Keywords and content
Search intent, Keyword Planner, Search Console, Trends, long-tail, on-page.
Updated
What keywords are
A keyword is what a person types into Google: "laptop for programming", "how to build a form in react", "pizza near me". Keyword research = finding out what your audience searches for, how often and with what intent — then creating pages that answer exactly that.
Without research, you write about what you think people search for. With it, you write about what they actually search for.
Search intent — the most important concept
The same topic, different intents = different pages:
| Intent | The user wants to... | Example | The kind of page |
|---|---|---|---|
| informational | learn something | "what is a closure in javascript" | an article, a guide, a lesson |
| navigational | reach a specific site | "amazon login" | that page |
| commercial | compare before buying | "best laptop for programming 2026" | a comparison, a review |
| transactional | buy / take an action | "buy macbook air m4" | a product page |
How to find the intent: search the term in Google and look at what kind of pages are in the top 10. Google shows you what it considers a good fit.
The research tools
| Tool | What it gives you | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Google Keyword Planner (in Google Ads) | estimated monthly volume, related keyword ideas, competition | free (an Ads account, no active campaign) |
| Google Search Console → Performance | which searches you already appear for, impressions / clicks, the average position | free — the most valuable source |
| Google Trends | interest over time, seasonality, comparisons, by region | free |
| autocomplete + "People also ask" + "Related searches" | the real questions people ask | free |
| Ahrefs, Semrush, Ubersuggest | volume, difficulty, competitors' keywords, backlinks | paid |
How to choose keywords
| Criterion | Why |
|---|---|
| volume | how many people search for it monthly |
| difficulty | how strong the top results are — a new site won't beat Wikipedia on "javascript" |
| relevance | it matches what you offer |
| intent | it matches the kind of page |
Long-tail = long, specific phrases ("react hook form zod validation form"): low volume, but low competition and a clear intent. For a new site, they're the way in.
On-page — how to optimize a page
| Element | The rule |
|---|---|
| title | ~50–60 characters, the main keyword near the start, unique on every page, enticing to click |
| meta description | ~150–160 characters; it doesn't directly affect ranking, but it affects the click |
| H1 | a single one, clearly stating the topic |
| H2 / H3 | a logical structure; often they answer the related questions |
| URL | short, with words: /react/server-state |
| the first paragraph | answers the question directly |
| internal links | descriptive text ("see the lesson on closures", not "click here") |
| images | a descriptive alt, a relevant file name |
| content | complete, correct, up to date, more useful than what's already in the top |
Content tips that work
- One page = one topic = one intent. Not two pages competing for the same keyword (keyword cannibalization).
- Topic clusters: a "pillar" page (the complete guide) + detailed pages linked together — exactly the structure of topics and lessons in this app.
- Answer the question in the title within the first lines, then go into detail.
- Update old pages that are losing positions, instead of always writing new ones.
- Write for people: if the text sounds forced because of the keyword, rewrite it.
Summary
- A keyword = what people type; the intent decides the kind of page.
- Keyword Planner for volume, Search Console for what you already have, Trends for seasonality; long-tail to start.
- On-page: title, description, H1, URL, internal links, content more useful than the competition's.