What is a keyword? (and how to find the ones your buyers use)

What a keyword is

A keyword is not one clever word. It is the phrase someone types or says when they are looking for something. "Candle" is a keyword, but "handmade soy candle gift" is a more specific one, and that specific one tells you a lot about the person: they want something handmade, made from soy wax, and meant as a present.

Using the words your buyers really use helps them recognise your product when they see it. It is less about tricking a search engine and more about speaking the same language as the customer.

The free method: autocomplete

You do not need a paid tool to start. Use the search box itself.

• Open Google on your phone or computer.
• Type the start of a phrase, such as "soy candle gift", and stop.
• Look at the suggestions that appear below the box. These are phrases people commonly type.
• Write down the ones that match what you actually sell.

Try different beginnings, like "soy candle for", "soy candle with" or "soy candle under". Each one reveals a few more real phrases. I will not quote search volumes or tell you which phrase is most popular, because those numbers change and are hard to trust. The point is to learn the shape of the language.

A worked example

Starting from "handmade soy candle gift", you might jot down suggestions like these:

• handmade soy candle gift set
• soy candle gift for housewarming
• scented soy candle under a price band

Now look at your own range. Do you sell a set? Is it good as a housewarming gift? If yes, those phrases are worth using in your title and description. If a phrase describes something you do not sell, leave it alone, because attracting the wrong shopper wastes both your time and theirs.

Other free places to listen

• Your own Instagram DMs and comments, where customers ask for things in their own words.
• WhatsApp questions, which often show what people call your product.
• Reviews on your own store, covered in customer reviews on your own store.
• Product questions from friends and family, who are the most honest source.

Where to use what you find

• Product title: put the main phrase near the start, in natural words. See how to write a product title that gets found.
• Description: use the phrases where they fit naturally, in short, clear sentences.
• Image alt text: describe the picture plainly, as in how to write alt text for product images.

Mistakes to avoid

• Stuffing the same phrase in again and again. It reads badly and helps no one.
• Using a phrase that does not describe your product, just because it is popular.
• Forgetting regional language. If your buyers say a product name in Hindi, Telugu or Tamil, that word is also a keyword.
• Expecting results overnight. Search takes time, and social posts will often matter more at first.

Where to start

Pick one product. Spend ten minutes with the search box and write down five phrases that fit. Then reread your product title and ask whether a real buyer would recognise it. Change one thing, and move to the next product when you are ready.