Keywords are the foundation of a website’s SEO promotion. They help search engines understand what your content is about and show it to users for relevant queries. In 2026, working with keywords has changed: now it’s not enough to simply insert them into a text. It’s important to create expert content that takes user intent into account, optimize for AI-generated search answers, and follow E-E-A-T principles.

In this article, you’ll learn how to choose keywords correctly, where to place them on your website, what types of keyword usage to apply, and how to adapt your strategy to modern search engine algorithms.

Who should read this article:

• SEO specialists — refresh your knowledge of keyword usage and learn about the latest trends for 2026.
• Website owners — understand how to properly optimize content for search engines.
• Copywriters and content marketers — learn how to naturally incorporate keywords into texts.
• SEO beginners — get a basic understanding of how keywords and semantic core work.

What Are Keywords in SEO: Definition and Their Role in Promotion

Keywords are words or phrases used on website pages so that users can find those pages through those words or phrases. They are the basis of SEO optimization: without properly selected keywords, search engines won’t be able to understand what your content is about or who it will be useful for.

When a user enters a query into the search bar, the search engine algorithm selects the pages that most accurately match what the user wants to find. The algorithm analyzes all the content on the page, but first of all, it focuses on words and phrases and determines how closely they match the search query.

The degree to which a page matches a user’s query is called relevance. If a page is not relevant to the query, the search engine will not show it. And even if it does, users will quickly leave because they are looking for something else.

Within a website, keywords, together with various design elements, are responsible for navigation. If section titles match their actual content, users will quickly find what they are looking for.

Keywords answer several questions:

• For which search query do you want to be found?
• What words will people use in the search bar to find you?
• What will that search query look like?

FAQ: What Are Keywords in SEO

How are keywords different from regular words in a text?

Keywords are specially selected terms and phrases that users use to search for information in search engines. They differ from regular words because they are chosen based on search query analysis and are used intentionally to attract a target audience.

How many keywords should be on one page?

There is no exact number — it all depends on the content volume and the topic. The main rule is that keywords should fit naturally and not interfere with readability. Usually, a page uses 1–3 main keyword queries and several additional related phrases. The quality of the content is more important than the number of keywords.

Can you use the same keywords on different pages of a website?

Yes, but with caution. If the pages serve different purposes, you can use similar keywords. For example, one page might be a general overview article, while another is a step-by-step guide. However, it’s better to choose a unique set of keywords for each page to avoid internal competition and increase the relevance of each page.

The Difference Between Keywords and Search Queries

These two concepts are closely related, but they are not identical. Understanding the difference helps you build a stronger SEO strategy.

Keywords are terms or phrases that a website owner places on their pages to optimize the site and attract an audience. They are an optimization tool that you control.

Search queries are the phrases users type into the search bar. In a way, they can also be considered keywords, because website optimization is usually based on what users actually enter into search engines. However, search queries can be more conversational, include typos, or use unusual wording.

FAQ: Keywords and Search Queries

Do keywords always have to match search queries?

Not necessarily. Keywords can be more formal or professional, while users often search using conversational phrases. For example, a user might search for “how to make a website,” while you optimize the page for “website creation.” It’s important to consider both versions and use synonyms.

What matters more for SEO: keywords or search queries?

Both matter, but the starting point is search queries. First, you analyze what users are looking for, then you choose keywords that match those queries. Without understanding real search queries, your optimization efforts will be ineffective.

How to Find Keywords for a Website: Methods and Tools

Broadly speaking, there are two approaches to keyword research, and it’s best to use them together.

The first is selecting words related to your website’s topic. This includes descriptions of products or services, their names and characteristics, industry-specific terminology, and words that describe possible user actions — buy, order, calculate, compare, and others.

The second approach is to focus on search results: collect search suggestions and analyze the keywords already used by websites that rank highly in search.

The full set of these words and phrases is called a semantic core. Ideally, a website’s structure is built around this collected semantic core.

You can gather competitors’ keywords using the Website Analysis service. In the Search Queries section, you’ll find a list of keywords the site is ranking for in search results. Download the analysis results and see what you can use for your own website.

FAQ: How to Find Keywords

Which tools should a beginner start with for keyword research?

