Types of Keywords and How to Use Them for Better SEO

If you’re looking to improve your SEO, understanding the types of keywords is a great place to start. Whether you’re building a new website or trying to get more eyes on your existing content, knowing which keywords to use and how to use them can make a massive difference to your rankings.

So, how many types of keywords are there in SEO?

In short, more types of keywords than you might think! But let’s keep things simple. Here are a few core types of keywords for SEO that every small business should know:

1. Short-Tail Keywords

These are your broad terms like “shoes” or “marketing.” They usually have high search volume but are very competitive. Tough to rank for unless you’ve got a big budget or strong domain authority.

2. Longtail Keywords

Longtail keywords are more specific, like “women’s waterproof hiking boots” or “affordable SEO for small business.” These may have lower search volume, but they’re gold for targeting exactly what your customers are looking for. Plus, they’re ideal for understanding types of keyword intent, like whether someone is ready to buy or just browsing. think about using questions that people are searching for. These can be found on Google under ‘people also ask’.

3. Branded & Non-Branded Keywords

Branded keywords include your company name (like “Ryan Gibson SEO”), while non-branded ones focus on what you do (“SEO keyword research services”). Both are useful, but non-branded keywords help bring in new visitors who haven’t heard of you yet.

4. Search Intent Keywords

This one’s big. Search intent refers to the reason behind the search. Is the user looking to buy? Learn something? Compare options? Matching your content to the right intent whether informational, navigational, transactional, or commercial is key for SEO success.

5. Keyword Match Types

Especially useful for paid search, keyword match type lets you control how closely a search term needs to match your keyword. Think broad match, phrase match, and exact match.

• Broad Match: This is the most flexible option. Your ad or content can appear for related terms, synonyms, or loosely connected searches. For example, if your keyword is SEO services, you might still show up for digital marketing support. You’ll get plenty of reach, but it may not always be super relevant.
  
• Phrase Match: Your keyword needs to appear in the search query in the same order, but it can have words before or after. So, if your keyword is affordable SEO, you might show up for affordable SEO for small business or best affordable SEO agency. It’s a nice balance between reach and relevance.
  
• Exact Match: This is the most targeted. Your keyword (or a very close variation) must match the search exactly. For example, if your keyword is SEO keyword research, your content will only appear when that exact phrase is searched. Perfect for high-intent users, but you’ll see less traffic overall.

How to Find Your Keywords

Now that you understand the different types of keywords, the next logical step is finding them. This is where keyword research comes in.

To start, you need to brainstorm a list of keywords and topics that are relevant to your business. Think about what your ideal customer would be searching for on Google. For example, if you sell handmade jewellery, your list might include terms like: ‘silver earrings,’ ‘best handmade necklaces,’ or ‘jewellery repair near me.’

Once you have your seed list, you can use a professional keyword research tool like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Moz to get more data. These tools will help you to find related keywords and see how many people are searching for each term every month. The goal is to find a balance between keywords with high search volume and low competition. Finding the right keywords for your business is a key step in building a strong content plan, so you’ll want to add them to your content calendar to organise your content.

How to Choose Your Keywords

Now that you have a list of keywords to target, you need a method to choose the right ones for your content. When I perform a keyword audit, I look for a balance between two key factors: search volume and competition.

Search volume is the average number of times a keyword is searched for on Google each month. High search volume means more potential traffic, but also more seo competition.

Competition is a measure of how difficult it is to rank for a keyword. Low competition means it’s easier to get on the first page of Google, but a low search volume may not be worth the effort.

The key to a successful keyword strategy is to find a blend of both high-volume, competitive terms and long tail keywords with lower competition that are easier to rank for. This helps you get early traffic wins while you build authority for bigger topics.

How Can I Help?

Now you’ve learnt about the types of keywords are you struggling with keyword overload? My keyword research service takes the guesswork out. I’ll show you:

• How many people are searching for each keyword
• How competitive it is
• What searchers are really looking for
• Actionable tips to improve your content

Let’s find the best keywords for SEO to help your business get seen online. Ready to level up your content? Get in touch today! You can also find more tips by checking me out on TikTok.