When you look for something online, you describe it in words and type them into a search engine, such as Google. The search engine matches those words with the words on various websites that are included in its index. And then it gives you the most relevant results (websites that best match the words you typed).

In search marketing, these words are called keywords.
 

What is a keyword?

Strictly speaking, a keyword means one single word. When the first search engines were launched, they had relatively simple algorithms and many users used single words for their searches. But search engines are constantly evolving and now they support large key phrases with two or more keywords.

What is a keyphrase (or key phrase)

A keyword phrase means a set of separate words that build a phrase (so it’s a multi-word search term). 

Strong, optimised written copy is the most critical part of any search engine optimisation (SEO) initiative. But before the first sentence, tagline, or headline is written you must identify the keywords and key phrases that your target audience is most likely to use when searching for your website.

More guidance

1. Audit your competitor’s keywords
2. Catalogue key words into themes
3. Change with time of day/time of year
4. Key phrase analysis
5. Key phrases outrank key words
6. Key phrase prioritizing
7. Keyword/key phrase themes
8. Keyword/key phrase variants
9. Keyword tools
10. Qualifier show the intent of your reader
11. Responsive list compilation

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This page content was reviewed in September 2024.