Start with free tools: Google Keyword Planner to understand search demand, and Google search suggestions (autocomplete). You can also use the Website Analysis service to study competitors’ keywords — this will help you understand which queries work in your niche.

How many keywords should you collect for a semantic core?

The number depends on the scale of the project. For a small business card website, 50–100 key phrases may be enough; for an online store, from 500 to several thousand. The main thing is not quantity, but quality: every keyword should match real search queries and be relevant to your business.

How can you tell which keywords will bring traffic?

Analyze query frequency in Google Keyword Planner, look at competitiveness (how many websites are already targeting those queries), and evaluate commercial potential. High-volume keywords with low competition are the ideal option, but they are rare. More often, you need to find the right balance between search volume and competition.

Where Keywords Are Used on a Website: Placement Areas

Text can be placed literally everywhere. From the point of view of search engines, different page elements carry different weight, so they aren’t evaluated equally, but the search bot scans everything, which means there shouldn’t be any random words on the page.

Main Text Content

Keywords are included in articles and descriptions in a way that doesn’t stand out and looks natural. Some writers insert one phrase per 1,000 characters or per a certain number of words, but search engines don’t provide any recommendations on this. It’s not necessary to follow strict rules — what matters more is that the text looks natural and is useful to readers.

Headings and Subheadings

Keywords are used in content headings and subheadings to break the content into sections and give the search bot a “summary” of the page. It’s also easier for readers to navigate by headings than to study the entire content looking for the information they need.

Title and Description

These are the page title and description tags that users see in search results. Their main job is to drive clicks to the page — if a user sees what they’re looking for in the snippet, they’ll want to click the link.

Sometimes search engines change the Title and Description to better match the user’s query if they consider the page relevant, even if the original tag text was phrased differently.

Image Attributes

Alt is the text description of an image. The search bot reads this text to determine for which query to show it in the image results section, and also to assess the overall relevance of the page it appears on.

Link Anchors

Keywords are included in link anchor text, which helps search engines better understand the topic of linked pages. A simplified example: you have a page with an article about replacing electrical wiring, and it receives a link from an article about installing outlets, with the anchor text “replace wiring.” The search bot will detect that links with text on this topic lead to the electrical wiring page. That means the page is definitely a good fit for search results related to wiring.

Structured Content

To help a page appear in special search result blocks, microdata is used — markup that labels page elements so the search bot can read them and understand what type of content it is: contact information, a recipe, an article, a video, or something else. Keywords combined with structured markup help search engines determine page content even more accurately.

User Intent and the Sales Funnel: How to Choose Keywords by Intent

To use collected keywords effectively, you need to understand what exactly the user wants to get. Their queries can have different intent, meaning purpose. Depending on what task the user is trying to solve, the intent may be:

• Informational — the user wants to learn something: “how to do a headstand,” “why is it summer in Argentina during winter,” “how long to boil broccoli”;
• Transactional — shows the desire to do something: “buy a coffee maker,” “iPhone 16 check price,” “sign up for a free workout”;
• Navigational — includes a brand name: “yahoo website.”

For some queries, it’s impossible to determine the intent — these are called general queries. They look something like this: “wedding dress,” “trekking,” “North Pole.”

Words should be placed on a website with the specific task of each page in mind. On a product page, you shouldn’t place queries like “how to clean a washing powder drawer,” and an instruction page shouldn’t contain queries with words like “buy.”

The stages of the sales funnel also affect how keywords should be used. If a user is only starting to think about a purchase, offer them reviews and comparisons with key phrases like “how to choose a coffee maker.” The next stage is when they have already identified their need and are choosing a specific product. Here, you can offer model comparisons and descriptions of their features, and talk about warranties and repair options. The final stage is the purchase itself, when you need to highlight a good price, ordering in just a couple of clicks, and fast delivery.

FAQ: Where to Place Keywords

Which parts of a page are the most important for keywords in SEO?

The most weight is given to keywords in the Title, the H1 heading, and the first 100–200 words of the main text. It’s also important to use keywords in the meta description (Description), H2–H3 headings, image alt attributes, and internal link anchor text. But remember: naturalness matters more than formal placement.

