Skip to content
    Moz logo Menu open Menu close
    • Products
      • Moz Pro
      • Moz Pro Home
      • Moz Local
      • Moz Local Home
      • STAT
      • Moz API
      • Moz API Home
      • Compare SEO Products
      • Moz Data
    • Free SEO Tools
      • Domain Analysis
      • Keyword Explorer
      • Link Explorer
      • Competitive Research
      • MozBar
      • More Free SEO Tools
    • Learn SEO
      • Beginner's Guide to SEO
      • SEO Learning Center
      • Moz Academy
      • MozCon
      • Webinars, Whitepapers, & Guides
    • Blog
    • Why Moz
      • Digital Marketers
      • Agency Solutions
      • Enterprise Solutions
      • Small Business Solutions
      • The Moz Story
      • New Releases
    • Log in
    • Log out
    • Products
      • Moz Pro

        Your all-in-one suite of SEO essentials.

      • Moz Local

        Raise your local SEO visibility with complete local SEO management.

      • STAT

        SERP tracking and analytics for enterprise SEO experts.

      • Moz API

        Power your SEO with our index of over 44 trillion links.

      • Compare SEO Products

        See which Moz SEO solution best meets your business needs.

      • Moz Data

        Power your SEO strategy & AI models with custom data solutions.

      Let your reputation grow with Reviews AI
      Moz Local

      Let your reputation grow with Reviews AI

      Learn more
    • Free SEO Tools
      • Domain Analysis

        Get top competitive SEO metrics like DA, top pages and more.

      • Keyword Explorer

        Find traffic-driving keywords with our 1.25 billion+ keyword index.

      • Link Explorer

        Explore over 40 trillion links for powerful backlink data.

      • Competitive Research

        Uncover valuable insights on your organic search competitors.

      • MozBar

        See top SEO metrics for free as you browse the web.

      • More Free SEO Tools

        Explore all the free SEO tools Moz has to offer.

      NEW Keyword Suggestions by Topic
      Moz Pro

      NEW Keyword Suggestions by Topic

      Learn more
    • Learn SEO
      • Beginner's Guide to SEO

        The #1 most popular introduction to SEO, trusted by millions.

      • SEO Learning Center

        Broaden your knowledge with SEO resources for all skill levels.

      • On-Demand Webinars

        Learn modern SEO best practices from industry experts.

      • How-To Guides

        Step-by-step guides to search success from the authority on SEO.

      • Moz Academy

        Upskill and get certified with on-demand courses & certifications.

      • MozCon

        Save on Early Bird tickets and join us in London or New York City

      Unlock flexible pricing & new endpoints
      Moz API

      Unlock flexible pricing & new endpoints

      Find your plan
    • Blog
    • Why Moz
      • Digital Marketers

        Simplify SEO tasks to save time and grow your traffic.

      • Small Business Solutions

        Uncover insights to make smarter marketing decisions in less time.

      • Agency Solutions

        Earn & keep valuable clients with unparalleled data & insights.

      • Enterprise Solutions

        Gain a competitive edge in the ever-changing world of search.

      • The Moz Story

        Moz was the first & remains the most trusted SEO company.

      • New Releases

        Get the scoop on the latest and greatest from Moz.

      Surface actionable competitive intel
      New Feature

      Surface actionable competitive intel

      Learn More
    • Log in
      • Moz Pro
      • Moz Local
      • Moz Local Dashboard
      • Moz API
      • Moz API Dashboard
      • Moz Academy
    • Avatar
      • Moz Home
      • Notifications
      • Account & Billing
      • Manage Users
      • Community Profile
      • My Q&A
      • My Videos
      • Log Out

    The Moz Q&A Forum

    • Forum
    • Questions
    • Users
    • Ask the Community

    Welcome to the Q&A Forum

    Browse the forum for helpful insights and fresh discussions about all things SEO.

    1. Home
    2. SEO Tactics
    3. Intermediate & Advanced SEO
    4. Primary versus secondary keyword

    Moz Q&A is closed.

    After more than 13 years, and tens of thousands of questions, Moz Q&A closed on 12th December 2024. Whilst we’re not completely removing the content - many posts will still be possible to view - we have locked both new posts and new replies. More details here.

