16 Types of Keywords You Need to Know for Better SEO Rankings | Optimise Search Intent, and Placements

Organic keywords commonly referred to as search terms are the backbone of any successful search marketing campaign. You must have come across many bloggers and experts who stress upon using the right words in your blog content for improving your search engine ranking. Without the proper words, even the most beautiful website will struggle to attract visitors from search engines. If you are starting fresh, learning the basics in our SEO basics beginners guide is highly recommended.

Understanding search terms is the major milestone in the path of successful blogging and effective optimization! This complete guide provides you with the exact knowledge to use different keyword types for maximum impact. Knowing the differences between short-tail terms with high search volume but broad intent, and long-tail terms with lower search volume but targeted intent is very important. You will also learn how to find informational terms that users look for when seeking knowledge, and transactional terms used for making buying decisions. Choosing the right topics starts with a solid foundation, which you can read about in our choosing topics for blog post content guide.



So what exactly is a search term, what are its different types, how should we use it, and how do they affect your search engine rankings? This is exactly what I am going to explain to you in complete detail in this article. We will break down everything from short tail and long tail to LSI and evergreen terms. If you want to build a solid online presence, checking our guide on how to build blog authority and website reputation is a perfect next step. Let us get started.

How many types of keywords are in SEO?

Top 16 Types of Keywords and Their Search Intent

No.	Keyword Type	How It Works	Best Used For
1.	Short Tail Keywords	1-2 broad words with massive search volume.	Brand awareness and high traffic generation.
2.	Medium Tail Keywords	2-3 words with moderate competition.	Balancing traffic volume and relevance.
3.	Long Tail Keywords	3+ words with highly specific intent.	Driving targeted traffic and high conversions.
4.	Informational Keywords	Users looking for answers and knowledge.	How-to guides, tutorials, and educational posts.
5.	Navigational Keywords	Users searching for a specific brand or site.	Company pages and brand profile optimization.
6.	Commercial Keywords	Users comparing products before buying.	Product reviews and comparison articles.
7.	Transactional Keywords	Users ready to purchase immediately.	Product pages, sales pages, and service offers.
8.	Branded Keywords	Terms that include your specific brand name.	Protecting brand identity and direct searches.
9.	Non-Branded Keywords	Terms related to your products but without the brand.	Attracting new users who do not know your brand yet.
10.	Geo-Targeted Keywords	Terms tied to a specific location or city.	Local businesses looking for nearby customers.
11.	LSI Keywords	Words conceptually related to your main topic.	Helping search engines understand your page context.
12.	Evergreen Keywords	Topics that remain relevant year after year.	Creating long-lasting posts that drive consistent traffic.
13.	Product Keywords	Terms detailing specific product models.	E-commerce product descriptions.
14.	Competitor Keywords	Brand names of your business rivals.	Alternative comparison pages (e.g., Tool A vs Tool B).
15.	Customer Defining Keywords	Terms specifying the exact target audience.	Niche marketing like "shoes for nurses."
16.	Negative Keywords	Terms you exclude in paid advertising campaigns.	Saving ad budget by blocking irrelevant clicks.

What Are Keywords?

In simple terms, a keyword is nothing but a word or a phrase that people type into Google and other search engines when they want to find something. These words act as a bridge connecting the user's problem with your website's solution. When you use the same words your audience uses, search engines can easily match their query with your content. You also need to know the fundamentals from our guide on what are keywords and how keyword research works.

The search engines then look for this specific term across all the web pages on the internet to deliver a set of results matching the query based on certain ranking criteria. They scan your titles, text, and images to see if your page actually answers the user's question. This matching process happens in milliseconds. If your website does not contain the words people are searching for, you simply will not show up in the results. For a deeper understanding of this process, reading about blog vs website differences gives good context on how different platforms manage content.

Importance Of Keywords

According to various studies carried out by industry experts, results displayed on the first page of Google get about 92.5% of the total traffic. The traffic drops significantly to just 4.8% for the second page, with results displayed on page 7 onwards getting almost zero traffic. So unless you are getting ranked on the first few pages, you may get very little or no organic traffic. Finding out why your site is not ranking is a big step, which is why reading our post on reasons why you are not getting website traffic is very helpful.