Should you use keywords in the page URL?

Yes, it’s useful, but not critical. A URL with a keyword in it (for example, /keywords-in-seo) helps search engines better understand the page topic and can slightly improve relevance. The main thing is to keep the URL readable and clear for users.

Keyword Frequency: What It Is and How to Use It

In addition to intent, keywords can also be divided by frequency — a measure of how in demand they are among users. Frequency literally means how often users type a word or phrase into the search bar.

The higher the frequency of a keyword, the more people may come to the site through it, but there’s a nuance: as a rule, competition for such keywords is also higher, because owners of other websites use them too to attract an audience.

In some niches, frequency depends on the season, because certain products and services are only in demand at specific times. For example, artificial Christmas trees are usually bought before New Year’s, while school backpacks are typically purchased in August or early September.

The popularity of a query can also vary depending on the region. Geo-dependent queries are those for which users in different regions see different search results. For example, for the phrase “buy flowers,” search engines will show stores in the city where the user is located.

Geo-independent queries, accordingly, are not tied to the user’s location, and the search results for them will be the same from any city.

FAQ: Keyword Frequency

Which keywords are better to use: high-frequency or low-frequency?

It depends on your goals and resources. High-frequency queries (HF) bring in more traffic, but competition for them is higher. Low-frequency queries (LF) are easier to rank for, but they bring in less traffic. The optimal strategy is a combination: 20% HF to attract core traffic and 80% LF for steady ranking growth.

How often should you check keyword frequency?

It’s recommended to check it once a quarter, especially for seasonal queries. Frequency can change due to trends, events, and seasonality. Regular monitoring helps you adjust your SEO strategy and discover new opportunities for promotion.

Keyword Occurrence: Types and Examples

Each use of a keyword in a text or in other page elements is called an occurrence. Keyword occurrences can be of different types.

Exact Match

This means the word is used in exactly the same form in which it was specified in the context of search engine optimization. Example: keyword: “digital marketing”. Exact match in the text: “Companies use digital marketing for online promotion.”

Direct Match

This option is similar to the previous one, but it allows the use of punctuation marks. The query “wedding dress price” can be used like this: “At our boutique, we’ll help you choose a wedding dress, the price of which will stay within your celebration budget.”

Synonymic Occurrence

This is the use of similar words that do not change the meaning of what is written. Search results for such words are the same, or synonyms appear in the results for one query. For example, “used car” and “pre-owned car.”

Diluted Occurrence

With a diluted occurrence, the phrase is split up by other words. For example, the keyword “cat food price” can be used in the sentence “You can buy cat food here at low prices.”

Morphological Occurrence

This is a type of occurrence in which grammatical forms can be changed. The phrase “grocery delivery” can be changed like this: “During the delivery of groceries, the courier will confirm whether the order should be left at the door.”

FAQ: Keyword Occurrences

Which type of keyword occurrence is better for SEO?

In 2026, search engines understand different types of keyword occurrences quite well, so it’s best to combine them. Use exact matches in headings and at the beginning of the text, and diluted and morphological occurrences in the main content to keep it natural. The key point is that the text should read naturally, without keyword stuffing.

How many times should a keyword be used on a page?

There’s no exact number — it all depends on the length of the text and the topic. Focus on natural usage: if the text is 2,000 words long, the keyword may appear 5–10 times in different forms. If you feel like you’ve overused keyword occurrences, it’s better to remove a few — over-optimization can hurt rankings.

Keyword Density: Standards and Calculation

Keyword density is the percentage ratio of the number of keywords to the total number of words on a page. The formula for calculating density looks like this:

Keyword density = (Number of keywords / Total number of words) × 100

For example, if a page contains 100 words and the keyword is used 5 times, then the density will be 5%.

(5 / 100) × 100 = 5%

Search engines treat excessively high keyword density as spam, although their algorithms do not simply count words — they evaluate the content as a whole. Search engines do not specify a recommended density percentage, but among SEO specialists it is generally believed that you should not go beyond 5–7%. In 2026, keyword density has become a less important factor — context and content quality matter more.

FAQ: Keyword Density

What keyword density is optimal in 2026?