    Primary versus secondary keyword

    Intermediate & Advanced SEO
    4
    10
    13873
    Loading More Posts
    • Oldest to Newest
    • Newest to Oldest
    • Most Votes
    Reply
    • Reply as question
    Log in to reply
    This topic has been deleted. Only users with question management privileges can see it.
    • seoanalytics
      seoanalytics last edited by

      Hello,

      Can someone give a example of what primary and secondary keywords are and how to implement that in a sentence ?

      Thank you,

      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
      • Nigel_Carr
        Nigel_Carr @seoanalytics last edited by

        Hi seoanalytics

        I have spent hours trying to help you on this thread and the other two or three you have started! I have patiently answered every question you have asked, in detail. If you still don't understand what I am saying after acres and acres of help and advice then that's it from me.

        https://moz.com/community/q/sentences-rdf-format

        https://moz.com/community/q/asking-a-natural-question-in-h-tags

        https://moz.com/community/q/bolded-words-in-search-results

        https://moz.com/community/q/user-intent-and-ranking

        This comment is simply idiotic, but more than that it is insulting:

        "I have more chances of winning the lottery than ranking..."

        Please don't bother me again.

        Have a good weekend.

        Nigel

        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
        • seoanalytics
          seoanalytics last edited by

          I am trying but let's be honest I have more chances of winning the lottery than ranking...

          It is a matter of what words goes with which word surrounded by other words and only the computer know that, doesn't it ?

          In the past I managed to get from 3 rd page to 3 rd position on a requested keyword just by adding 3 lines of text and the reason was just that the words used correlated well with the other words but honestly this was luck.

          If someone has a technic that works that isn't luck I can't wait to hear it 🙂

          Nigel_Carr 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote -1
          • Nigel_Carr
            Nigel_Carr @seoanalytics last edited by

            I have no idea what Alchemy API is.

            No, write your own content with your own researched keywords.

            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • seoanalytics
              seoanalytics last edited by

              How about I I used alchemy api and use all the keywords of someone ranking 1 st to write my text, could it also work ?

              Nigel_Carr 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • Nigel_Carr
                Nigel_Carr @seoanalytics last edited by

                Hi seoanalytics

                I think you get the idea. I'm not saying that tablet is a perfect synonym for laptop but I think you do understand what I am saying!

                Good luck with it

                Regards

                Nigel

                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • seoanalytics
                  seoanalytics last edited by

                  Thank you for sharing the link about rank brain.

                  I do understand that it isn't necessary to pepper my content with all the possiblity semantically connected keywords are it won't look natural. However, from what I understand the idea is still to use those semantically connected keyword but naturally.

                  For example about Laptop chargers if I wrote a sentence like this would ok ? I have used semantically related keyword such as voltage, battrary, tablet and transformer.

                  "Laptop charger come with different voltages, 110 and 220. Once you have selected the battery that matches the voltage of your tablet you are good to go. If you can't find the correct voltage by a transformer and then plug it in. "

                  Nigel_Carr 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • Nigel_Carr
                    Nigel_Carr last edited by

                    Hi seoanalytics

                    The whole area of primary and secondary keywords (or Keyphrases) has largely been overtaken by Google's new Rankbrain AI system of determining themes and relevancy. So don't think in terms of these terms - also please don't listen to anyone focusing too heavily on LSI's as these have mostly been debunked as a load of flannel used by SEO's to impress, although leading SEO Brian Dean still insists that they have some effect on SEO. If you start researching LSI's you will end up in a rabbit hole from which you will never emerge! to advise - 'use your primary keyword a couple of times is nonsense'.

                    Think of your website like this:

                    Each page represents a theme - for example as Alick300 has used 'Laptop chargers' You need to think about writing chunky, relevant content around the term 'Laptop Chargers' but you do not need to mention every 'secondary keyword' you can think of to pepper the text with. Write compelling copy using semantically connected words like batteries within the content.

                    By all means, search related terms like batteries, tablets and transformers (are they still a thing?) but if you think in the way of 'Primary keywords' and 'secondary keywords' you will risk overusing certain terms, not having free-flowing writing and turning your intended customer into a brief visitor. Think of the use of synonyms as well - (the Bike/Bicycle analogy is a good one).

                    Modern SEO is about writing semantically connected and lexically relevant content in such a way that you engage your website visitor and ultimately convert them into customers. The more you engage, the longer the 'dwell time' and the more you satisfy user intent.

