← DictionaryKeyword
also called search term
A word or phrase people type into a search engine.
What people actually type.
What It Is
You will find Keyword in the Marketing layer, alongside the rest of Search. What it actually refers to is a word or phrase people type into a search engine.
It is a label with a settled working definition, so the value is in using it the same way every time. Once it is defined that clearly, arguments about it usually stop.
How It's Used
Most of the time Keyword is used in campaign planning, channel choices and the reporting that follows them. It normally appears alongside Keyword Research, Search Intent and Long-Tail Keyword. The practical test is whether everyone in the room means the same thing by it.
Why It Matters
Ignoring Keyword rarely fails loudly — it fails slowly. When it is unclear, spend keeps moving but nobody can say what it bought. Clarity here removes a surprising amount of downstream argument.
Picture a word everyone in the room has agreed to use the same way. What people actually type.
Termshift™
How the meaning shifts depending on who is using it, and where.
Professionally, Keyword carries the narrow meaning: a word or phrase people type into a search engine.
Explained to someone with no marketing background, Keyword is what people actually type.
The Bottom Line
If you only keep one thing about Keyword: what people actually type. Everything after that is detail.