes in your traffic. Stay curious, keep learning, and don’t be afraid to experiment—because in the world of SEO, there’s always something new to discover.
Using the right types of keywords will help you connect with your audience, boost your rankings, and grow your business from coast to coast.
Ready to level up your SEO? EasyHosting is here to help. We provide SEO and digital marketing services to all types of businesses. Reach out – give us a call or drop us an email!
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What are the main types of keywords in SEO?
The main types are short-tail, long-tail, mid-tail, primary, secondary, branded, non-branded, informational, navigational, transactional, commercial, product, service, location, and competitor keywords.
How do I find the best keywords for my site?
Use keyword research tools like Google Keyword Planner, Semrush, or Ahrefs. Look at what your competitors are ranking for and check the “People Also Ask” section on Google for ideas.
How often should I use my keywords?
Use your main keyword in the title, first paragraph, and every 300-400 words. Add secondary and related keywords naturally, don’t overdo it, or you’ll get penalized for keyword stuffing.
Why is search intent important?
Search intent helps you match your content to what users are actually looking for. This leads to higher rankings and better conversion rates.
Can I use more than one type of keyword in a post?
Absolutely! In fact, you should. Mix different types of keywords to cover more search queries and attract a broader audience.