                    Have a read of Brian's latest post on Rankbrain - it's pretty brilliant and you should come away inspired!

                    https://backlinko.com/google-rankbrain-seo

                    There is no way of outsmarting Google by determining and hoofing in endless keywords and phrases. Modern content needs to be well written with perfect grammar and spelling and theme focused.

                    Also, break it down into easily readable chunks - this helps the user to stay engaged as opposed to being lost in long paragraphs. Pretty much like I have here.

                    Use Google search box to help and 'related search terms' at the bottom of the page to find semantically related phrases.

                    I hope this helps,

                    Regards

                    Nigel

                    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                    • NickW816
                      NickW816 last edited by

                      Great answer Alick300! I would also add that the primary keyword and secondary keywords (sometimes referred to as LSI keywords) should all work together to help the search intent of the user. Writing longer, quality content that naturally uses your primary keyword a couple times and a ton of secondary keywords that still relate to your primary is a great way to get a page ranked quicker than normal.

                      For example if your a handyman that wants to rank for electrician + "your city", it's helpful to talk about electrical repairs, panel installations, electrical service, house wiring, etc. integrating this secondary keywords into your page not only helps your ranking for electrician + "your city", but also electrical repairs + "your city", panel installations + "your city", etc.

                      Nick White
                      SEO Services KC
                      https://seo-kansas-city.com/

                      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                      • Alick300
                        Alick300 last edited by

                        Hi,

                        Primary keywords are the main keywords for which you want to rank. You are optimizing this keyword so that you can rank in Search engines. e.g Laptop chargers has the highest search volume

                        Secondary keywords mean those keywords which plays supporting role.

                        E.g Laptop batteries and chargers and Universal laptop chargers

                        Hope this helps.

                        Thanks

                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
                        • 1 / 1
                        • First post
                          Last post

                        Got a burning SEO question?

                        Subscribe to Moz Pro to gain full access to Q&A, answer questions, and ask your own.


                        Start my free trial


                        Browse Questions

                        Explore more categories

                        • Moz Tools

                          Chat with the community about the Moz tools.

                        • SEO Tactics

                          Discuss the SEO process with fellow marketers

                        • Community

                          Discuss industry events, jobs, and news!

                        • Digital Marketing

                          Chat about tactics outside of SEO

                        • Research & Trends

                          Dive into research and trends in the search industry.

                        • Support

                          Connect on product support and feature requests.

                        • See all categories

                        Related Questions

                        • netcomsia

                          block primary . xxx domain with disavow tool

                          search results spam spam score disavow seo audit

                          Hi friends I discovered spam url attack on top sites with good google positions for specific keyword. Can I block primary domain like .xxx with disavow tool? There is hundreds of different domains but primary domain is always the same. for example like this domain:xxx? Thanks

                          Intermediate & Advanced SEO | | netcomsia
                          0
                        • NickHatster

                          Why does the order of the keywords affect my SERP? And what can I do to improve?

                          Hi all, So, if you google "london life coach" my site appears #2 (www.nickhatter.com) But if you google "life coach London" my SERP seems to fluctuate between #3 up to #6. If you google "life coach in London" my SERP is a solid #2/3. I don't get it all. Would someone care to explain? Also, if you have any tips on how I might improve the EAT of my website please do feel free to weigh in! Many thanks,
                          Nick

                          Intermediate & Advanced SEO | | NickHatster
                          0
                        • emarketer

                          Why my website disappears for the keywords ranked, then reappears and so on?

                          Hello to everyone. In the last 2 weeks my website emorroidi.imieirimedinaturali.it has a strange behavior in SERP: it disappears for the keywords ranked and then reappears, and so on. Here's the chronicle of the last days: 12/6: message in GWT: Improvement of the visibility of the website in search. 12/6 the website disappears for all the keywords ranked 16/6 the website reappears for all the keywords ranked with some keywords higher in ranking 18/6 the website disappears for all the keywords ranked 22/6 the website reappears for all the keywords ranked 24/6 the website disappears for all the keywords ranked... I can't explain this situation. Could it be a penalty? What Kind? Thank you.

