Keywords and Search Query difference

Mostly ‘keyword’ and ‘search query’ are used identically although they have complete different meaning. Both the words are taken when someone thinks of SEO, social media or internet marketing campaigns. A keyword is a common word taken from multiple search queries where as a search query is the actual word that a user enters in the search engine to find something. Although, ‘keyword’ and ‘search query’ go hand-in hand, application of one leads successfully leads to the other.

Search queries are of three types: transactional, navigational and informational. Informational queries are those that cover huge topic that has hundreds of relevant results. Wikipedia covers a lot of information and has relevant link for one topic. Navigational query is when a person is looking for a particular website. YouTube and facebook happen to be the most searched websites on Google. Transactional query is when the search engines take the user to page where he/she can make the purchase. Words such as ‘converse’, ‘shoes’ or ‘purchase’ can be entered by the user in the search engine for transactional query.

Keywords are specially selected words created by advertisers for an ad group to target the ads for potential customers. Keywords are foundations. AMICI Global Solutions Pvt. Ltd has team of analytics who offer fantastic keywords based solution.

Keywords and search queries are not identical in Google Analytic reporting. Advertisers bid on keywords. When we research and brainstorm, we decide which keywords are supposed to be included in the Adword campaign. When someone has a problem or a question, they seek Google’s help and type in search query.

Example: Peter is looking to buy mobile phone online. He types ‘Apple’ or ‘Samsung’ into the search box on Google.com. Now, ‘Apple’ or ‘Samsung’ are search queries. All the ads that may have apple or Samsung products shall have ‘Apple’, ‘Samsung’ or ‘mobile’ as the keywords in their Adword campaign and are eligible to get displayed on the Peter’s search result page.

The major difference between a keyword and search query is about who is using them. Users use queries whereas the marketers use keywords. Basically, keywords the targeting highlights while queries are what users actually type in.

Both the keyword and search query are components of pay-per-click. Optimized landing pages and exceptional ads would be worthless if the potential searchers are not seeing your ad. You can always target keywords but by broadening them into queries. Research queries to Analyze The Keywords. You will discover that the targeted keywords are surrounded by several search queries.