2026 Guide to Keywords for Marketing

Keywords for marketing are the words and phrases your audience types into search engines when they’re looking for what you do. Get them right, and your business gets found. Get them wrong, and you’re invisible — no matter how good your product or service is.

Whether you’re starting from scratch or pressure-testing an existing approach, there’s something here for you.

Key Takeaways:

• Keywords underpin SEO, PPC, content strategy, and, increasingly, AI search visibility
• Understanding the different types of keyword tells you which to target and when
• A structured six-step research process helps you find the right keywords, not just the popular ones
• Keyword strategy now extends beyond Google into AI-powered platforms like Perplexity and ChatGPT Search
• Measuring the right metrics tells you whether your strategy is working or just looking busy

What are keywords in marketing?

Keywords are the terms your audience uses when they search for information, products, or services online. They’re the link between what someone types into a search engine and what your business publishes. When that match is right — when your page covers exactly what someone is looking for — you get traffic, enquiries, and sales.

For marketers, keywords don’t just influence organic search. They shape your PPC campaigns, inform your content calendar, guide your website copy, and determine how visible you are in AI-generated answers from platforms like Google AI Overviews, Perplexity, and ChatGPT.

It’s worth distinguishing between how keywords are used across channels:

• In SEO, keywords help search engines understand what your content is about, so they can match it to relevant queries.
• In PPC, you bid on keywords to trigger your ads when someone searches for a specific term.
• In content marketing, keywords guide the topics you write about so your articles attract the right audience.

Understanding keyword intent — the reason behind a search, not just the words used — is what separates a strategy that converts from one that simply generates traffic. Read more in our guide to keyword intent.

What are the different types of marketing keywords?

Not all keywords are equal, and the type you should target depends on your goals, the strength of your current online presence, and where your audience is in their decision-making.

Short-tail keywords

Short-tail keywords are broad, usually one or two words, such as “running shoes” or “digital marketing.” They attract high search volumes but come with fierce competition. For a new or lower-authority website, ranking for a short-tail keyword against established domains is a steep, slow climb. They’re better suited to brand awareness campaigns or as part of a well-funded PPC strategy.

Long-tail keywords

Long-tail keywords are longer, more specific phrases, like “best running shoes for flat feet UK” or “how to reduce cost per click in Google Ads.” Search volumes are lower, but intent is stronger. Someone using a long-tail keyword typically knows what they want, which means they’re more likely to convert. Research from Ahrefs suggests long-tail keywords make up the majority of all search queries, making them an essential part of any content strategy, particularly for sites still building authority.

 

Short-tail vs long-tail at a glance

	Short-tail	Long-tail	Best for
Search volume	High	Low – Medium	Awareness
Competition	Very high	Low – Medium	Conversion
Conversion rate	Lower	Higher	Conversion
Ranking difficulty	Very hard	Achievable	New sites

Semantic and related keywords

These are terms related to your primary keyword that help search engines understand the full context of your content. If you’re writing about “running shoes,” naturally including terms like “trainers,” “cushioning,” “arch support,” and “pronation” signals topical depth. Google’s systems understand language and topics, not just individual keyword strings, so content that covers a subject comprehensively consistently outperforms content that simply repeats a single keyword.

Branded keywords

Branded keywords include your company name, product names, or trademarked terms. They matter for two reasons: protecting your brand in paid search (if you’re not bidding on your own name, a competitor might be), and understanding how people are already finding you organically.

Geo-targeted keywords

Location-based keywords — “SEO agency London” or “estate agent Battersea” — are critical for any business targeting a specific area. They help you appear in local searches and Google Maps results, where purchase intent is typically very high.

Negative keywords

Negative keywords are specific to PPC. They’re terms you actively exclude from your campaigns to stop your ads appearing for irrelevant searches. If you’re a premium service provider, excluding “free,” “cheap,” or “DIY” from your ad targeting keeps your budget focused on people who are actually in the market for what you offer. Negative keywords are one of the most underused efficiency levers in paid search.

Conversational and voice search keywords

More people are phrasing their searches as complete questions, whether through voice assistants, AI chatbots, or typing full sentences into a search bar. “What’s the best email marketing platform for a small business?” is a fundamentally different query to “email marketing platform.” These conversational keywords matter particularly for content that aims to appear in AI-generated answers, where the systems are built on natural language understanding.