There are no strict standards, but it is recommended to stay within 1–3% for the main keyword. Higher density (5–7%) is acceptable only for very specific queries and short texts. Keep in mind: modern algorithms evaluate not only density, but also context, relevance, and content quality.

What should you do if keyword density is too high?

Remove some occurrences, replace exact matches with synonyms or diluted variations, and expand the text with useful information. Over-optimization can lead to penalties from search engines, so it is better to play it safe and make the text sound more natural.

How to Identify Keywords in a Text: Analysis Methods

To understand which words and phrases a text is optimized for, a visual review is usually enough. Keywords are placed in headings and used several times on the same page — they reflect the main topic of the content. With product cards and service pages, it is even easier — just look at the title.

To check a text that has not yet been published online, you can use lemmatization services. A lemma is the base form of a word. For nouns, it is the nominative singular form; for verbs, it is the infinitive. Such services show how many times particular words appear in the text. Usually, the words that occur most often make up the keywords.

FAQ: How to Identify Keywords in a Text

Can you identify the keywords of an already published page?

Yes, there are several ways: visual analysis (keywords are usually in headings and repeated throughout the text), analysis through SEO tools (for example, in the Website Analysis service, you can see which queries a page is being promoted for), and checking meta tags in the page source code.

How can you tell whether the keywords for a text have been chosen correctly?

Check several criteria: the keywords match the topic of the text, appear in headings and at the beginning of the article, are used naturally without keyword stuffing, and cover different aspects of the topic (not just one keyword, but also related phrases). You can also check the page’s rankings for these queries a few months after publication.

What to Consider When Using Keywords in 2026: Current Trends and Updates

Not long ago, major changes took place in SEO that fundamentally reshaped the way keywords are used. It’s no longer enough to simply insert keywords into a text — now you need to create expert-level content that search engines can use to generate AI answers.

The impact of neural networks and AI Overviews on keyword strategy. Google expanded AI Overviews from 26.6% of queries in May 2024 to 44.4% by September 2025. Studies show that the average CTR from organic search results dropped from ~15% to ~8% (by 47–61%), while informational queries are losing up to 20% of their traffic. However, commercial queries have remained almost unchanged. SEO’s goal is no longer just to rank in the top 10, but to become a source for AI-generated answers. To achieve this, content must be well-structured, expert-driven, and include clear answers to users’ questions.

The growing role of E-E-A-T in content quality assessment. Google tightened its content quality requirements in 2024–2025, reducing the presence of AI content by 40%. E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) has become a key ranking factor. Websites without proven expertise have lost a significant share of their organic traffic. When working with keywords, it is important not just to use them, but to create content that demonstrates real experience, the author’s expertise, and the reliability of the information. For YMYL topics (Your Money, Your Life), expert review of content is required.

GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) as a new promotion channel. A new direction has emerged — optimizing content for generative search engines (ChatGPT, Perplexity, DeepSeek). This is a promising area for PR and brand image building for medium-sized and large businesses. Keywords work differently here: it is important to structure information so that AI search engines can easily extract and use your data when generating answers for users.

Contextual understanding of queries is more important than exact-match keywords. Modern Google algorithms understand semantics and context much better than before. It is no longer necessary to use a keyword in its exact form — search engines recognize synonyms, related concepts, and even conversational phrasing. What matters more is creating content that fully answers the user’s query, rather than inserting keywords everywhere possible.

Voice search and conversational queries. The share of voice searches is growing, and these queries tend to be phrased more naturally and conversationally. Keep this in mind when building your keyword list: add phrases like “how to,” “where to buy,” and “how much does it cost” to your semantic core — this is exactly how people phrase voice queries.

Video content ranks at the top for reviews and DIY queries. For queries such as “how to,” “review,” and “instruction,” video content often takes the top positions. If your niche is suitable, create videos and optimize them for keywords through descriptions, subtitles, and tags.

The fight against AI content and over-optimization. Google has learned to detect machine-generated content. Template-based AI content without refinement is dropping in rankings. Use AI as an assistant for creating foundational content, but be sure to add personal experience, unique data, and a human “voice.” Also avoid keyword over-optimization — algorithms can recognize it and may lower your rankings.