Keyword
A keyword is the word or phrase people type into Google when they're searching — like 'emergency plumber near me.' Knowing the keywords your customers use is the starting point for getting found.
Also known as: keywords · search term · search query
In plain English
A keyword is just what someone types into a search box. It can be a single word ("plumber") or a whole phrase ("why is my water heater leaking"). For your business, keywords are the bridge between what you offer and what people are searching for — and the words your customers use aren't always the words you'd use yourself.
Why it matters for your business
If you build your website and content around the keywords your customers actually search, you show up when they're looking. Miss the mark — describing your service in industry terms nobody types — and you stay invisible to the very people trying to find you. Good keyword choices point your whole SEO effort at real demand instead of guesses.
A practical tip
Listen to how customers describe their problem in their own words — in emails, calls, and reviews — and use those words on your site. That plain-language match is often more powerful than any clever phrasing.
Common questions
- Should I stuff keywords into my pages to rank better?
- No — that backfires. Cramming the same phrase everywhere reads badly to people and search engines now penalize it. The goal is to write naturally about what you do, using the words your customers actually use, in a way that's genuinely helpful.
- How do I find the right keywords?
- Start with how your customers describe their problem, not how you describe your service — they're often different. There are tools that show what people really search for and how often, which turns guesswork into a real picture of demand.