Why do keywords matter for your marketing strategy?

The short answer: without the right keywords, the right people cannot find you.

But the stakes go deeper than that. Pages ranking in position one on Google receive an average click-through rate of around 28.5%. By position ten, still on the first page, that drops to roughly 2%. The gap between ranking first and ranking tenth is not just a vanity metric; it directly affects how much traffic, and ultimately how much revenue, your content generates.

Beyond rankings, keywords shape everything from how you structure your website to which topics you write about, which ad groups you build, and how you measure success. A business with a coherent keyword strategy has a clearer picture of what its audience is actually asking for — and what it isn’t.

And there’s a growing dimension to this. Keyword strategy now influences your visibility in AI-generated answers. Platforms like Google AI Overviews and Perplexity synthesise responses from sources they consider authoritative on a topic. A strong keyword strategy built around topical depth and genuine expertise is one of the foundations of that authority.

Not sure which keywords your business should target? Our SEO team can audit your current keyword positioning and identify your highest-value opportunities. Get in touch to find out more.

How do you do keyword research for marketing?

Keyword research is a six-step process. The tools matter, but the thinking you do before opening any tool matters more.

Step 1: Identify your core topics

Start with what you know about your business and your customers. List the services or products you offer, the problems you solve, and the questions you most frequently hear. These become your seed topics, the broad areas your keyword research grows from.

A digital marketing agency might start with SEO, PPC, content marketing, AI search, and social media. A running shoe retailer might start with: trail running, road running, marathon training, and orthopaedic footwear. Don’t overthink this step, just list the things your audience genuinely comes to you for.

Step 2: Generate seed keywords

From each topic, write down the phrases a customer would realistically type into a search engine. The key is to think like your audience, not like your business. Customers search for “how to get more leads from my website” but they rarely search for “digital marketing consultancy services.” The language gap between how you describe what you do and how your audience searches for it is often where the biggest keyword opportunities hide.

Step 3: Use keyword research tools

Tools tell you whether your instincts are right and surface terms you wouldn’t have thought of. Here’s what each major option is best for:

• Google Keyword Planner: Google keyword planner is a free tool that, provides search volume and competition data. Built primarily for PPC but useful for organic research too. A good starting point for any campaign.
• Google Search Console: Search console is a free tool, shows which terms you already rank for and how you’re performing. Essential for any existing site — this is where your quick wins often live.
• Ahrefs / SEMrush: SEMrush is a comprehensive paid tool for competitor gap analysis, keyword difficulty scores, and tracking ranking changes over time. The most powerful option if budget allows.
• AnswerThePublic: surfaces question-based queries around your topic, useful for content planning and FAQ development.
• Google Trends: shows how interest in a keyword changes over time and by region. Useful for seasonal planning and spotting terms gaining momentum in your sector.

Step 4: Analyse your competitors

Search your target keyword and examine the top-ranking pages. What topics do they cover? How is the content structured? What questions do they answer that you haven’t? Tools like Ahrefs and SEMrush let you see which keywords a competitor ranks for that you currently don’t — these gaps are opportunities worth prioritising.

Step 5: Evaluate against three filters

Every keyword on your list should pass three checks:

1. Search volume:  enough people searching for this to make it worthwhile?
2. Keyword difficulty: Given your current domain authority, can you realistically rank for this in a reasonable timeframe?
3. Commercial relevance: Will ranking for this actually bring the right kind of visitor?

A keyword that scores well on all three is a priority target. A keyword with enormous volume but very high difficulty and low relevance to your business is a distraction, however tempting the numbers look.

Step 6: Consider search intent

For each keyword, ask: what does this person actually want? Are they looking for information, trying to find a specific website, or ready to make a purchase? The intent behind a keyword should determine the type of content you create and the action you want visitors to take when they arrive. Read more in our guide to keyword intent and how it applies to PPC.

How do you choose the right keywords for your business?

Research gives you a list. Strategy turns that list into a plan.

Match keywords to your domain strength

If your website is relatively new or has lower domain authority, targeting high-competition keywords — however tempting — is unlikely to pay off in the short term. Start with long-tail keywords where the competition is more manageable. Build rankings and authority over time, then move up to broader terms as your position strengthens.

