What Are Keywords and How to Choose Them for Your Website
Keywords are the queries people type into search when they look for information or a service. We explain what keywords and a semantic core are, which types of queries exist and how to choose keywords for your website step by step.
Keywords are the words and phrases people type into search when they look for information, a product or a service. They are also called search queries. The set of queries a website is optimized for is its semantic core, or keyword set. One thing matters: a keyword is not “a word you have to repeat in the text” but the answer to the question behind the query.
Why keywords matter
Keywords connect what your business writes with what customers search for. Without them it is easy to create a good text nobody will find. A keyword set helps to:
- Understand demand. Which questions and phrasings people really use, not the ones that seem logical to you.
- Build the website structure. Each group of queries gets its own page, and the structure of sections reflects the customer’s logic.
- Plan content. You can see which blog topics are worth writing and in what order.
- Help search engines. A page that clearly answers a query reaches the right results more easily.
- Prepare advertising. The same queries are used in search ads.
Types of queries
The most important thing about a query is the user’s intent. It decides which page you should show:
| Query type | Example | Which page to show |
|---|---|---|
| Informational | what is a landing page | A blog article |
| Commercial | how to choose a web studio | A comparison article or a service page |
| Transactional | order website development | A service page |
| Local | SEO services in your city | A service page tied to the city |
| Brand | your company name | The home page |
High-, mid- and low-frequency queries
- High-frequency. Short and general (“SEO”, “website”). Many people search for them, but the intent is vague and competition is high.
- Mid-frequency. Two or three words, for example “website promotion”. A balance between volume and precision.
- Low-frequency (“long tail”). Longer, specific phrases: “how to check website speed”. They are searched less often, but the intent is clearer and competition is lower.
For a new website the long tail is usually the most practical start: it is easier to reach visible positions for such queries.
How to choose keywords for a website
- Define topics and services. Write down everything the business offers and the questions customers ask.
- Collect base queries. From your own experience, search suggestions, conversations with customers and competitor pages.
- Expand the list. Add synonyms, phrasing variants and refinements with a city, price, reviews or comparisons.
- Clean the list. Remove irrelevant queries, duplicates and those that do not match your offer.
- Group by intent. Combine queries that the same page answers into one group.
- Assign groups to pages. One group, one page: this way pages do not compete with each other.
- Assess competition. Look at which pages already rank and whether you can answer better.
We do this work within our keyword research and website structure service.
How to use keywords on a page
- Page title and H1. The main query should be in both, in a natural phrasing.
- First paragraph. Give a direct answer to the query right away.
- Subheadings. Use additional queries as section topics.
- Main text. Write for people: queries should sound natural, without pushy repetition.
- Images and address. Image descriptions (alt) and the URL also help if they match the content.
How to prepare texts for search queries is covered in our SEO content service, and the technical basics are described on the technical SEO page.
Common mistakes with keywords
- Several pages for one query. They compete with each other and get in each other’s way in search results.
- Ignoring intent. An article that tries to sell does not fit an informational query, and vice versa.
- Only high-frequency queries. It is hard to reach the results, and visitors arrive with a vague intent.
- Keyword stuffing. Pushy repetition spoils the text and does not help rankings.
- One-time selection. Queries change, so the keyword set should be reviewed from time to time. A regular SEO audit helps.
We wrote about how search changes together with AI in the article “SEO in 2026”, and the general approach to the service is described on the SEO services page.
