What are the types of keywords: frequency, competition, intent
Keywords are classified by 3 criteria: frequency (high 10k+/mo, medium 1–10k, low under 1k, micro under 50), intent (informational, commercial, transactional, navigational), competition (high, medium, low). Universal rule for beginners: 80% of effort on low/medium frequency — easier to rank. Save high-frequency for later when you have domain authority.
Keywords are classified by 3 criteria: frequency, intent, competition. Most common beginner mistake: chasing high-frequency keywords like 'coffee' where giants with million-dollar budgets sit. Right strategy: start with low-frequency, expand gradually.
By frequency
| Type | Searches/mo | Example | % of map |
|---|---|---|---|
| High | 10 000+ | "coffee" | 5–10% |
| Medium | 1 000–10 000 | "buy whole bean coffee" | 20–30% |
| Low | 50–1 000 | "buy arabica coffee 1kg new york" | 50–60% |
| Micro | 5–50 | "buy colombian dark roast 1kg organic" | 10–15% |
High-frequency = brand visibility, 5% of traffic. Sales come from low/micro — 70–80% of traffic.
By intent
- Informational — "how", "what is", "why".
- Commercial — "best", "top", "vs", "review".
- Transactional — "buy", "order", "price", "shipping".
- Navigational — brand or site name.
This question is also asked as:
- •keyword types in seo
- •head vs long-tail keywords
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