Match keywords to your funnel stage

Different keywords attract people at different stages of their decision-making, and your content needs to reflect that:

• Awareness stage: informational keywords (“how does PPC work?”). Best matched to blog posts, guides, and educational content.
• Consideration stage: comparison keywords (“PPC vs SEO for small business”). Best matched to comparison articles or detailed service pages.
• Decision stage: transactional keywords (“PPC agency London”). Best matched to service pages and landing pages with a clear call to action.

Targeting transactional keywords with informational content, or vice versa, is one of the most common reasons a technically sound keyword strategy fails to convert.

The Roar keyword priority framework

For each candidate keyword, score it across three dimensions:

Keywords with high relevance, medium volume, and low-to-medium difficulty are your strongest starting points. These offer the most realistic path to ranking and attracting the right traffic without demanding disproportionate effort.

Avoid chasing “vanity keywords”,  terms that look impressive on a ranking report but attract the wrong audience or sit so far outside your competitive reach that no realistic investment will shift them.

Want help identifying your best keyword opportunities? Our digital team can audit your current keyword positioning and build a prioritised strategy around your goals. Speak to us to find out more.

How do you use keywords across your marketing channels?

On your website

Your primary keyword belongs in the page title, H1, meta description, and the first paragraph of your content. Related keywords should appear naturally throughout, in body copy, subheadings, image alt text, and URL slugs where relevant. Don’t engineer their placement. If your content covers a topic well, the relevant terms will appear naturally.

What you should actively avoid is keyword stuffing, cramming keywords in at the expense of readability. Google’s systems are sophisticated enough to distinguish natural writing from manufactured repetition, and they penalise the latter. Write for the reader first.

In blog content

Blog posts are where long-tail keywords do their best work. Each article should target one primary keyword and a cluster of related terms that support it. The content should genuinely answer the question the keyword implies, not simply mention the keyword and move on.

Before writing any article, ask: Is there real demand for this topic? Nobody stumbles across content they never searched for. A well-targeted piece on a specific question your audience is genuinely asking will consistently outperform a vague post on a broad topic.

In PPC campaigns

Keyword intent is even more critical in paid search, where every click costs money. Ensure your ad copy reflects the intent behind the keyword and that your landing page delivers exactly what the ad promises. Add negative keywords proactively to filter out irrelevant traffic before it burns through your budget.

Check out our guide to keyword intent in PPC for a more detailed breakdown of how to structure your ad groups around intent.

Keyword mapping — giving each page a job

Keyword mapping means assigning a target keyword (or keyword cluster) to a specific page on your website. The goal is to make sure each page has a clearly defined topic and that no two pages are competing for the same term.

When multiple pages target the same keyword, they split your ranking potential, a problem known as keyword cannibalisation. If you spot this on your site, the fix is usually to consolidate the content into one stronger page, or to clearly differentiate the focus of each so they target meaningfully distinct queries.

Building topic clusters

A topic cluster is a content structure where a central pillar page covers a broad subject at a high level, while a series of supporting articles go deeper on specific sub-topics. Each cluster article links back to the pillar page, and the pillar links to each cluster.

For a marketing agency, a pillar page on “keywords for marketing” could link out to cluster articles on keyword intent, keyword research tools, local SEO keywords, and keyword tracking. This structure signals topical authority to search engines and keeps visitors moving through your content, both of which strengthen overall rankings.

For local SEO

If your business serves a specific area, location-based keywords should appear in your page titles, meta descriptions, body copy, and Google Business Profile. Creating dedicated location pages for the areas you serve is particularly effective for service businesses operating across multiple cities or regions, each page can target location-specific queries rather than leaving everything to a single generic page.

How has AI search changed keyword strategy?

Keyword strategy used to be primarily about Google. That’s still true, but it’s no longer the whole picture.

AI-powered platforms, Google AI Overviews, Perplexity, and ChatGPT are now generating direct answers to user queries rather than simply listing links. Millions of people receive information from these systems without ever clicking through to a website. If your content isn’t being cited in those answers, you’re missing a growing share of your potential audience.

The way AI platforms select which content to surface is different from how Google traditionally ranks pages. They’re not looking for the page with the most keyword mentions, they’re looking for content that demonstrates genuine expertise, answers questions clearly, and is structured in a way they can read and extract efficiently.

