SEO-Keywords

Keyword: Search term that users enter in Google & Co. In SEO, it is specifically placed in title, meta-description, headings, URL, and text (plus synonyms/long-tails) to align with search intent and ranking.

Keyword can be translated in German with the terms Schlüsselwort, Stichwort, Suchbegriff, or Schlagwort. In the context of SEO, or search engine optimization, it refers to a term that one enters into the search field of a search engine. Search engines like Google or Bing match the entered term with the index to then display hits on the search results pages.

Where can SEO keywords appear?

A keyword should appear in several places on a website to achieve the best results in search engine rankings. It is also important to know that there are primary and secondary keywords that need to be included. The primary search term should be placed in the following locations:

In the H1 headline
In at least one H2 heading
In Title-Tag
In the meta description
In the URL

In the title image as a file name
In the alt tags of images
In at least one caption
In the introduction
Still in the body text at the appropriate places

It is important in the body text that the main keyword appears with appropriate frequency. It helps to keep an eye on the keyword density and ensure that the SEO keyword appears throughout the text and is not concentrated, for example, in one paragraph or only in the first half of the text.

Classification of SEO keywords

Keywords can be divided into different categories:

Money Keywords

One might think that "Money" is always related to money. In this case, however, Money Keywords mainly mean those keywords that have a high search volume and a lot of competition and are aimed at a transactional search intention. For commercial websites, a money key could be "buy shoes" on a shoe website, while for non-commercial sites, it is a keyword that describes the site's intention. Caution is advised when using these key terms, as excessive use, for example in anchor texts, may result in a penalty from Google.

Brand Keywords

These refer to key terms that are directed at a specific brand. These are particularly of interest in search engine advertising.

Verbundene Schlüsselwörter

They represent a mixture of Money and Brand Keys, for example, "buy BMW cheap."

Andere Schlüsselwörter

Everything that does not fall under the previous categories is to be classified as "other", such as "click here".

Long-tail and short-tail keywords

SEO keywords can generally be divided into long-tail and short-tail keywords. Money keys like "buy shoes" belong to the short-tail keys. These have a high search volume and accordingly a lot of competition. Single keywords also belong to short-tail terms.

Long-tail keywords, on the other hand, are characterized by their complexity. Although fewer users search for them monthly, it is easier for website operators to rank for these longer keys and reach searchers before the purchase phase who are interested in a specific topic.

An example to make the difference clear:

The search term "cryptocurrency" has an average monthly search volume of about 72,000 (as of June 23). If a site wants to rank purely on this keyword to explain the topic, the chances of ranking on the first places are probably poor. On the other hand, if you decide to optimize for "What is cryptocurrency?", you have a monthly search volume of about 500. This way, you can be much more specific in reaching searchers and providing them with exactly the content they are looking for. The same applies to service providers in cities. For example, the website of a hair salon in Düsseldorf offering extensions should ensure that the search terms include the city or even the relevant district, as well as the addition of "extensions," to be found more easily. Perhaps your search term does not appeal to all searchers, but it does appeal to the right ones. This is especially true if you want to sell something.

Excursion into keyword research

The foundation of SEO keywords is keyword research. It is crucial for identifying relevant keywords and long-tail keys that can then be used on a website in on-page and off-page optimization.

In online marketing, keyword research is used to answer questions such as the following:

What keywords are customers searching for?
Which word combinations are being searched for together with this key term?
How high is the competition for the respective SEO keywords?
What synonyms are also being searched for?

The answers determine, for example, how a page should be structured, which categories and subcategories exist, etc.

For research, a research tool is used. There are many different ways to find out search volumes and competitors here:

Google Ads Keyword Planner
Ubersuggest
KWPlanner by Mangools
Google Suggest
Google Trends
Google Search Console
Ahrefs

These are just a few ways to identify relevant keywords.