Search terms are the words or phrases users type into search engines to find information.
This could be a Google search:
Or a search on another platform, like YouTube or Amazon.
Search terms (also known as search queries) can be short or long, vague or specific. And they’re a vital component of any digital marketing strategy.
Search Terms vs. Keywords
Search terms differ from keywords. Keywords are the terms marketers target and optimize their content for as part of their search engine optimization (SEO) strategy.
Search terms reflect user intent (or search intent). In other words: what they want to learn, find, or buy.
Keywords are part of a business’s strategy to capture that intent. Whether that’s through blog posts, product pages, or other types of content.
For example, a user might enter the search term “pre-owned camping equipment.”
But the search engine may display results optimized for keywords like:
Second-hand camping equipment
Recycled camping equipment
Used camping equipment
So, while not all search terms are keywords, you derive the keywords you want to target from relevant search terms.
Sometimes your keywords are exactly the same as the search terms (such as if you wrote a piece of content optimized for “pre-owned camping equipment”). While other times you’re targeting variations of search terms (like “recycled,” “second-hand” etc.).
This is because not everyone looking for the same thing uses exactly the same language to find it.
Search Terms and Keywords in PPC Advertising
In PPC (pay-per-click) advertising, platforms like Google Ads use keywords to match ads with search terms.
So, you choose keywords that match what your prospective customers are searching. And (ideally) your ads appear for those search terms.
Types of Search Terms
There are three main types of search terms:
Short-Tail Search Terms
Short-tail search terms are brief, usually one or two words.
They’re broad and apply to a wide audience, making them common in both SEO and PPC campaigns where traffic volume is key.
Because a lot of people search for these terms, ranking for them can lead to not just more traffic, but also increased brand awareness.
But:
There’s a higher level of competition for these search terms. Meaning they’re harder to rank for with SEO, and often more expensive if you’re going the PPC route.
Not only that, but these terms often have lower conversion rates. Because the search is usually more vague, and they can attract a wider (less relevant) audience.
Long-Tail Search Terms
Long-tail search terms are longer, more specific phrases, usually at least three words long.
People typing these terms into search engines typically have quite specific intent.
In other words: they know exactly what they want.
For example, “affordable waterproof hiking boots for women” is a long-tail search term.
Someone searching for that is seeking a particular product (hiking boots for women) with specific needs (affordable and waterproof).
Branded vs. Non-Branded Search Terms
Branded search terms include a specific brand name. Like Nike, Apple, or even Backlinko.
People use branded search terms when they want information, products, or services from a specific business or website.
Ranking for these terms reinforces brand loyalty and captures traffic with strong intent (as they’re looking for you specifically).
In PPC, these terms can vary a lot when it comes to cost per click (CPC). For smaller brands in less competitive spaces, CPC might be low.
But in other industries, brands will bid on competitor brand name keywords. Which can lead to higher than average CPCs.
Non-branded terms, on the other hand, are typically searched by a broader audience.
People searching for these terms are looking for solutions, not specific brands. And these terms can be short-tail (like “shoes”) or long-tail (like the affordable, waterproof hiking boots example we mentioned above).
Why Are Search Terms Important for SEO and PPC Campaigns?
Understanding the search terms your target audience uses helps you form a strategy that’s built to give them what they want. Rather than just blindly creating content based on some rudimentary keyword research.
In SEO, search terms guide your content strategy. They show you what users are searching for, letting you tailor your content to meet those needs.
Aligning your content with the search intent is a key component of a successful SEO strategy.
(We’ll talk more about meeting this intent soon.)
The same logic applies to PPC advertising. If you understand what users want to achieve when using certain search terms, you can create ads catering to that intent.
This can result in higher conversion rates when your ads appear for these terms.
Because ads that resonate with user intent are more likely to result in clicks and, ultimately, conversions.
How to Research and Identify Relevant Search Terms
There are lots of ways to find search terms, including using tools. But you can also do it within search engines themselves.
Using Google Autocomplete
Google’s autocomplete suggestions are based on real searches made by real users. So you can be confident they reflect actual search terms worth targeting.
Just type in your seed term (something broad and related to your business), and Google will suggest related search terms.
But if you want to understand how many people are using those search terms, you’ll need to use a tool.
Use Semrush’s Keyword Magic Tool
Semrush’s Keyword Magic Tool helps you find and filter relevant search terms to build your keyword strategy. It’s also based on real search terms typed into Google, but as a bonus, it’ll show you key metrics like:
Search volume: How many people search that term each month
Keyword difficulty: How hard it would be to rank for that term organically (i.e., without paid ads)
CPC: Estimated cost per click advertisers pay to appear in search results for that term
The tool even shows you the intent of the keyword. This way, you can filter for terms searched by people closer to purchasing, by focusing on search terms with commercial or transactional intent.
