Not all keywords are alike; How many types of keywords in SEO vary according to many factors due to their extension, the type of search they represent or the users they manage to take to your site.
Knowing this distinction is crucial if you are dedicated to SEO since the keyword choice will affect, for better or worse, the results of your positioning strategy.
And it is not the same to position for a generic keyword than for a specific one, or to do it for one that people who are looking for information write to those who type those who want to buy something on the internet.
As always, nuances matter. Today I will talk about the types of keywords that exist and which could be the best for your website, depending on their characteristics.
3 Types Of SEO Keywords By Their Extension
One of the most common ways to classify keyword types is by length.
Every keyword can be made up of one or more terms. Depending on the number of words in groups, it can be a short tail, middle tail or long tail.
Let's look at this in more detail and with examples.
Short Tail
Short tail keywords (also known as head keywords) comprise a single term. As expected, they are the most generic since a single word is not enough to define a search intention clearly.
They are the type of keywords that channel the most traffic, and therefore they are also the most competitive.
Just imagine how many people will search for the word "cats" per month. The obvious answer is that many do, and although this may seem reasonable at first glance, it is not always profitable.
Traffic can be one of the goals of SEO, but not just any type of traffic, only traffic that converts.
Examples of short-tail keywords
cats
shoe
car
Tip: Any generic keyword with only one term is a short tail.
Middle Tail
Middle tails are two- or three-term keywords, are a bit more precise with the search intent they represent and have more minor but still considerable competition.
They move much less traffic than short tails, but being a little more specific, they are convenient to get conversions and make your project profitable on the web.
Examples of middle tail keywords
big cats
cheap shoes
adidas originals shoes
Tip: Any keyword with 2-3 terms is a middle tail keyword.
Long Tail
Long-tail keywords are those types of keywords that have 4 terms or more, are ultra-specific, and have the lowest competition. They channel very little traffic, it is difficult to find one that reaches 100 monthly searches, but their conversion rates are very high.
This makes a lot of sense. A person who takes the time to search for "cheap Adidas amazon-shoes" on Google is undoubtedly more ready to buy than someone who searches for the word "shoes".
That is why long tails are preferred in the world of SEO because they are the only ones you have a real chance of positioning (large sites almost always monopolize the others) and convert very well.
Examples of long-tail keywords
cheap houses in Spain facing the sea
the most affordable homes in Spain on the beach
satellite internet services in Barcelona
Tip: any keyword that has more than 4 terms and is very specific is a long tail.
Types Of Keywords By Their Search Intent
But the extension is only one of the ways to separate the Keyword golden ratio from each other. Another widespread way is to do it by the search intention they represent, which is convenient to know if they fit your site or not.
One of the keys to being successful on Google is resolving the search intent of your users.
There is no point in attacking keywords with search intentions that you cannot respond to. It will be a waste of time for those who visit your website and a signal to Google that your content does not work well.
This is why it is so helpful to distinguish the types of keywords that users who use them expect to find.
Let's look at the 4 main types.
Navigational keywords
These are the keywords entered by users who want to visit a specific site. In this case, the user does not seek information keywords, buy anything, or visit a particular website.
Navigational keyword examples
Facebook
Twitter
Quora
Informational keywords
They are the keywords entered by users looking for information on a particular topic, they can represent generic or exact queries, but the clear objective is information.
Informational keyword examples
hairless cats name
cat mythology
beliefs about money
Commercial keywords
These are the keywords that users interested in knowing a little more about a product or service type. The user intends to inform himself before making an online purchase.
These keywords are usually presented as product comparisons, lists, reviews, etc.
Examples of business keywords
the best hosting for wordpress
rank math vs Yoast
best phone 2022
Transactional keywords
These are the keywords that users enter who are ready to convert, not just buy, from signing up for a newsletter, downloading a template or PDF, or buying a product or service.
Transactional keywords are the most profitable because those who use them are determined to take a particular action, a conversion.
If you position yourself for one of these keywords, you do not need to convince your user of anything. Offer them the product or service they are looking for and watch the magic happen.
