keyword

Meanings

1. 1nouncountablecomputing

   A word that you type into a search engine to find information.

   Grammar: Countable: a keyword, several keywords. Often used in the plural: search for keywords.

   Patterns

   • search for a keyword
   • type a keyword into something
   • use a keyword to find something

   Type a keyword like 'bicycle repair' into the search box.

   The results improved when she used more specific keywords.

   You can search by keyword instead of browsing the whole site.

2. 2nouncountable

   A word that is important for understanding or finding a particular subject in a text or database.

   Grammar: Countable; common in academic and library contexts: list the keywords for your essay.

   Patterns

   • list keywords
   • index something by keyword
   • keywords for a topic

   The library database lets you search by keyword or by author.

   Write five keywords at the end of your abstract.

   Each article is tagged with keywords so readers can find related work.

3. 3nouncountablecomputingbusiness

   A word that is chosen to help a webpage appear high in search results.

   Grammar: Countable; common in marketing: target a keyword, rank for a keyword.

   Patterns

   • target a keyword
   • rank for a keyword
   • a keyword in a page title

   The company targets the keyword 'cheap flights' on its homepage.

   Put your main keyword in the page title and headings.

   Choosing the right keywords can bring more visitors to your site.

4. 4nouncountablecomputingtechnical

   A word that has a special meaning in a programming language and cannot be used as a name.

   Grammar: Countable; technical. 'if', 'while' and 'return' are keywords in many languages.

   Patterns

   • a keyword in a language
   • use a keyword

   In Python, 'def' is a keyword used to define a function.

   You cannot name a variable after a keyword such as 'class'.

   The compiler reports an error if you use a keyword as an identifier.

Word forms

Common combinations

search by keyword

You can search the catalog by keyword or by title.

target a keyword

The marketing team targets the keyword 'running shoes'.

keyword search

A keyword search found the article in seconds.

list of keywords

Add a short list of keywords after your summary.

main keyword

Use the main keyword in the first paragraph.

Synonyms and how they differ

search term

Search term is the phrase a user actually types; a keyword is the important word chosen for searching or indexing.

key phrase

A key phrase is two or more words treated as one unit; a keyword is usually a single important word.

tag

A tag is a label added to content for grouping; a keyword is a word used to search or index.

Word family

keywording noun

The practice of choosing and adding keywords to content.

Commonly confused: keyword or password?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “keyword”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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