By Aporupa Paul | Content Writer

Keywords are one of the most important parts of SEO content writing. If they are used correctly, your article has a better chance of ranking. If they are used poorly, even good writing may struggle to perform.

It is easier to understand with an example from board exams. Our teachers used to tell us that every answer has certain keywords, and examiners look for them. If those keywords are present, you get full or nearly full marks. That’s how keywords work in SEO writing.

What Are Keywords, and How Do Search Engines Respond?

Keywords are the words or phrases that people type into search engines when they want to know about something.

For instance:

• best running shoes
• recipes from the Disney movie Ratatouille
• how to write SEO content

Search engines pick up signals about your topic from the phrases you use in your article. They compare your content with what users search for and decide whether your page is relevant. Keywords are what make it relevant.

Types of Keywords

1. Primary keyword The main keyword you want the article to rank for. Example: Inside Out 2 movie

2. Secondary keywords Supporting keywords related to the main keyword. Examples:

• Inside Out 2 review
• Inside Out 2 emotions

Compulsory vs. optional keywords

• Compulsory: the primary keyword, the main secondary keywords and topic-relevant search terms. Without them, search engines may struggle to identify the page’s focus.
• Optional: extra keywords that add depth and help broaden ranking opportunities, but are not essential.