Looking for a way to reach that top spot in Google search results? Choosing the right keyword phrase—a longer, more descriptive term than a single keyword—for your content can make ranking high in Google search easier and drive relevant traffic to your site. And that No. 1 spot pays off: The top organic search result in Google has an average click-through rate of 27.6%. That means if 1,000 people search for a keyword phrase, the top result will get about 270 clicks. 

Keyword phrases also align with how people search on AI platforms like ChatGPT or Gemini, where user searches often use more natural language like, “Where can I buy hiking boots near me?” 

Here’s how to develop an SEO strategy based on keyword phrases relevant to your business, to give you a better chance of showing up in search results.

What is a keyword phrase?

A keyword phrase—also called keyphrase, search query, or long-tail keyword—is a longer search term than a keyword. While a single (or short-tail) keyword consists of one or two words, keyword phrases usually feature multiple words—generally around three to five. These queries are more targeted and specific than a single keyword, more focused on customer intent, and represent 70% of search traffic—a big opportunity for small businesses. 

The length of the query can indicate whether a user is just looking for information or has specific intentions, like making a purchase or visiting a store. For example:

• Keywords. “Shoes,” “fitness,” “dinner recipes.”
• Keyword phrases. “A’ja Wilson basketball shoes,” “fitness tips for older adults,” “easy low-carb pasta recipes,” “athleisure stores near me.”

Short-tail keywords tend to represent a high volume of searches and high competition level (meaning it is harder to rank based on the amount of content already existing on that topic). Keyword phrases are usually lower volume and lower competition level. 

For instance, if you manage a pet store, creating content with a short, broad keyword (like “dog toys”) might seem logical, but will likely leave your page buried in search results, competing against big brands that have owned those terms for years. Using longer keyword phrases (like “best teething toys for Chihuahua puppies”) appeals to customers who have a firmer idea of what they’re looking for and who could be closer to making a purchase. A keyword phrase like that faces less competition, improving your chances of ranking high on search engine results pages (SERPs).

How are keyword phrases used in SEO?

Using relevant long-tail keyword phrases in your website content helps you reach your target audience a little further down the marketing funnel. Here’s how you can use keyword phrases to reach these potential customers. 

• Optimizing website copy on existing pages
• Inspiring new content
• Building paid search campaigns

Optimizing website copy on existing pages

Here’s how to optimize your landing page and content with the keyword phrases you’ve identified:

• Meta info. Include your keyword phrase in the meta title (title tag) and meta description verbatim, one time in each space. 
• H1. Include your keyword phrase in the H1 tag (the main headline of your content), ideally at the beginning of the title.
• URL. For blog articles and landing pages, the slug of your URL (the last part of your URL) should be an exact match of your keyword phrase, with dashes in place of spaces. 
• Body copy. Work your keyword phrase naturally into the body copy of your website. Don’t go for sheer number of mentions (no keyword stuffing), but have it spread throughout.

Inspiring new content

Keyword phrases can inspire new, dedicated content for your site. Your keyword research can become a content roadmap for editorial content, landing pages, competitor comparison pages, and more. 

To target the keyword phrase “best teething toys for Chihuahua puppies,” for example, a pet supply store might create a blog post titled “Best Teething Toys for Chihuahua Puppies,” which could provide helpful information about what specific features small dog owners should look for when choosing a toy for their teething puppy. The shop might also incorporate the phrase into the product descriptions for the toys they recommend for teething chihuahuas. 

Building paid search campaigns

SEO keyword phrases are a key part of search ad campaigns, in which you pay for your website to appear at the top of the page, before the organic results.

Google Ads works with three keywordmatch types:

1. Broad match. Something loosely related to your keyword. For example, “APLs” or “running shoes.”

2. Phrase match. Searches have the same meaning as your keyword phrase, but the wording might be a bit different. For example, “buy APL running shoes” or “running shoes for women.”

3. Exact match. This has the most accurate wording to your keyword. Exact match keywords are the closest to a 1:1 match. For example, “APL running shoes” or “APL training shoes.”

If you have a Google Ads account, you can use Google Keyword Planner to get keyword ideas for your paid search ad campaigns. 

You can also improve search campaigns in Google Ads by adding negative keywords—terms you don’t want associated with your ads. For instance, a luxury retailer can avoid having ads show up in searches for “cheap” goods.

How to find and use keyword phrases for SEO

1. Perform a domain analysis to see which terms perform
2. Find long-tail keyword variations
3. Create new content

You can use these steps to help you with keyword searches:

1. Perform a domain analysis to see which terms perform

To discover the best keyword phrases, you can use a keyword research tool to see what keyword phrases drive traffic to your site and generate suggestions for additional SEO terms to target, based on your domain’s traffic and audience. 

Options include free tools like KWFinder or Google Search Console, or a free trial of premium tools such as Ahrefs, Semrush, Moz, or BrightEdge. Google Search Console, for example, shows which keywords your site is ranking for and provides click and impression data for each. 

2. Find long-tail keyword variations

You can use your keyword research tool to search the general idea you have (such as “backpacks”) and look at how many monthly searches there are for related keyword phrases (for instance, “backpacks for high school students” or “backpacks for long hikes”). 

You can then sort results based on search volume (most keyword phrases will have a monthly search volume of roughly 1,000 or less) and competition around those terms.

As a free option, you can also search for your term in Google and see what the “People also ask” module generates, giving you insight into related searches. You can then use these questions as inspiration for blog posts, SEO-optimized FAQs, or headings in your content.

3. Create new content

Your SEO tools can help you come up with ideas for new content. Semrush, for instance, has an on-page SEO checker that generates content ideas based on your keywords, in addition to suggesting SEO improvements.

When you’re creating new content about your key phrases, keep in mind that Google uses a framework called EEAT when weighing the importance and validity of websites.

• Expertise. Show that you have the subject matter expertise necessary by referring back to your credentials or specific professional experience.
• Experience. Provide detailed, specific examples that show how you’ve solved a problem or worked with the subject matter of your content.
• Authoritativeness. You can show you’re qualified as an authority by creating content about what you know best.
• Trustworthiness. Build trust by citing your sources, providing explanations, and being transparent about how you know the subject matter.

Creating content that satisfies these values and meets the searcher’s needs will make it easier to rise through the rankings. For example, you can write blog posts featuring your unique knowledge about your customers’ specific needs. 

How to monitor the effectiveness of your keyword phrases

As search trends change over time, so does the traffic coming to your site. Maybe a viral video related to one of your products has sent more people searching for it online, which would boost the search traffic of your keyword phrases. Or maybe a new trend fueled by a competitor is diverting search traffic to other queries, away from your core product categories. 

Use an SEO tool like Semrush or BrightEdge to see how traffic and ranking change over time and adjust your organic search and ad campaign strategy accordingly. For example, within Semrush, you can track keyword performance over time, spotting trends with its Position Tracking tool.

If a keyword is driving less traffic, you might pause ads for it and focus on higher-performing terms. For organic search, you can identify rising or declining keywords and update the headline, body copy, and meta description on your landing page or content accordingly.

If you notice your ranking slipping, it might be time to refresh your content with updated information and check to make sure all meta fields are filled out properly.