05 / Research
This page defines 9 Keywords & Search Intent terms. Each entry gives a plain definition, a What to check step you can apply to your own site, and links to deeper SiteAuditLint guides where they exist.
Keyword
A keyword is a word or phrase that people type or speak into a search engine. In SEO, it usually means a query a page is designed to rank for.
Each important page has one clear primary keyword and a set of closely related secondary queries.
Go deeper: Traditional SEO keywords vs AI search queries
Keyword research
Keyword research is the process of finding the queries your audience searches for and judging their volume, intent, difficulty, and business value.
Validate tool data against Search Console queries, since third-party volume estimates can differ widely from reality.
Go deeper: How to do keyword research for SEO, Keyword research for AI search
Search volume
Search volume is the estimated number of times a keyword is searched in a given period, usually per month.
Treat volume as a range, and look at trends and seasonality rather than a single monthly number.
Head term
A head term is a short, broad, high-volume keyword, such as "SEO" or "running shoes." Head terms are usually competitive and have mixed intent.
Check whether the SERP for a head term actually matches your page type before targeting it.
Long-tail keyword
A long-tail keyword is a more specific, lower-volume query, often three or more words long, such as "how to fix redirect chains in WordPress."
Group long-tail queries that share intent onto one page instead of creating a page for each variation.
Are long-tail keywords easier to rank for?
Usually, because fewer pages target them precisely. They also tend to have clearer intent and higher conversion rates.
Branded keyword
A branded keyword is a query that includes a brand name, such as "SiteAuditLint pricing." Non-branded keywords do not mention a brand.
Report branded and non-branded traffic separately, since branded demand can hide declines in organic discovery.
Search intent
Search intent is the goal behind a query. It is commonly grouped as informational, navigational, commercial, or transactional.
Study the top results for the query and match their format, depth, and angle before creating content.
What are the four types of search intent?
Informational (to learn), navigational (to find a specific site), commercial (to compare options), and transactional (to buy or act).
Keyword difficulty
Keyword difficulty is a third-party score estimating how hard it is to rank for a keyword, usually based on the backlinks of current top results. Each tool calculates it differently.
Compare difficulty with your site's real authority and topical coverage, rather than treating the score as absolute.
Keyword clustering
Keyword clustering is grouping keywords that share the same intent and SERP results so they can be targeted by one page.
Cluster by overlapping search results, not just similar wording, to avoid creating competing pages.
Go deeper: How to find SEO content topics
Browse the full SEO terms glossary, or run a technical SEO audit with SiteAuditLint to check these signals on your own site.