This has a few practical implications for your keyword strategy:

• Topical depth beats keyword frequency. A page that comprehensively covers a subject — addressing related questions, explaining concepts clearly, going beyond surface-level information — is far more likely to be cited by an AI platform than one that simply repeats a target keyword multiple times.
• Conversational and question-based keywords matter more. AI systems are trained on natural language. Content structured around the questions people actually ask — “how do I choose keywords for my website?” rather than just “keyword selection” — maps directly to how these platforms retrieve and serve information.
• Schema and structure help. Structured data — particularly HowTo schema, FAQ schema, and Article schema — makes your content more legible to AI systems. Adding these to your key pages is a technical step with meaningful impact on AI visibility.

Keyword strategy and Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) are increasingly the same conversation. If you want to understand how to position your brand for AI search, our team can help.

Want to know how visible your brand is in AI search?  Roar offers AI Search Optimisation (GEO) alongside traditional SEO. Find out how we can help you get cited in AI-generated answers.

What keyword mistakes should you avoid?

Keyword stuffing

Cramming keywords into your content doesn’t improve rankings, it actively damages them. Google penalises content that prioritises keyword repetition over quality. Write for the reader. Use your keyword where it fits naturally, and trust that well-written, comprehensive content will do the heavy lifting.

Targeting keywords without understanding intent

You can rank for a keyword and still get nothing from it if your content doesn’t match what the person was looking for. A transactional keyword needs a page designed to convert. An informational keyword needs content that educates. Getting this wrong means traffic that bounces straight back to the search results, which also signals poor quality to Google.

Ignoring long-tail keywords

Long-tail keywords are unglamorous but effective. They’re less competitive, attract more qualified traffic, and tend to convert at higher rates — because someone searching with specificity has usually done their research and is closer to making a decision.

Keyword cannibalisation

If two pages on your site target the same keyword, they compete against each other — diluting the ranking potential of both. Audit your content periodically to check for this. Where it exists, consolidate the pages into one or clearly differentiate their focus.

Targeting keywords with no business relevance

High traffic that never converts is not a marketing success. Before committing to a keyword, ask whether the people searching for it are genuinely likely to become customers. A keyword with modest volume but strong commercial intent will consistently outperform a high-volume keyword that attracts the wrong audience.

Never updating your strategy

Keyword research done once and never revisited is a starting point, not a strategy. Trends shift, competitors arrive, search behaviour evolves, and algorithm updates change what ranks. Build in a quarterly review — use Google Search Console to monitor what’s growing or declining, and Google Trends to catch emerging interest in your sector before competitors do.

How do you measure the success of your keyword strategy?

Tracking the right metrics is what tells you whether your keyword strategy is generating real business value or just producing data that looks encouraging but doesn’t connect to revenue.

Keyword rankings

Track where your target keywords appear in search results over time. Movement into the top three positions correlates directly with meaningful traffic increases — particularly for high-volume terms. Google Search Console, Ahrefs, and SEMrush all provide ranking data.

Organic traffic

Growth in organic traffic is one of the clearest signals that your strategy is working. Track it month-on-month in Google Analytics 4 and break it down by landing page to understand which content is driving visits.

Conversion rate from organic

Traffic is only valuable if it converts. Track the percentage of organic visitors who complete a meaningful action — a form submission, a call, a purchase. If organic traffic is growing but conversions aren’t, it’s usually a sign that you’re attracting the wrong keyword intent, or that your landing pages aren’t aligned with what the visitor expected.

Share of voice

Share of voice measures how often your brand appears in search results for your target keywords compared to your competitors. As you build authority and add content, your share of voice should grow. Both Ahrefs and SEMrush provide this metric.

AI search visibility

Monitor whether your content is being cited in AI-generated answers. Manual testing — running relevant queries in ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews — gives you a baseline. As AI tracking tools mature, this will become a standard metric in any comprehensive performance report. For now, treat it as an emerging indicator of whether your content strategy is building the kind of authority that AI systems recognise.

Not seeing the results you expect from organic search?  Our team can diagnose what’s holding your keyword strategy back. Book a free SEO audit to get started.