While there are many factors which decide your position at search engines, using the right search queries is usually your first step towards optimizing your blog post to be ranked higher. They tell search engines exactly what your page is about. Without this clarity, search engine bots have to guess the context of your page, and they often guess wrong. Providing clear signals makes their job much easier. You must check our detailed explanation on why keywords are so important for search optimization.

Targeted traffic is another massive benefit. Using correct intent-driven terms brings qualified visitors who actually want your information or products. If you sell blue running shoes, ranking for "shoes" will bring thousands of people who might want formal shoes, red shoes, or children's shoes. But ranking for "buy blue running shoes" brings people who have their wallets ready. Using the correct terms improves your sales and email sign-ups massively. For a wider strategy on generating traffic, check our guide on website speed optimization tips because speed also affects how your terms rank.

Keyword Research

So to improve your search rankings, you must know what exactly people are searching for and what words and phrases they are using to find it. You can then use targeted words and phrases in your blog posts to make sure Google and other search engines display your results to the right people. Guessing what your audience wants never works; you need actual data from research tools. To get started properly, read our comprehensive guide on how to do keyword research for SEO.

This entire process of finding the right terms is called keyword research. It involves looking at search volumes, competition difficulty, and the actual intent behind the words. A good research session will give you a list of primary targets for your main topics and secondary targets for your subheadings. You can organize these using various tracking software. For managing this data, check out our list of top 10 rank tracking SEO tools.

Before you jump into the research tools, you must know what the various types of queries are and where to place them for getting ranked higher. Not all terms are created equal. Some will bring you thousands of readers who just want free information, while others will bring a handful of highly motivated buyers. Knowing the difference between these types is what separates amateur bloggers from professional digital marketers. To learn more about creating content for these terms, read our professional SEO copywriting tips and tricks.

Various Types Of Keywords

Understanding the different types of keywords in SEO is the foundation of a good marketing strategy. Search terms are generally grouped by their length (how many words they contain) and by their search intent (what the user actually wants to do). Let us look closely at the 16 most important categories you need to know.

1. Short Tail Keywords

Short Tail Keywords, often called head terms, are usually one to two words long and are used to search for broader results. They can give you very high search volumes, but they are extremely difficult to rank for. For example, "Shoes" or "Smartphones" are short tail terms. They get millions of searches every single month, but millions of websites are fighting for that top spot. If you manage to rank for them, you will get massive traffic, but the conversion rates are usually very low because the intent is too broad.

2. Medium Tail Keywords

Medium tail terms sit comfortably between the super broad and the super specific. They are usually two to three words long. A good example is "Running shoes" or "Android smartphones". They still have a respectable amount of monthly search volume, but the competition is slightly lower than short tail terms. Medium tail terms give you a better idea of what the user is actually looking for, which makes it easier to write relevant content that satisfies their query perfectly.

3. Long Tail Keywords

As the name suggests, these are long phrases with three or more words. They usually draw fewer searches per month but are much easier to rank for. For example, "best running shoes for flat feet" is a long tail query. Because the searcher is being very specific, the conversion rates are incredibly high. The person typing that phrase knows exactly what they want to buy. Targeting these specific phrases is a major part of learning startup business tips for success online.

4. Informational Keywords

Informational queries happen when a user is looking for answers, tutorials, or general knowledge. They often include words like "how to", "what is", "guide", or "tips". For example, "how to bake a chocolate cake" is purely informational. The user is not looking to buy a cake; they want to learn how to make one. These terms are perfect for blog posts, educational articles, and detailed tutorials. They help you build trust with your audience over time.

5. Navigational Keywords

Navigational searches occur when a user is trying to find a specific website or brand page, but they do not want to type the full URL into the address bar. Examples include "Facebook login", "Amazon customer service", or "ProBlogBooster SEO tips". The user already knows exactly where they want to go. Unless you are the brand they are searching for, it is very hard to steal traffic from navigational queries because the user's mind is already made up.

