Search Terms: The Base of Every Successful SEO Strategy

Each day, billions of people type words into search engines looking for their desired answers, favorite products, and solutions. Meanwhile, business owners and marketers work to optimize their helpful content around what they think people are searching for. The problem? What users type into Google Chrome (search terms) often differs from the keywords businesses target. Understanding this key difference is the primary foundation of effective SEO and the key to appearing in search results for your ideal customers.

Here’s how search terms and keywords work together. Why does the difference matter?, how to use both to improve visibility in SERPs and drive more organic traffic?

What Are Search Terms?

Search terms are the exact words/queries/phrases users type into the search engines for their desired needs. For example:

• “Best treats for Persian cats”
• “Dog food for large breeds”
• “Emergency police station near me”

These terms indicate the user search intent—what the searcher truly wants. Google always prioritizes pages that match this intent, meaning businesses must optimize according to the real user language rather than industry jargon.

Why do Search Terms Matter?

A Backlinko study analyzing 11.8 million Google searches found that pages that are optimized for actual user search terms (not just keywords) received 128% more organic search traffic on average. For example:

• High-traffic term: “Dog treats for allergies”
• Low-traffic jargon: “Canine hypoallergenic snacks”

If you target the wrong terms, you miss a huge potential customer.

Search Terms vs. Keywords: What’s the Difference?

• Search terms: what users type into Google?
• Keywords = what businesses optimize their content for.

They can be the same but often aren’t.

Example in SEO:

• User searches: “Best treats for dogs with sensitive tummies” (search term).
• Page ranks for: “Dog treats for sensitive stomach” (It’s a keyword).

Example in PPC (Google Ads):

• User searches: “Dog vet near me” (search term).
• Ad targets: “Pet hospital” (This is the keyword).

Key Takeaway: 

• Always search terms come from users;
• Keywords are what marketers use to attract them via tools like SEMRush, Ahref, Google Keyword Planner, and Moz.

How to Find Real Search Terms Users Are Typing?

Want to optimize effectively, you need to know what people are searching for. Here’s how:

1. Google Search Console (Free)

• He shows actual queries leading users to your site.
• Show impressions, clicks, and CTR for each term.

How to use it:

• Direct go to the “Performance” area > and then click on Queries.
• Export your data in Google Sheets to analyze high-traffic terms.

2. Google Autocomplete & Related Searches

Type a keyword into Google Chrome and see:

• Autocomplete suggestions (e.g., “best dog food for…”).
• “People Also Ask”: boxes (great for FAQs).
• Also, you can see related searches at the bottom of the SERPs.

3. SEO Tools (Semrush, Ahrefs, Ubersuggest)

• Semrush Keyword Magic Tool: Generates thousands of keyword ideas for your specific keyword search.
• Ahrefs Keyword Explorer: Shows your primary and secondary keyword search volume and keyword difficulty(KD).
• Ubersuggest: Tracks your targeted keywords rankings and competitor terms.

4. Social Listening (Google Alerts, AnswerThePublic)

• Google Alerts: Directly notifies you when new content mentions your keyword.
• Answer The Public: Shows question-based long tail queries in top SERPs (e.g., “How to install woodmart theme in wordpress?”).

How to Choose the Best Search Terms for SEO?

From users, not all search terms are equal. Always prioritize based on:

1. Search Intent

Just Google ranks pages based on user search  intent, which falls under four main categories:

• Informational (“What causes dog allergies?”) → Optimize blog posts.
• Commercial (“Best dog food for allergies”) → Comparison pages.
• Transactional (“Buy hypoallergenic dog food”) → Product pages.
• Navigational (“Purina Pro Plan login”) → Brand pages.

Mismatched intent is causing poor rankings.

2. Search Volume vs. Specificity

• High-volume, broad terms (e.g., “dog food”) = Short tail keywords always hardly rank in top search results.
• Low-volume, long-tail terms (e.g., “grain-free dog food for small breeds”) = Easier to rank due to low competition and higher conversion potential.

3. Keyword Difficulty(KD)

• KD Score (0-100): Higher means more competition.
• For New sites? Always target terms with KD not more than 30.

According to SEMrush, he categories the Levels of KD:

• Very hard: 85–100%
• Hard: 70–84%
• Difficult: 50–69%
• Possible: 30–49%
• Easy: 15–29%
• Very easy: 0–14%

4. Click Potential

• Avoid terms where Google answers queries directly (e.g., featured snippets).
• Target terms where users click on organic results.

Best Practices for Using Search Terms in Content:

Once you’ve chosen your terms, optimize:

1. Meta Title

• Include the primary keyword at the start.
• Make the title under 55 characters, otherwise, in SERPs, Google cuts extra lengthy titles and will not show to users.

2. Meta Description

• Must write a short description under 160 characters on the basis of the Intent
• Include the keyword naturally and SERPs bold your primary keyword automatically.

3. Heading Tags(H1, H2, H3,….H6)

• Must use your primary keyword in H1 and H2 and also use LSI keywords in other heading tags.
• Example:
• H1: Comprehensive Guide to SEO and Reputation Management
• H2: What Is Reputation Management in SEO?

4. On-Page Content

• Use primary and LSI keywords naturally and avoid keyword stuffing.
• Answer user questions (check “People Also Ask”).

FAQs:

How to Exclude a Term from Google Search?

Use a minus sign(-) before the word:

“Best dog food -grain” (excludes results with “grain”).

Are There Search Terms the Government Knows You Google?

Yes, if you are under surveillance from security agencies(Local Police, FBI, and CIA).

100 Google Most Searched Terms?

Check Google Trends, it’s a free-of-cost tool or use Ahrefs for the most popular keywords.

Shows 10 Conversions Google Ads But Only 3 Search Terms?

Google aggregates data for user privacy and hides some search terms that are not suitable for teenagers and kids.

Pokémon GO Search Terms?

For example: “Pokémon GO IV calculator”, and “best Pokémon GO raids”.

Mathematical Terms Word Search?

Try “algebra word search printable” or “geometry vocabulary puzzle”.

Search Term Popularity?

Use a free Google tool like Google Keyword Planner or use for website traffic check with SEMrush tool and for checking search terms volume data.

Optimal Word Count for a Search Term?

Long-tail keywords(3-5 words) often convert better (e.g., “best digital marketing agency”).