What is a Head Term?
A head term is a short, broad keyword phrase that typically consists of one or two words. These keywords usually have high search volume and cover a wide topic area, but they are also very competitive and less specific in intent.
For example, “marketing”, “laptops”, or “running shoes” are all head terms. They could refer to many different subtopics, products, or user intents, depending on the context of the search.
Why Head Terms Matter
Head terms are useful for understanding broad market demand, but they are often harder to rank for due to their competitiveness. They tend to attract large amounts of traffic, but that traffic may be less targeted compared to more specific searches.
Understanding head terms helps businesses:
- Discover major content or product categories
- Identify high-level search trends
- Create topic clusters and link to more specific content (like long-tail keywords)
- Build brand awareness for general searches
However, focusing only on head terms can be risky if the goal is conversion or targeted traffic, as users searching broad terms are often at an early stage in the buying or research process.
Example in Use
A company that sells travel gear might identify “backpacks” as a head term. It’s a popular search, but also vague. Someone searching for “backpacks” could be looking for school bags, hiking packs, or fashion accessories.
To improve relevance, the company might also target more specific variations like “lightweight hiking backpacks” or “carry-on travel backpacks for women,” which are considered long-tail keywords.