Keywords are the words and phrases people type into Google when they're looking for something. If your website contains the right keywords in the right places, Google shows your site to those people. If it doesn't, someone else's site appears instead. It's that simple.

What Are Keywords?

A keyword is any search term someone types into Google. "Plumber Bristol" is a keyword. "How much does a website cost" is a keyword. "Best Italian restaurant near me" is a keyword. Your job is to work out which keywords your potential customers are using, and make sure your website targets those specific terms.

Types of Keywords

Short-tail keywords (1-2 words like "web design") have high search volume but massive competition. Long-tail keywords (3+ words like "web design company in Bristol") have lower volume but much less competition and higher conversion rates — because the searcher knows exactly what they want. Local keywords ("dentist Clifton Bristol") target people in a specific area. Transactional keywords ("buy", "price", "quote") indicate someone ready to purchase. Informational keywords ("how to", "what is") indicate someone researching.

How to Find the Right Keywords

Start with what your customers actually say. What do they call your services? How do they describe their problems? Google's autocomplete shows you what people are searching for — start typing and see what suggestions appear. Google's "People also ask" section shows related questions. Free tools like Google Keyword Planner and Ubersuggest give you search volumes. Paid tools like Ahrefs and SEMrush give you competition data.

Where to Use Keywords

Page title (the H1 heading) — your primary keyword should appear here. Meta title and description — what appears in Google's search results. First paragraph of the page — Google pays extra attention to early content. Subheadings (H2, H3) — use variations and related terms. Image alt text — describe what the image shows using natural language. URL — keep it short and include the primary keyword.

Common Keyword Mistakes

Keyword stuffing — repeating the same phrase 50 times. Google penalises this. Targeting keywords that are too competitive — a new site won't rank for "web design" against established competitors. Ignoring search intent — ranking for "free website builder" when you sell premium services attracts the wrong audience. Not targeting any keywords at all — many business websites have generic headings like "Welcome to Our Website" instead of keyword-rich headings that help Google understand the page.

Getting Started

Pick 1-2 primary keywords per page. Use them naturally in your headings, first paragraph, and meta data. Write comprehensive content around those topics. Don't try to rank every page for the same keyword — each page should target a different term. And focus on long-tail keywords first — they're easier to rank for and convert better.

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