Keyword
A keyword is a word or phrase used in search and content planning. In search ads, it is a targeting term and need not match the actual query word for word.
A keyword is a word or phrase used to describe a search topic. In content planning, it helps organise possible questions and suitable pages. In search advertising, a selected keyword can help determine when an ad appears; it need not be identical to the actual search query.
A hypothetical provider plans a page for the keyword “B2B customer portal”. Someone might search for “portal with customer prices and order approval”. The wording differs, but both can relate to a similar problem.
A keyword proves neither sufficient demand nor purchase intent. Repeating the phrase frequently does not automatically make a page helpful either. What matters is the question the page answers for its intended audience. Actual search terms and advertising keywords should therefore be distinguished during analysis.
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Related terms
- Search intentSearch intent is the goal behind a search query. Wording provides clues, but does not give certain knowledge of an individual’s intentions.
- Long-tail keywordLong-tail keywords are search phrases with relatively low individual demand. They are often specific; length alone proves neither volume nor business value.
- Crawl budgetCrawl budget describes which URLs Google can and wants to fetch. Server capacity and crawl demand work together.
- Robots directiveRobots directives give indexing or presentation rules to search engines that support them. The crawler and the delivery route also matter.
- NoindexNoindex controls inclusion in search engines that support the instruction. The crawler must be able to read it; it does not replace access protection.
- Indexing statusIndexing status describes a URL’s inclusion in a search index. It is distinct from reachability and visibility for a particular search.
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