Gixo Quill · content guide
What Are SEO Keywords?
SEO keywords are the searches you want a page to appear for. The name is slightly misleading — they are not words you insert into text, they are the phrases real people type, and your job is to serve one of them well rather than to place the words anywhere in particular.
Last reviewed: August 2026
What the term actually covers
- They are queries, not words. A keyword is usually a phrase, and the phrase belongs to the searcher rather than to your marketing vocabulary.
- One page serves one intent. Several phrasings of the same question are one keyword for practical purposes.
- Placement matters far less than it used to. Density targets are a legacy practice; the phrase appearing naturally in the title and opening is enough.
- Your words are often not their words. Buyers search the problem, not your product category, which is why internal vocabulary makes poor keywords.
- Volume is not value. A specific low-volume query close to a decision is usually worth more than a broad one.
The types worth distinguishing
| Type | Looks like | What the page should be |
|---|---|---|
| Informational | what is, how does, why | An explanation, answered up front |
| Commercial | best, top, vs, alternatives | A comparison with real criteria |
| Transactional | buy, pricing, free trial | A product or pricing page |
| Navigational | a brand name | Usually that brand's own page |
| Long-tail | a specific multi-word question | A focused cluster page |
| Branded | your company name | Yours already; do not target it |
How Gixo Quill handles this
Quill matches content format to keyword type rather than producing one article shape for everything — WhatIsArticle and HowToGuide for informational, Comparison and AlternativesList for commercial, BuyingGuide for transactional. Choosing the target is covered separately in keyword research.
Frequently asked questions
What are SEO keywords?
The searches you want a page to appear for. They are phrases real people type, not words you insert into text, and one page should serve one intent.
How many keywords should a page target?
One intent. Several phrasings of the same question count as one keyword; splitting them across pages creates pages that compete with each other.
How many times should a keyword appear on a page?
As often as natural writing requires. Density targets are a legacy practice, and pages written to hit one read worse without ranking better.
What is the difference between keywords and keyword research?
Keywords are the queries themselves. Keyword research is the process of deciding which ones are worth writing for, based on intent and what already ranks.
Should I target branded keywords?
Your own brand terms you already rank for. Competitor brand terms can work as comparison pages, but only where you can say something honest about the difference.
Related content guides
Serve the query in the shape it expects
Quill produces the format the keyword type demands rather than the same article every time.