Examples of transactional keywords
buy plugin sensei
Lenovo laptop prices in Ecuador
Buy Elementor Pro
Types of keywords according to their seasonality
Regardless of length or search intent, keywords can be separated depending on whether they are seasonal or not. That is, if its popularity and number of searches fluctuate more or less over time or if it remains stable.
Seasonal keywords
Seasonal keywords are those that fluctuate significantly over time. They present unique opportunities to rank and drive a lot of traffic for a particular period, but they don't consistently maintain their popularity.
These keywords are related to holidays or events or to particular and unique events that arouse people's interest.
Here you can see how seasonal the keyword "Black Friday" is, which has traffic peaks in November, the date on which the opening of Christmas shopping (and its offers) is usually celebrated.
To work with these types of keywords, you have to consider the moment in which they will be addressed, and when they have their traffic peaks, this will allow us to go ahead and take advantage of the momentum at the right moment.
Seasonal keyword examples
Black Friday deals
avengers endgame
Black Friday
Non-seasonal keywords
These types of keywords are those that maintain regular traffic and popularity without marked fluctuations.
The keyword "seo", for example, has not undergone abrupt changes, nor has it for a long time.
Examples of non-seasonal keywords
digital marketing
search engine optimization
Google
Why is it important to distinguish the types of keywords you will use?
Distinguishing the keywords you use in your SEO positioning strategy is essential to getting the results you are looking for.
It is the same as choosing a road on the highway. The direction and direction you choose will define your destination.
If you differentiate the how many keywords for seo and know what each one offers you, you will learn how to choose the right ones for your positioning strategy.
Because it is not only about going for the long tails because they are less competitive; or preferring transactional ones because they convert better; It is about choosing the keywords that fit perfectly to your website.
For example, informational keywords are the best fit if you have a site where you share trivia. After all, they attract users looking for data, precisely what you will offer them.
However, transactional and commercial content will be the best option if you are selling online.
In short, do not attack keywords that attract users who are not looking for what you offer.
You cannot channel thousands of visits per month if none of them converts or stay more than 30 seconds on your website.
How to get keywords to use on your site?
There are many ways to get keywords for your site. You can use Google's autocomplete, its "Related Searches" section, or its "Related Questions" section.
If you have the funding, you can aim for tools like:
ubersuggest
semrush
Ahrefs
dinorank
Sistrix
On the other hand, for an accessible route, you can opt for SEO extensions for Chrome like:
keyword surfer
WhatsMySerp
ubersuggest
Once you have your keywords, you will want to distinguish them to know if they work for you or not.
Doing it is easier than it seems, and you do not have to spend anything on it.
To determine if a keyword is seasonal or not, go to Google Trends and type in the keyword you want to analyze.
If your traffic and popularity fluctuate wildly, always peaking on specific dates, the keyword is most likely seasonal.
To distinguish if your keyword is a long tail, short tail or middle tail, you just need to look at it and count the number of terms it has.
1 term= short tail
2 or 3 terms= middle tail
4 terms or more and super specific = long tail
And finally, if you are interested in analyzing the search intent of a keyword, you can always look at the SERPs and the type of content it ranks for. Usually, it will tell you if a keyword is informational, navigational, commercial or transactional.
You should also look at the type of terms the keyword contains, which also reflects a specific search intention.
Using keywords in your SEO positioning strategy
Here we enter the more practical ground and get down to work.
Once you have your generic keywords, whatever they are, you must work on them on your website to start ranking for them. Follow these steps:
Use your main keyword in the H1.
Optimize your title tag and the meta tag, and include your keyword in your title tag.
Add it in other headings.
Use it in your URL.
Attack semantically related terms.
Resolve search intent.
Summarizing:
Know your website better than anyone, its value, its products or services, set goals, choose the keywords that will help you achieve them and include them in key places on your site.
You should also know how to identify your competition's keywords to take advantage of them in your strategy.
Then, develop your content plan, consistently create as much SEO content as possible, and start ranking in earnest.