6. Commercial Keywords

Commercial terms are used by people who are researching products or comparing options before making a final purchase. They are in the consideration phase. These searches often include words like "best", "top", "review", or "vs". A perfect example is "best SEO tools" or "Blogger vs WordPress". Writing detailed review articles targeting these terms is a great way to earn affiliate income. For an example of this, look at our post on migrating Blogger to WordPress.

7. Transactional Keywords

Transactional terms are used when a person is holding their credit card and is ready to buy right now. These searches include action words like "buy", "discount", "coupon", "order", or "price". For example, "buy Samsung Galaxy S24 online" is a highly transactional query. These terms lead to the highest conversion rates possible. Because they are so profitable, they usually come with very high competition from major e-commerce websites and paid advertisements.

8. Branded Keywords

Branded terms include the specific name of your business, product, or trademark. If your company is named "TechNinja", then searches for "TechNinja laptops" or "TechNinja support" are branded queries. It is very important to rank number one for your own branded terms to protect your reputation. If a competitor ranks above you for your own brand name, you will lose a lot of loyal customers.

9. Non-Branded Keywords

Non-branded terms are related to the products or services you offer, but they do not include your company name. For example, if you sell handmade soap, "organic lavender soap" is a non-branded term. These are the most important terms for attracting new users who have never heard of your company before. They help you expand your audience and bring fresh traffic into your marketing funnel on a daily basis.

10. Geo-Targeted / Locational Keywords

Geo-targeted terms are location-specific phrases used primarily for local search. They include a city, state, or neighborhood name. For example, "best coffee shop in Bengaluru" or "plumbers near me". If you run a physical business with a storefront, optimizing for these locational terms is absolutely required. They bring foot traffic directly to your door because the people searching are nearby and looking for local solutions.

11. LSI (Latent Semantic Indexing) Keywords

LSI keywords are words and phrases that are conceptually related to your main topic. They help search engine bots understand the context of your page. For example, if your main topic is "Apple", LSI terms like "iPhone", "MacBook", and "Steve Jobs" tell Google you are writing about the tech company. If your LSI terms are "fruit", "orchard", and "pie", Google knows you are writing about food. To learn how to use these effectively, read our guide on LSI keywords for SEO optimization.

12. Evergreen Keywords

Evergreen terms focus on topics that remain relevant year after year, regardless of the season or current news cycle. "How to tie a tie" or "tips for losing weight" are evergreen. The search volume for these terms stays consistent over time. Writing content around evergreen terms guarantees that your blog will receive a steady stream of traffic for years without needing constant updates or rewrites.

13. Product Keywords

Product keywords detail the exact specific model number or brand name of a particular item. For example, "Sony Alpha a7III mirrorless camera" is a highly specific product term. Users typing these exact models have usually done all their research and are just looking for the best place to buy that exact item. E-commerce sites must optimize their product pages perfectly to capture these highly motivated buyers.

14. Competitor Keywords

Competitor keywords are the brand names or product names of your business rivals. While it is hard to rank organically for a competitor's exact brand name, you can write comparison articles targeting these terms. For example, if you sell an email marketing tool, writing an article titled "Mailchimp vs [Your Tool]" is a great way to capture traffic from people searching for your competitor who might be looking for a better alternative.

15. Customer Defining Keywords

Customer defining terms specify the exact target audience or demographic looking for the product. They include words like "for men", "for nurses", "for beginners", or "for seniors". For example, "best running shoes for nurses" targets a very specific group of people. By defining the customer in the search term, you immediately filter out irrelevant traffic and attract a highly engaged audience that feels the content was written specifically for them.

16. Negative Keywords

Negative keywords are a bit different because they are primarily used in paid advertising campaigns (like Google Ads). These are terms you specifically tell the search engine you DO NOT want your ads to show up for.

For example, if you sell premium, expensive watches, you might add "cheap" or "free" as negative terms. This saves your advertising budget by blocking irrelevant clicks from people who are not going to buy your premium products.

