What is a keyword?

One keyword (or keyword) is the term or combination of words that someone enters into Google or another search engine to find information, products, or services. For SEO, it's the core of what your content is tailored to: if your website uses the right keywords, you'll increase the chances of being found by your ideal target group.

Why are keywords important?

Keywords are the bridge between what a user is looking for and what your website offers. For Google, they are a signal to understand what a page is about. For you as an entrepreneur or marketer, they are the key to visibility. With the right keywords, you can respond to:

• Relevance: you attract visitors who are really interested in your product or service.
• Visibility: you increase the chance to rank higher in the search results.
• Conversion: well-chosen keywords lead to more customers, not just visitors.

Different types of keywords

Not every keyword is the same. Some key categories include:

• Short-tail keywords: short, broad terms such as seo specialist. A lot of search volume, but also a lot of competition.
• Long-tail keywords: longer, specific queries such as seo specialist for SMEs in Eindhoven. Less competition and often higher conversion chances.
• Informing keywords: people are looking for knowledge, for example what is SEO.
• Commercial keywords: people are exploring options, such as best SEO agency Eindhoven.
• Transactional keywords: searchers are ready to buy or contact, such as hire a seo specialist.

By smartly varying and combining, you can be visible at all stages of the customer journey.

How do you choose the right keywords?

Good keyword research is essential. In addition, as an SEO specialist, I pay attention to:

• Search volume: how many people search for this word?
• Competition: how hard is it to score?
• Intention: what does the seeker want to achieve? Information, compare, or buy immediately?
• Relevance: does it suit your business and target group?

Tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs or Semrush help with this, but experience and interpretation often make the difference.

Common keyword mistakes

Despite their importance, things often go wrong here. Common errors include:

• Excessive use (keyword stuffing), which causes texts to read unnaturally.
• Focus on a single keyword and ignore variants.
• Only aim for keywords with a lot of volume, while long-tail often scores better.
• Don't take search intent into account.

My advice as an SEO specialist

Don't see keywords as single words, but as part of a strategy. Focus not only on volume, but especially on relevance and intent. With a good mix of short-tail and long-tail keywords, you can build sustainable visibility.

I always recommend linking keywords to content clusters: main keywords for your most important pages, supported by long-tail keywords in blogs and supporting articles. This is how you strengthen your authority step by step.

Conclusion

A keyword is the basis of SEO, but it goes beyond just collecting words. It's about understanding what your target group is looking for and offering the right content for it. With a well-thought-out keyword strategy, you can not only attract visitors, but also win customers.