(More on meeting this intent in the next section.)
Google Search Console (GSC) is a free tool that lets you track your website’s organic performance.
It also shows which search terms bring that traffic to your website. (The tool refers to them as queries within the performance report.)
These queries are the search terms people used to find your website.
GSC also gives you plenty of useful data on the number of clicks and impressions for each search term. This means you can identify search terms your site ranks for but isn’t optimized for.
Analyzing competitor data highlights search terms that drive traffic and engagement to your biggest rivals.
To do this, we’ll jump back into Semrush, this time with the Keyword Gap tool.
It shows you all the search terms your competitors rank for that you don’t.
And if they can rank for them, there’s a good chance that you can too.
How to Rank Your Content for the Right Search Terms
Use these strategies to meet user intent, drive more traffic, and get better results with your content:
1. Match the User’s Search Intent
Targeting the right search terms involves selecting keywords that match user queries related to your business.
Why is this so important?
When your content matches user intent and is strongly related to what your business offers, it’s MUCH more likely to engage and convert.
For example, let’s say you run a tech blog recommending the latest products and making money through affiliate commissions.
You want to target the keyword “buy laptop online” because it has transactional intent (i.e., people using this search term are close to buying).
So you write an article about the 10 best laptops on the market. But it doesn’t rank well.
Plus, your user metrics are poor, with a high bounce rate and low time on page. And nobody is clicking on your affiliate links.
Why?
Because you’ve missed the search intent.
People using the search term “buy laptop online” are looking to do one thing: buy a laptop online. They don’t want to compare laptops (they’ve already done that).
That’s why the search results for this term are full of product pages:
You’d be far better off targeting commercial search terms.
Like “best laptop.”
2. Include Related Search Terms in Your Content
Don’t just target one search term with your content. Also include relevant (related) search terms to boost your organic visibility.
For example, we have an article targeting the search term “backlinks” that gets traffic from lots of related search terms:
We’re directly targeting some of these within the content. But others we passively rank for.
(Sometimes these are unrelated. For example, we (unintentionally) rank for terms like “backlinking service” even though we don’t offer that.)
But targeting relevant, related search terms is a great way to increase the traffic potential of your content.
How do you find these related terms?
One way is to identify common questions your audience asks. Then answer these questions directly under various headings on the page, or elsewhere within your content.
This can help your content appear in People Also Ask (PAA) boxes in the results for relevant search terms.
Bonus tip: Aside from the PAA boxes, you can find even more relevant search terms using the “People also search for” section at the bottom of the search results.
3. Target Related Long-Tail Search Terms
While long-tail search terms typically have lower search volume, their lower level of competition makes them ideal targets for your content. Especially for beginners or sites with limited authority.
Focusing on long-tail terms also lets you reach users further along in the buying process.
In plain English: people using these search terms are closer to buying.
So, targeting these search terms can lead to higher conversion rates than short-tail terms.
But even if it’s an informational search term (like “how to play blues guitar”), it can still be beneficial for your website to rank for. Because people searching for these terms are often more engaged.
It’s also easy to understand what a user wants when they use a long-tail search term.
Take this set of search results for the term “email marketing”:
They’re all over the place. They include:
A comprehensive guide to email marketing
A page providing a definition
Email campaign examples
Lists of the best software and tools
An email tool’s landing page
It’s a high-volume keyword:
But how can you possibly meet the search intent for such a broad search term?
Instead, take a long-tail keyword like “how to choose an email marketing platform”:
For this one, the user intent is much clearer. They want to know how to choose between the countless email marketing tools out there.
A guide explaining exactly how to do that would be the best way to meet that intent.
Long-tail search terms typically also have lower levels of competition. That can make it easier to rank for them organically through SEO. And it can lead to cheaper advertising campaigns as they often have lower costs per click too.
However:
This isn’t always the case.
Sometimes, the more specific the search term, the more expensive it is to bid on. Partly because, with that laser-focused intent, brands know that people using these search terms are very close to buying.
So they’ll spend a lot of money to get their ads in front of them.
So you’ll need to pick your battles based on your business, industry, and goals.
But targeting long-tail search terms can definitely be a great way to attract highly engaged traffic, both organically and through paid ads. And it can help build your website’s authority in the process (if you’re going the SEO route).
Use Search Term Data to Monitor and Adapt Your Strategy
Following the tips above will help you find relevant search terms to target with your SEO or PPC campaigns.
But the words and phrases people use to find what they need online change all the time.
New trends pop up, and terminology evolves. So you need to stay on top of things if you want to continue ranking at the top of the search results.
You can use tools to keep an eye on which search terms you’re gaining or losing visibility for. And then you can adapt your keyword targeting accordingly. Learn which ones are the best to use in our list of the top rank tracking tools.
Then, use our keyword research guide to learn more about finding and optimizing for search terms relevant to your business.