                          Intermediate & Advanced SEO | | emarketer
                          0
                        • KS__

                          How to measure traffic for a keyword

                          Sitting in Country A I want to see how much traffic a particular keyword receives in Country B. Whats the best way to do it? Also, will the search results differ if I am analyzing the above sitting in Country A viz-a-viz Country B. In other words, will the IP of the country I am making the search from play a role in the results?

                          Intermediate & Advanced SEO | | KS__
                          0
                        • sandeep.clickdesk

                          My website is not ranking for primary keywords in Google

                          I need help regarding some SEO strategy that need to be implemented to my website http://goo.gl/AiOgu1 . My website is a leading live chat product, daily it receives around 2000 unique visitors. Initially the website was impacted by manual link penalty, I cleaned up lot of backlinks, the website revoked from the penalty some where around June'14. Most of the secondary and longtail Keywords started ranking in Google, but unfortunately, it do not rank well for the primary keywords like (live chat, live chat software, helpdesk etc). Since I have done lot of onsite changes and even revamped the content but till now I dont find any improvement. I am unable to understand where I have got structed.
                          can anyone help me out?

                          Intermediate & Advanced SEO | | sandeep.clickdesk
                          0
                        • reidsteven75

                          Keyword Phrases - Can You Break Them Up?

                          Can you break up a search query across a sentence and have Google still recognize which query you are targeting? Let's say I'm trying to rank a page for the phrase "best haircuts calgary". Is Google's algorithm advanced enough to look at page title "Best Haircuts - Where To Get Them In Calgary" and know it's targeting the query "best haircuts calgary"? If it can't do this right now, I could see it advancing to this at some point in the future, which would then change the game quite a bit in terms of how creative you can get creating pages for queries.

                          Intermediate & Advanced SEO | | reidsteven75
                          0
                        • BeytzNet

                          Should I remove Meta Keywords tags?

                          Hi, Do you recommend removing Meta Keywords or is there "nothing to lose" with having them? Thanks

                          Intermediate & Advanced SEO | | BeytzNet
                          0
                        • 7decode

                          Google and keywords with and without accents. How to approach optimization for both?

                          This is more of a problem for people optimizing for keywords in spanish, french, german and such. It is well known that SERPs for keywords with and without accents are different. However, I haven't been able to discover how do I make the incorrectly misspelled keywords rank without messing up the site's content. Another fact to take into account is that more than half the searches made in these languages are done without accents because, let's face it, it's just too much work. An example of my specific problem: The misspelled keyword "cursos de ingles" is currently ranking higher than the correctly spelled keyword "cursos de inglés". However, the misspelled keyword "clases de ingles" is not ranking at all and the correctly spelled keyword "clases de inglés" is on the first page. How is this possible? Now, how can I optimize the misspelled keywords to rank higher without misspelling the content on my site? Thank you! Capture.PNG

                          Intermediate & Advanced SEO | | 7decode
                          0

                        Get started with Moz Pro!

                        Unlock the power of advanced SEO tools and data-driven insights.

                        Start my free trial
                        Products
                        • Moz Pro
                        • Moz Local
                        • Moz API
                        • Moz Data
                        • STAT
                        • Product Updates
                        Moz Solutions
                        • SMB Solutions
                        • Agency Solutions
                        • Enterprise Solutions
                        • Digital Marketers
                        Free SEO Tools
                        • Domain Authority Checker
                        • Link Explorer
                        • Keyword Explorer
                        • Competitive Research
                        • Brand Authority Checker
                        • Local Citation Checker
                        • MozBar Extension
                        • MozCast
                        Resources
                        • Blog
                        • SEO Learning Center
                        • Help Hub
                        • Beginner's Guide to SEO
                        • How-to Guides
                        • Moz Academy
                        • API Docs
                        About Moz
                        • About
                        • Team
                        • Careers
                        • Contact
                        Why Moz
                        • Case Studies
                        • Testimonials
                        Get Involved
                        • Become an Affiliate
                        • MozCon
                        • Webinars
                        • Practical Marketer Series
                        • MozPod
                        Connect with us

                        Contact the Help team

                        Join our newsletter
                        Moz logo
                        © 2021 - 2025 SEOMoz, Inc., a Ziff Davis company. All rights reserved. Moz is a registered trademark of SEOMoz, Inc.
                        • Accessibility
                        • Terms of Use
                        • Privacy

                        Looks like your connection to Moz was lost, please wait while we try to reconnect.