Pulling it together

Keywords are how your audience finds you, in search engines, and increasingly, in AI-generated answers. Getting your keyword strategy right means understanding your audience, matching your content to their intent at every stage of the journey, and building a structured approach to research and measurement rather than relying on gut feel.

The fundamentals haven’t changed: relevance, quality, and specificity still win. What has changed is the range of channels your keywords need to work across. A strategy built purely around Google rankings is leaving visibility on the table.

If you’d like help building or refining your keyword strategy, whether for organic SEO, paid search, or AI visibility, our team works with businesses across sectors to identify the keywords that will actually move the needle. Get in touch to find out more.

FAQs

What are seed keywords?

Seed keywords are the broad starting terms you use to kick off your keyword research. They’re usually short, generic phrases that describe your core products, services, or topics — “digital marketing,” “running shoes,” or “property management.” From each seed, research tools generate a wider list of related and long-tail terms. Think of seed keywords not as terms you’d necessarily target directly, but as the starting point for finding the ones you actually will. The more specifically you can define your seed topics, the more useful the research that follows.

What is the difference between short-tail and long-tail keywords?

Short-tail keywords are brief and broad, “digital marketing”, with high search volumes and high competition. Long-tail keywords are longer and more specific, “digital marketing agency for estate agents London”, with lower volumes but stronger intent. Short-tail works well for brand awareness; long-tail is where most conversions happen. For most businesses, particularly those with newer websites, long-tail keywords offer the most realistic path to ranking and generating meaningful traffic in a reasonable timeframe.

How do I find the keywords my competitors are ranking for?

The most effective approach is to use a tool like Ahrefs or SEMrush. Enter a competitor’s domain, navigate to their organic keyword report, and look for terms they rank highly for that you don’t appear for at all — these are your gaps. Also, check Google Search Console for queries where you currently appear but rank outside the top five. These terms already have some relevance to your site, making them often easier to improve than targeting entirely new keywords from scratch.

Can I target multiple keywords in one piece of content?

Yes, but with a clear hierarchy. Every page should be built around one primary keyword, supported by secondary and related keywords that naturally reinforce the main topic. Avoid trying to rank one page for two entirely separate primary keywords, as this typically weakens both. Variations of the same query — “keywords for marketing” and “marketing keywords guide” — can comfortably sit on the same page. Where you have genuinely distinct keyword targets, create separate pages so each can be optimised properly.

How do I optimise for voice search and AI assistants?

Focus on question-based, conversational keywords — the kind of phrasing someone uses when speaking rather than typing. Structure your content with clear headings that directly mirror the questions your audience asks. Implement FAQ schema so AI systems can extract your answers cleanly. Short, direct answers followed by supporting detail tend to perform best in AI retrieval. The closer your content is to how someone would naturally ask a question, the more likely it is to be surfaced by voice and AI-powered search platforms.

What is keyword cannibalisation and how do I fix it?

Keyword cannibalisation happens when two or more pages on your website target the same keyword, causing them to compete against each other in search results. Instead of one strong page ranking, you get two weaker ones — or Google picks the wrong one. Find it by checking Google Search Console: if the same query is triggering impressions across multiple URLs, you have a problem. Fix it by either consolidating the pages into one or clearly differentiating their focus so each targets a meaningfully distinct topic.

How often should I update my keyword strategy?

At a minimum, review your keyword strategy every quarter. Check Google Search Console for emerging queries, declining performers, and shifts in click-through rate. Use Google Trends to monitor seasonal patterns or rising interest in your sector. If a significant algorithm update drops — or a competitor launches a serious content push — bring your review forward. A keyword strategy reviewed regularly will consistently outperform one that was excellent twelve months ago and hasn’t been touched since.

 

Written by: Hernan Rauter, SEO Manager at Roar

Hernan has been the SEO manager at Roar for three years. With a specialism in location-targeted SEO, ensuring businesses get seen across the UK and internationally. In recent years, his skills have grown towards GEO and CRO, moving from only getting seen to getting chosen by the ever-growing AI Search systems. Outside of optimising websites for AI and search, Hernan has recently developed a love for reformer pilates, a big change from the usual Jujitsu.

Roar Digital is a London-based digital agency specialising in SEO, Paid Media, and AI Search Optimisation. We help businesses get found in Google, in AI-generated answers, and everywhere in between.