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Decoding the Jargon

Keyword

Also called search term, query (loosely)

SEOTerm

A word or phrase people type into a search engine that you want your page to appear for. Strictly, the query is what the person typed; the keyword is the phrase you chose to target.

Example

Meera picks 'cotton kurta for office wear' as the keyword for one category page, because that is how her customers describe what they want.

How you'll hear it

“Which keyword is this page meant to rank for? If it is three different ones, it is probably three pages.”

Don't confuse it with

Query: the exact words a searcher typed. Search Console reports queries; your plan lists keywords.

Want to use this at work? AI-led SEO Excellence is aFactor's 16-week program for SEO work.

Sources

SEO Starter Guide, Google Search Central
What is SEO?, Moz

Checked 1 October 2026. Examples use a fictional business; figures are illustrative.

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