Keyword
A keyword is the term someone types into a search engine, such as “dakkapel plaatsen Arnhem”. With keywords, you determine which searches your page or ad appears for in SEO and Google Ads.
- 3 min read
What is a keyword?
A keyword is the term someone uses to search for something in Google, Bing or another search engine. That can be a single word, such as “dakdekker”, but usually it's several words, such as “lekkend plat dak repareren” or “warmtepomp installateur Ede”.
Keywords with more words are called long-tail keywords. They're searched for less often, but anyone searching that specifically usually knows exactly what they want. Shorter, general keywords have more Search volume, but are often less clear and harder to rank for.
Every keyword has a search intent: the goal behind the search. Someone who searches “wat kost een dakkapel” is orienting themselves. Someone who searches “dakkapel laten plaatsen Arnhem offerte” is about to choose a tradesperson.
Why it matters for your business
The keywords you choose determine which visitors you get. If you choose the wrong ones, you can attract plenty of visitors without any enquiry coming out of it. If you choose the right ones, fewer people come, but they're the people who have a job to give out.
For a trade business with jobs worth a few thousand euros or more, buying-oriented keywords are worth the most. Think of a service with a town name, or words like “offerte”, “kosten”, “laten plaatsen” and “vervangen”. Anyone searching for those is further along in the decision process.
Keywords are also the basis of your ads. In Google Ads you pay per click, so a keyword that only attracts the curious costs money without bringing in anything.
How it works
Keyword research starts with the question of how your customers search. Not what you call your service, but which words they use. An installer talks about a hybrid heat pump, a customer sometimes simply searches “warmtepomp naast cv-ketel”.
With tools such as Google's Keyword Planner, you can see roughly how often a term is searched and how much competition there is. Google Search Console also shows which keywords your site already appears for.
An example. Say a contractor in the Nijmegen region wants to do more extensions. The website is optimised for the keyword “aannemer”, with a lot of competition and a broad audience. It attracts visitors who are looking for a handyman, a job or a big new-build project.
After research, it turns out people search for “aanbouw laten bouwen”, “uitbouw woonkamer kosten” and “aanbouw Nijmegen”. The contractor makes a page specifically about extensions, with the towns in the region, examples of projects and answers to questions about permits and how long it takes. In Google Ads, a separate campaign targets the same terms. There are fewer visitors, but far more often they're serious.
Common mistakes
The best-known mistake is choosing the keyword with the highest volume. A lot of search volume often means a lot of competition and a vague intent.
A second mistake is letting several pages compete for the same keyword. Google then doesn't know which page is the right one and they both score lower.
Also often seen: stuffing a keyword into the text too often. Texts that repeat “dakdekker Utrecht” in every sentence read badly and don't help. Google understands synonyms and context perfectly well.
A third pitfall is looking only at your own trade jargon. Customers use different words from tradespeople, and sometimes regional terms too. Anyone who writes only about “EPDM-dakbedekking” misses the people who search for “rubber dak” or “plat dak vernieuwen”.
Finally, many business owners forget negative keywords in Google Ads. Without exclusions, you pay for clicks on “vacature dakdekker” or “zelf dakgoot repareren”.
How to approach it
Make a list of your core services and the towns where you want to work. For each service, think about how a customer would search for it, and check with your own customers too.
Use a keyword tool to check which terms are searched and how often. Look in Search Console at what you already appear for. Choose one main keyword per page with a few related terms, and make sure every core service has a page of its own.
Work the main keyword naturally into the title, the heading, the first paragraph and the meta description. Otherwise, just write for your customer. Answer the questions they ask before bringing in a tradesperson, such as what it costs, how long it takes and what they need to arrange themselves.
Then measure not just positions, but above all which keywords bring in enquiries. That's what you adjust on. We do that as part of keyword research.
Frequently asked questions
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What is the difference between a keyword and a search query?
A search query is what someone literally types in. A keyword is the term you aim your page or ad at. In Google Ads, one keyword can be shown for many different search queries, depending on the match type you choose.
How many keywords can I target on one page?
Aim each page at one main keyword with a few closely related terms. A page about dormers can score on “dakkapel plaatsen”, “dakkapel kosten” and “dakkapel” with a town name. For a different service, you make a separate page.
Are keywords still important now that AI search is growing?
Yes, although the emphasis is shifting. In AI assistants, people ask longer questions in plain language. Pages that answer those questions clearly and make clear what they're about get found better both in Google and in AI answers.
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