SEO Terms to Know: KEYWORD STRATEGY EDITION

• September 27, 2024
• Jesandy
• no comments

Every successful SEO journey no doubt begins with understanding SEO terms. When I first started, I had no idea and was overwhelmed by everything about them, but once I knew the basic thing, everything just clicked into place. Now, I happy to share all the list with you in this SEO Terms to Know guide, in context focused on building a keyword strategy. Whether you’re a beginner or more advanced, mastering these terms is like unlocking the door to better rankings, more visibility, and SEO success.

SEO is evolving, more dynamic, with new strategies, terms, and techniques emerging at every turn. Knowing the right terms is essential, It’s not really hard but understanding how these concepts can drive growth, boost your website’s visibility, and enhance user experience.

In the list I also put Beginner and Advanced mark, just to let you know which one is harder to learn, thus you may prioritize and implement on your SEO keyword strategy.

I summarize how to get those keyword for each strategy, because based on my experience is the important variable to create suitable keyword. SEO terms to know is more like second part of content, I have created first post in terms of how to choose keyword based on its purpose: SEO Keyword Strategy

Definition of SEO Terms for Keyword Strategy

#1 Main Keyword (Beginner)

Definition: The primary term or phrase that your content is focused on optimizing.

Example: In an article about “SEO” the main keyword we can choose “how to do SEO”

How to Get: Google Trend combine with suggestion search on Google Search a.k.a. google.com or google autocomplete, and please this is not “Related Search” on Google Search, because people always misconception about this one. Also make sure you choose the keyword suggested with color text Black. My other suggestion, don’t forget pick a keyword that have balance between “search volume” and “competition”

#1 Long-Tail Keyword Identification (Beginner)

Definition: Finding more specific, longer search phrases with lower search volume but higher conversion potential.

Example: Instead of targeting the broad keyword “how to do SEO” a long-tail version might be “how to do SEO for small businesses.”

How to Get: google.com or google autocomplete feature or Ubersuggest to identify these longer phrases that target niche audiences.

#2 Keyword Variant Suggestions (Beginner)

Definition: Generating different variations of your main keyword that address the same search intent but use different wording.

Example: For the keyword “how to do SEO,” you might find variations like “SEO best practices” or “beginner’s guide to SEO.”

How to Get: google.com or tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs provide keyword variant suggestions based on user search behavior.

#4 Semantic Keyword Research (Advanced)

Definition: Finding keywords that are contextually related to your main keyword to help search engines understand the topic better.

Example: keyword “how to do SEO,” semantic keywords could include terms like “organic traffic,” “SERP rankings,” or “on-page optimization.”

How to Get: Use LSIGraph or analyze the top-ranking pages for your main keyword to spot recurring terms that help build context.

#5 Latent Semantic Keyword Expansion (Advanced)

Definition: Expanding your keyword list with Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI) terms, which are keywords related to your topic but not exact matches.

Example: If you’re writing about “how to do SEO,” LSI terms might include “Google algorithm,” “search engine results,” or “digital marketing.”

How to Get: Google’s related searches at the bottom of your Search Research or LSIGraph can provide beautiful insights into your LSI keywords choice.

#6 Synonym & Related Phrase Expansion (Beginner)

Definition: Adding synonyms and related phrases to your keyword strategy to cover a broader range of search queries.

Example: For “how to do SEO,” synonyms: “optimize for search engines” or “SEO techniques.”

How to Get: Use tools like Thesaurus.com and tested with google.com to find related phrases and synonyms that suits your content need.

#7 Local or Geo-Specific Keyword Targeting (Advanced)

Definition: Targeting keywords specific to a location or region to optimize for local searches.

Example: Instead of “how to do SEO,” a geo-specific keyword could be “how to do SEO in Sidney.”

How to Get: Google My Business, Google Trends, or local SEO tools like BrightLocal for identifying geo-specific keywords.

#8 Question-Based Keyword Discovery (Beginner)

Definition: Identifying keywords based on common people questions, usually with the 7W: Who, What, Where, When, Why, How or How to.

Example: For “how to do SEO,” become “What are the best SEO tools?” or “How long does SEO take?”

How to Get: Tools like AnswerThePublic or even Google’s “People Also Ask” feature provide great question-based keyword ideas.