Placing Your Keywords (The 7 Best Locations)

Placing your keywords at the right places is incredibly important to get ranked higher at search engines. You cannot just throw words randomly onto a page and hope for the best. Search engines look at specific parts of your HTML code to figure out what the page is about. Following are the seven most important places where you must put your terms. Following a strict on-page routine is key, which you can learn from our onpage SEO checklist cheat sheet.

1. Page URL (Permalink)

You should always include your main keyword in the permalink URL of your post. Keep the URL short, clean, and readable. Do not include stop words like "and", "the", or "of" in the URL. With all other factors being equal, a clean URL like www.example.com/lose-weight-tips/ will rank higher and look more professional than a messy URL with dates and random numbers. A clean structure builds trust with users before they even click the link.

2. Post Meta Title (Title Tag)

The post meta title is the clickable headline that shows up in Google search results. This is the single most important place to put your main search term. It tells both the search bot and the human user exactly what the page is about. It is highly advised to place your term as close to the beginning of the title as possible. If you are struggling to write good headlines, check out our guide on best blog post title generators.

3. Meta Description

The meta description is the short summary paragraph (about 155 characters) that appears below the title in the search results. While Google says the meta description does not directly influence rankings, putting your terms here is still mandatory. Why? Because when a user searches for that exact term, Google will highlight it in bold text within your description. This bold text catches the user's eye and massively increases your click-through rate.

4. Headings (H1, H2, H3)

Your page should be broken up logically using heading tags. The main title of your page should be wrapped in an H1 tag, and it must contain your primary term. Your subheadings should use H2 and H3 tags, and these are the perfect places to sprinkle in your secondary and LSI terms. Proper headings make your content easy to scan for human readers and easy to understand for search engine crawlers parsing your page structure.

5. Body Copy (The Main Text)

You need to weave your terms naturally into your actual text. A good rule of thumb is to make sure your main term appears in the very first paragraph of your article, preferably within the first 100 words. After that, use variations and synonyms naturally throughout the body. Do not stuff the same word 50 times into a short article. Keyword stuffing will get you penalized quickly. Keep your writing natural and focused on helping the reader.

6. Image Alt Text

Search engines cannot "see" images like humans do. They rely on the image Alt Text (alternative text) to understand what the picture shows. Describe your images using relevant, descriptive terms. If you have an image of a blue running shoe, the alt text should say "blue running shoe on track", not just "image123.jpg". Optimizing images correctly is a great way to bring extra traffic from Google Image Search.

7. Anchor Text for Internal Links

Anchor text is the clickable text used when linking from one page to another. When you link to your older articles from a new post, use descriptive anchor text that includes the term you want that older page to rank for. Do not use generic text like "click here" or "read more". Descriptive anchor text passes relevant context and authority throughout your website structure. For more advanced linking advice, read our post on best blogging tips and tricks for beginners.

Frequently Asked Questions About SEO Keywords

Understanding search terms can be confusing for beginners. To help clear up any remaining doubts, we have compiled answers to the ten most commonly asked questions regarding search query optimization and strategy.

Conclusion and Final Thoughts

With search engines getting smarter every single day, the way we use search terms is constantly changing. However, the fundamental importance of keywords remains the same. We all know that search engine bots cannot read and comprehend articles exactly like humans do. So no matter how smart the algorithms get, they will always have to rely on the text and terms on your page to judge the context and quality of your content. If you want to dive deeper into broader strategies, our guide on content marketing mistakes and lessons learned will help you avoid common pitfalls.

The secret to long-term success is not tricking the system by stuffing words into your paragraphs. The real secret is using detailed research to understand exactly what your audience needs, and then placing those targeted terms into the most important HTML areas of your site (like the title tag and URL) to signal clarity to Google. Combining long-tail phrases with high-quality, helpful writing is a strategy that will never go out of style. Before publishing your next piece, make sure you are not making errors by reading our guide on email marketing mistakes that kill growth, as content and email promotion go hand in hand.

I hope after reading this complete guide, your concepts about search query types, user intent, and proper placement are perfectly clear. Stop guessing what your readers want and start using data to guide your writing. If you start applying these placement techniques to your new blog posts today, you will see a noticeable improvement in your organic traffic over the next few months. Do share your thoughts and feedback about this article in the comments below!