Definition
A keyword or keyword phrase is a specific word or combination of words that a searcher might type into a search engine. Included are generic, category keywords; industry-specific terms; product brands; common misspellings; and expanded variations (see keyword stemming below), or multiple words (called long tail for their lower clickthrough rates but sometimes better conversion rates). All might be entered as a search query.
keyword cloud
For example, someone looking to buy coffee mugs might use the keyword phrase “ceramic coffee mugs.” Also, keywords —which trigger ad network and contextual network ad serves — are the auction components on which PPC advertisers bid for all ad groups/orders and campaigns. [1][2]
A keyword cloud is a visual representation of a website‘s keyword density, with the keywords with larger density being represented by larger fonts. [1]
Keyword density refers to keywords as a percentage of text words that can be indexed (the number of times a specific keyword appears divided by the total number of words on a webpage).
Keyword Density (%) = [(Keyword Occurrences (#) / Total Word Count (#)] * 100
Keyword marketing involves placing a marketing message in front of users based on the specific keywords and phrases they are using to search. This gives marketers the ability to reach the right people with the right message at the right time. For many marketers, keyword marketing results in the placement of an ad when certain keywords are entered. [1]
In search engine optimization (SEO), keyword marketing refers to achieving top placement in the search results themselves. [3]
Keyword research is the search for keywords related to a website. Analysis of keywords helps determine which ones would yield the best return on a search engine optimization program. [1]
Keyword stemming is an SEO tactic that involves returning to the root or stem of a word and building additional words by adding a prefix or suffix, or using pluralization. The word can expand in either direction and even add words, increasing the number of variable options. [1] For example, from the stem word “search,” the following words could be added and included by the search engine as another version of the root word: searcher, searches, searched, searching, searchable. [2]
Keyword stuffing generally refers to the act of adding an inordinate number of keyword terms into a webpage’s content or HTML tags, usually in an attempt to manipulate the ranking of the page in a searches. [1][2] According to Google, “Filling pages with keywords or numbers results in a negative user experience and can harm your site’s ranking. Focus on creating useful, information-rich content that uses keywords appropriately and in context.” [4]
Keyword targeting involves displaying pay-per-click search ads on publisher sites across the Internet that contain the keywords in a context advertiser‘s ad group. [1][2]
A keywords tag is a meta-tag used to define the keywords of a web page for search engines. [1]
See also
References
- ^ American Marketing Association, AMA Dictionary.
- ^ SEMPO (Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization). SEM Glossary.
- MarketingTerms.com: What is Keyword Marketing? – Definition & Information
- Google. Irrelevant Keywords.