In casual conversation, the terms "keyword" and "search query"
are often used interchangeably, but there is actually a
difference. So what is the difference between a keyword and a
search query? A keyword is sort of like the Platonic ideal of a
search query – it's an abstraction that we extrapolate from
multiple search queries. A search query, the actual word or
string of words that a search engine user types into the search
box, is the real-world application of a keyword – it may be
misspelled, out of order or have other words tacked on to it, or
conversely it might be identical to the keyword. As search
marketers, what we target are keywords. - In SEO, we target
these abstractions by optimizing on-page content (using the
keywords in URLs, title tags, body copy, image file names, meta
descriptions and so on), by building inbound links with keywords
in the anchor text, etc. - In PPC, we target keywords by bidding
on them and using them in our ads and landing pages. Search
queries, on the other hand, are the r