What is Keyword?

A keyword is the word or phrase a person types into a search engine — and, on the marketing side, a term you target so your page or ad shows up for that search. Keywords carry intent: "plumber" is vague, "emergency plumber near me" signals someone ready to hire. Good marketing matches the right keyword to the right page, grouping them by intent so ads and content answer exactly what the searcher wants. In paid search, keywords also have match types that control how loosely Google matches your term to real searches.