#9 Competitor Keyword Analysis (Advanced)

Definition: Studying the keywords your competitors are ranking for and incorporating them into your own strategy.

Example: If a competitor ranks for “SEO for small businesses,” maybe want to target similar keywords example: “best SEO practices for startups.”

How to Get: Ahrefs or SpyFu to have better look for competitor keyword analysis and may identify opportunities.

#10 Customer Intent & Purchase Stage Keywords (Advanced)

Definition: Identifying keywords based on where a customer is in their buyer’s journey, from awareness to decision-making.

Example: A keyword like “best SEO tools” targets customers in the consideration phase, while “buy SEO software” targets those in the decision phase.

How to Get: Explore your customer journey by using your Web analytics combine tools like SEMrush to align keywords with different intent.

#11 Seasonal & Trending Keyword Exploration (Beginner)

Definition: Identifying keywords that peak in search volume during specific times of the year or as a trend grows.

Example: keyword: “SEO strategies for Black Friday” always go up around November, whereas “SEO trends for 2024” getting lower as the year 2025.

How to Get: Google Trends for seasonal and trending keywords. You may filter based on time (week, month or year) depend what your purposes

#12 Branded vs. Non-Branded Keywords (Beginner)

Definition: Branded keywords include a company or product name, while non-branded keywords don’t, focusing instead on generic terms.

Example: “Moz SEO tools” would be a branded keyword, while “best SEO tools” is non-branded.

How to Get: Use Google Search Console google.com or Ahrefs to track branded and non-branded keyword performance.

#13 Keyword Gaps or Opportunities (Advanced)

Definition: Identifying keywords your competitors are ranking for, but that you’re not, and vice versa.

Example: If your competitor result in ranking for “SEO terms to know” but you turn out you don’t, this is a keyword gap you can enter and focus.

How to Get: Ahrefs or SEMrush’s keyword gap tool can highlight missed keyword opportunities.

#14 Topic Cluster Creation (Advanced)

Definition: Organizing your content into clusters, where a main “pillar” page covers a broad topic and links to several related subtopics.

Example: A pillar page on “how to do SEO” could link to cluster pages on “SEO tools,” “on-page SEO,” and “technical SEO.”

How to Get: Start by identifying your main topic (the pillar) and use tools like SEMrush’s Topic Research feature to generate related content ideas.

#15 Action-Based Keywords (Beginner)

Definition: Keywords that include action words or verbs to capture specific user intent, often signaling readiness to take action.

Example: Instead of targeting “SEO services” action-based keywords could be “hire SEO strategist” or “buy SEO tools.”

How to Get: Tools like Ubersuggest or AnswerThePublic can help you find action-oriented keywords that match user intent.

#16 Negative Keywords (Advanced)

Definition: Keywords that you intentionally exclude from your campaigns to prevent irrelevant traffic.

Example: For “how to do SEO,” you might exclude “free SEO tools” (notes: if you don’t offer free resources).

How to Get: Google Ads has a built-in negative keyword tool to help refine your paid campaigns.

#17 Product or Service-Specific Keywords (Beginner)

Definition: Keywords that directly describe the product or service you’re offering.

Example: For “how to do SEO,” a product-specific keyword: “SEO audit services.”

How to Get: Use Google Keyword Planner or Ahrefs to target keywords that specifically relate to your offerings.

#18 Synonym Keyword Alternatives with Different User Intent (Advanced)

Definition: Using synonyms that reflect a different intent while still being related to the main topic.

Example: Instead of “SEO tips,” a synonym with different meaning might be: “SEO advice,” (more powerful).

How to Get: Use keyword tools like SEMrush to find related keyword synonyms, or consult Thesaurus.com for language alternatives – SEO terms to know

Final Thought

There you go, my complete list to SEO terms to know when building a keyword strategy. Every terms you find, form the foundation of any solid SEO plan. No matter you are a beginner or not, learn these keyword terms will give you the better start and let your content be discovered by the right audience.

About FREE and PAID Tools, If you have the resources you may use the paid one. But in my experiences once you acknowledge the fundamentals, you wont need it as usual. Is it become easier? yes, but It is useless if you don’t have clear objectives

For my closure: The process of finding the keyword is an Art, it’s combine the analytical think, creativity and intuition, the satisfaction by seeing the every result that meet your target is no where to find.